Can you freeze wonton wrappers?

In this article, we will answer the question “Can you freeze wonton wrappers?”, and how to freeze wonton wrappers?

Can you freeze wonton wrappers?

Yes, you can freeze wonton wrappers. Frozen wonton wrappers last up to 6 months in the freezer. But they are best consumed within 3 months of storage (1). The changes in the quality of the frozen wonton wrappers will be more noticeable after the 6-month time frame.

Wonton wrapper is a type of pasta that has a similar composition with noodle, such as wheat flour, water, egg, salt, and kansui. It can also be made with wheat flour substitutes, such as tapioca, sago, and glutinous rice (2).

Approximately 21% of the world’s food depends on annual wheat crop harvests, which often have relatively low stocks. Developing countries, the majority of which are net wheat importers, consume 77% of total global wheat production. Accordingly, wheat accounts International Journal of Agronomy for approximately 24% of food commodities imported by developing countries (4).

How to freeze wonton wrappers?

Grab some plastic wrap and an air-tight container or a freezer bag to get started. Follow the steps below to safely freeze leftovers or wonton wrappers in bulk.

1. You can skip this step if you are dealing with pre-made wonton wrappers. Keep the homemade wonton wrappers from sticking to each other by dusting them with some cornstarch. Alternatively,  you can place wax paper in between each wonton wrapper to keep them separated.
2. Wrap the wonton wrappers tightly in a freezer-safe plastic wrap.
3. Transfer the wrapped wonton wrapper into an air-tight container or freezer bag.
4. Seal the container. Squeeze out as much air as possible if you are using a freezer bag. Label the container and freeze.

How to store wonton wrappers in the fridge?

Fresh pasta spoilage is mainly due to the metabolic activity of bacteria, yeasts, and especially molds, which negatively a ect the sensorial characteristics and safety of the product. For industrial products, pasteurization, microwave and convection heating, alone or in combination, are some techniques used to increase the shelf life of fresh pasta in order to provide extensive and ecient sanitization, thus assuring shelf-life periods ranging from 30 to 90 days (3).

Wonton wrappers can easily last 7-10 days in the fridge, depending on the ingredients from which they are made and the packaging material. Fresh pasta without additives can be stored for 3 days in the refrigerator, while the addition of calcium propionate as a preservative may extend its shelf life for up to 10 days (1,3). If the original packaging of the wonton wrappers is intact, store them as-is in the fridge. 

To refrigerate the wonton wrappers leftovers, you need to transfer the wrappers to an air-tight container or a freezer bag. Put the container in the fridge and that’s it!

How to thaw frozen wonton wrappers?

Safe freezing is important to prevent the wonton wrappers from tearing or breaking while rolling. There are 2 ways you can safely thaw wonton wrappers depending on how much time you have at hand. If you are pressed for time, let the wonton wrappers defrost on the counter for 30-40 minutes. 

If you have plenty of time, you can let the wrappers thaw peacefully in the fridge overnight. Before refrigerating thawed wonton wrappers, cover them with a damp paper towel to keep them from drying out.

How to make Chinese wonton wrappers?

Ingredients 

For Recipe 1:

• 1 large egg
• ¾ tsp kosher salt
• ¼ to ½ cup water
• 2 cups (240 g) all-purpose flour

For Recipe 2:

• 1 cup warm water
• ½ tsp kosher salt
• 1 ¾ cups (210 g) all-purpose flour, more as needed
• 1 ¾ cups (210 g) bread flour

For Recipe 3:

• 1 large egg
• 1 ¾ cups (210 g) all-purpose flour
• 1 ¾  cups (210 g) bread flour
• ¾ cup water
• 1 tsp kosher salt

Make recipe 1:

1. In a bowl, beat the egg with ¼ cup of water and salt until well combined.
2. In a separate bowl, sift the flour and dig a hole in the center. Fill the hole with the egg mixture.
3. Mix everything using a fork. Add more water if needed. 
4. When the dough ball forms, knead it for about 5 minutes or until the dough becomes smooth and elastic.
5. Cover the dough with a napkin and let it rest for about 30 minutes.
6. After 30 minutes, roll the dough onto a lightly dusted counter into a thin sheet. Then cut the sheet into 3 1/2 -inch squares.
7. Dust the wonton wrappers with some flour on both sides and store them in the fridge or freezer.

Make recipe 2:

1. Mix all the ingredients in a bowl until homogenous.
2. Knead the dough until smooth and elastic. Then cover the dough with a napkin and let it rest for about 30 minutes.
3. Roll the dough onto a lightly floured surface until a sheet thin enough to pass through the pasta machine forms. 
4. Feed the dough sheet to the pasta machine on the thinnest setting to make sure it is even and flattened.
5. Cut the dough into 3-inch squares. Dust the wonton wrappers on both sides using some flour.
6. Store the dusted wonton wrappers in the fridge or freezer by using the method detailed in the article above.

Make recipe 3:

1. Mix all the ingredients in a bowl until homogenous.
2. Knead the dough until smooth and elastic. Then cover the dough with a napkin and let it rest for about 30 minutes.
3. Roll the dough onto a lightly floured surface until a sheet thin enough to pass through the pasta machine forms. 
4. Feed the dough sheet to the pasta machine on the thinnest setting to make sure it is even and flattened.
5. Cut the dough into 3-inch squares. Dust the wonton wrappers on both sides using some flour.
6. Store the dusted wonton wrappers in the fridge or freezer by using the method detailed in the article above.

Conclusion

In this article, we answered the question “Can you freeze wonton wrappers?”, and how to freeze wonton wrappers?

References

1. Geiger, M. Making Homemade Noodles Safely. 2019. Iowa State University.
2. Beku, Penyimpanan Dingin Dan. Karakteristik Sensori Dan Fisik Kulit Pangsit Goreng Dengan Substitusi Tepung Yang Berbeda Pada. Jurnal Agroteknologi, 2017, 11.
3. Schettino, Rosa, et al. Extension of the shelf-life of fresh pasta using chickpea flour fermented with selected lactic acid bacteria. Microorganisms, 2020, 8, 1322.
4. Enghiad, Aliakbar, et al. An overview of global wheat market fundamentals in an era of climate concerns. Int J Agron, 2017.