Pastry Cream Leftovers

[JFLinLA]

There is some extra pastry cream left over from a fruit tart I made. How long can I keep it refrigerated? Can I freeze and reuse it?

Thanks.

[polly]

You can keep it refrigerated for a few days with cling wrap pressed onto it's surface to stop a skin forming, but i'm pretty sure that if you froze it, it would seperate and go yucky when thawed.

[chefpeon]

Well, I'll say that I freeze pastry cream in Napoleons all the time, and when thawed everything is AOK.

[sugarseattle]

I usually keep it 4-5 days, but do the smell test to verify.

What I've found that it seems to freeze ok if it's in it's final place (in a cake, napoleon, etc.), but when it's just frozen on it's own (like in a container) it does separate. One of the many mysteries of baking chemistry I suppose it's because I use corn starch which is supposed to weep when it's frozen. I believe that using modified corn starch doesn't have the same properties of weeping, but I'm afraid to use it.

I bet if you churned pastry cream into ice cream I would be knocking at your front door.

[aguynamedrobert]

Yeah I agree...probably 5 days to keep it in the fridge...Try making some Cream Puffs....you can make some quick shells, fill them, and presto....you got another dessert...

[schneich]

creme patissiere freezes well if i is cooked very well for a long time, that helps to burst all the tiny little starch granules. once most of them are broken a process called "starch deswelling" (hope its translated correctly) cant happen. when a starchy system such as creme pat is refridgerated the starch granules shrink and the free water unites and gives the impression of a broken texture.

there is a company called sevarome which carries a product especially to freeze creme patissiere. this stuff is added in miniscule amounts, doesnt change taste or texture and is also quite cheap. the folks in france use it all the time....

cheers

torsten s.

[sugarlove]

I have a bag of Elsay (hot process) pastry cream powder. It says the finish product can be frozen so I assume if you use this in place of the cornstarch in the pastry cream recipe then it should be okay to freeze.

[Bijay@Sugar Daddy Bakes]

On 07/07/2007 at 1:00 AM, schneich said:

creme patissiere freezes well if i is cooked very well for a long time, that helps to burst all the tiny little starch granules. once most of them are broken a process called "starch deswelling" (hope its translated correctly) cant happen. when a starchy system such as creme pat is refridgerated the starch granules shrink and the free water unites and gives the impression of a broken texture.

there is a company called sevarome which carries a product especially to freeze creme patissiere. this stuff is added in miniscule amounts, doesnt change taste or texture and is also quite cheap. the folks in france use it all the time....

cheers

torsten s.

India is mostly vegetarian and I am trying to make a stable , non gritty butter cream for cakes ...and I am currently using All Purpose Flour , Sugar and Milk in a custard and once done , I whip in butter ...I am struggling as it weeps ...so you are suggesting , I can cook the custard for longer and avoid this ? How long ? Does it not burn ?

 

[Tri2Cook]

Pastry cream leftovers... I thought that's what spoons were for?