Can you freeze foie gras?

Epicurean Exploits - Food and Recipes
1

I bought a whole foie gras for new year’s eve, but I don’t anticipate using all of it.
Has anyone tried freezing it? How did it work out? With its high fat and low water content
I would doubt that it actually freezes, but it seems like the best/safest place to store it.

Google returned a whole range of results from “yes, it freezes well” to “no, freezing ruins it”.

2

I’ve only frozen scraps left over from a whole foie gras, that I intend to use in a pâte - not as sautéed foie gras.

3

I sauteed a whole “A” foie that a friend had frozen and defrosted.

No real perceptible problems or loss of flavor or texture.

4

It depends on the type of freezer you have with an old style deep freeze being best. If you are using a frost free there will be perceptible damage to the texture depending upon how long it’s frozen for. I would use it within a month max.

5

On the same theme, how long can you keep foie in the refrigerator (still in cryo) before it starts to degrade?

And then: How long can you keep exposed (out of cryo) foie in the refrigerator.

I might be in the same boat as Dave (OP) in that an entire foie will be too much for a single meal - even if we make it the focal point.

Chris

6

I just “found” some foie that has been in my forst free freezer for 2 years. Should I even try it, or just pitch it?

7

I’d pitch 2 yr. old foie. A lot of foie, or at least some, that you buy at retail arrives at the retailer frozen. I know this because I have sold it on a retail level. You can certainly order fresh (I have sold that, too). But, yes, it freezes fine.

JD