[Thorough Guide to Preserving Sweets] Introducing the freezing method, storage period, and thawing method in detail!

Think you can't freeze sweets?

Although there are some sweets that cannot be frozen, a wide variety of sweets can be frozen, including Western sweets such as cakes and cookies, and Japanese sweets in general. Sweets generally do not have a long shelf life, so if you can't eat them right away, we recommend freezing them.

It can be stored for 2 weeks to 1 month by freezing.
We will introduce in detail how to freeze each type of sweets, precautions, storage period, and thawing method.

I would also like to explain how to use rapid freezing, which allows you to freeze food without sacrificing freshness or quality.

Sweets that are suitable for freezing and sweets that are not suitable for freezing

Sweets go very well with freezing.
There are some things that don't go well together, such as jelly, but the quality of baked goods, which are often eaten at home, is less likely to deteriorate.

Sweets that can be frozen include sponge dough, tart dough, pie dough, butter cake, mousse, baked goods, whipped cream, and Japanese sweets.
The quality of well-cooked sweets and Japanese sweets in general does not deteriorate easily even when frozen.

Freezing and thawing donuts

Typical shelf life for donuts

Store-bought donuts should be consumed according to the expiry date specified by the vendor. When it comes to homemade donuts, it's best to eat them all in one day.

We recommend storing it at room temperature in the winter, and storing it in the refrigerator in the summer as it is easily damaged. Because donuts are fried, they oxidize easily and lose their flavor over time.
If you can't eat it right away, it will be more delicious if you freeze it.

How to freeze donuts, storage period, and thawing method

Divide small donuts into single servings, or larger donuts into individual portions and wrap in plastic wrap. Place in a storage bag and seal to remove air.

If frozen, it can be stored for one month. When eating, please thaw naturally at room temperature. Depending on the room temperature, it can be thawed in 30 minutes to 2 hours.

Once thawed, warm it up in the toaster to make it even more delicious. However, chocolate-coated donuts will melt when heated, so it's best to let them thaw naturally and eat them as is.

Freezing and thawing cake

Typical shelf life for cakes

The cake can be stored in the refrigerator for 2 days from the date of manufacture. If you store it in the refrigerator, it will dry out, so it's best to take it out of the box and wrap it in plastic wrap or put it in a storage container.

Cakes that use a lot of butter, such as pound cakes, can be stored at room temperature unless it's summer. It also has a long shelf life and can be stored for about a week.
However, if it contains fruit such as bananas, it will spoil easily, so it is better to eat it within 3 to 4 days.

If pound cake dries out, it will have a dry texture, so it is important to wrap it tightly in plastic wrap.

How to freeze cake, storage period, and thawing method

Baked and cooked cakes such as cheesecake, pound cake, chiffon cake, and gateau chocolate, as well as cakes decorated with fresh cream, can generally be frozen.

For undecorated cakes, wrap them in plastic wrap and freeze them in easy-to-eat portions in storage bags. Decorated cakes tend to lose their shape easily, so place them in an airtight storage container and freeze them.

It can be frozen for about a month, but for best taste, we recommend eating it within two weeks.

When ready to eat, thaw in the refrigerator. If it is the size of a cut cake, it can be thawed in 4 to 6 hours. If you thaw the food naturally at room temperature, the thawing will progress all at once, resulting in a watery texture, so avoid thawing at room temperature.

Also, the freshness decreases as time passes after thawing, so it is better to eat it as soon as possible after thawing.

Points to note when freezing cakes

Be careful with cakes that contain fruit. Fruit tarts, strawberry shortcakes, roll cakes with fruit, etc. are not suitable for freezing.

When fruit is frozen, it loses its moisture, resulting in a poor texture and the cake itself becoming watery. If you want to freeze a cake with fruit in it, it's best to remove the fruit and freeze it.

Freezing and thawing cookies

Typical storage period for cookies

Unopened commercially available cookies can be stored at room temperature until the expiration date. Opened cookies or homemade cookies will become damp if you leave them out.

Some cookies can be stored relatively well at room temperature, but if you have a large quantity and cannot eat all of them, you may want to consider freezing them.

How to freeze cookies, storage period, and thawing method

Place the cookies in a storage bag, squeeze out the air, and freeze. Storage period is approximately 2 weeks.

When ready to eat, thaw in the refrigerator or at room temperature. It's delicious to eat as is, but warming it up in a toaster brings back the crispy texture.

You can also freeze the dough before baking. Wrap both the thinly rolled dough and the cut-out dough tightly in plastic wrap and freeze.

You can make delicious cookies by taking them out of the freezer when you want to eat them, letting them partially thaw, or baking them in the oven while still frozen.
　

Freezing and thawing of Yokan

Normal storage period of Yokan

Yokan has a long shelf life, so it can be stored for a long time if unopened. However, once opened, the flavor of Yokan tends to deteriorate, so it is better to eat it as soon as possible.

If you can't eat it right away, you can keep it delicious by freezing it.

How to freeze yokan, storage period, and thawing method

Divide the amount you can eat into small portions, wrap them in plastic wrap, put them in a storage bag, and seal. Can be stored for about 2 weeks. When ready to eat, you can thaw it naturally at room temperature and eat it as is.

You can freeze not only red bean paste and soybean flour, but also cowhide, sticky rice, etc., so most Japanese sweets can be frozen and still be delicious.

Freezing and thawing Daifuku

Daifuku's normal storage period

If it is within the expiration date, it can be stored at room temperature in a cool, dark place with low humidity. We recommend that you consume it on the day it is manufactured.

How to freeze Daifuku, storage period, and thawing method

Wrap each piece tightly in plastic wrap to prevent them from drying out, then place in a storage bag and freeze. Storage period is 2 weeks.

When eating, you can thaw it naturally at room temperature, but if the mochi is hard, you can warm it up in the microwave to make it more delicious. However, be careful not to heat it too much or the mochi will become too soft.

Freezing storage and thawing of Imagawayaki

Normal storage period for Imagawayaki

It can be stored at room temperature in winter and in the refrigerator for 2 days in summer. If you store it at room temperature or in the refrigerator for a long time, the dough will dry out, so if you don't plan on eating it right away, we recommend freezing it.

How to freeze Imagawayaki, storage period, and thawing method

Wrap each piece in plastic wrap and freeze to prevent them from drying out. It can be stored for about 1 month.

However, if you keep it frozen for a long time, the dough will burn and become crumbly, so it's better to eat it as soon as possible.

When ready to eat, defrost in the microwave. Approximately 2 minutes at 500W. When you warm it up, it will return to its fluffy texture, making it delicious to eat.

Freezing and thawing rice crackers

Normal shelf life of rice crackers

If unopened, it can be stored until the expiration date. Once opened, rice crackers get damp quickly, so if you won't be able to eat them all within a few days, it's best to freeze them.

How to freeze rice crackers, storage period, and thawing method

Place the rice crackers in a storage bag, seal tightly to remove air, and freeze. It can be stored for about 2 weeks.

When ready to eat, you can thaw it naturally at room temperature and eat it as is. If it's damp, you can warm it up in the toaster to restore its crispy texture.

Lock in the freshly made deliciousness! How to utilize rapid freezing

Many frozen sweets, such as frozen cakes and frozen Japanese sweets, are available for sale via mail order or by order. Freezing can extend the shelf life and allow you to sell online.

However, if frozen for a long period of time, the flavor and texture will inevitably deteriorate. Therefore, sweets stores that sell frozen sweets sell them by rapid freezing.

When frozen using normal methods, it takes a long time to freeze and results in quality deterioration. Rapid rapid freezing allows food to be frozen quickly, which prevents quality deterioration.

For example, if you compare a cake frozen using the normal freezing method and a fresh cake, you will notice a difference in quality.

However, by rapid freezing, it is possible to freeze the product while maintaining its freshly made quality. It has good flavor, freshness, and shape, and maintains the same quality as raw cake.

In addition, we maintain the taste, aroma, and appearance of Japanese sweets, allowing you to enjoy the same deliciousness as those sold in stores.

In this way, rapid freezing allows you to enjoy delicious sweets wherever you are.

Conclusion

Although some sweets are not suitable for freezing, many sweets, such as baked sweets and Japanese sweets, can actually be frozen.

If you leave sweets out as they are, they often dry out and become dry, and the moisture makes them lose their deliciousness.

Freezing will extend the shelf life and make it more delicious, so if you can't eat it all, try freezing it.

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