Scrapple is made from pork, cornmeal, and scraps like organ meat and cracklings. It can be finely or coarsely chopped.
Scrapple may be served as-is for breakfast with eggs and toast; it can also be used in sandwiches or as part of other dishes such as moussaka.
Scrapple is a popular dish in Pennsylvania Dutch cuisine. It’s also common in the Appalachian region.
Scrapple was brought to America by Pennsylvania Dutch settlers, where it was a traditional Sunday dish served with fried applesauce and potato pancakes.
So named because it’s made from scraps of pork, scrapple is an inexpensive meat dish that can be easily frozen for later use.
In this article, we’ll discuss how to make scrapple, and then we’ll discuss how to freeze scrapple for later use.
How to Make Scrapple?
The first thing you have to do to make scrapple is to get the pork scraps.
Ask your butcher for them, or chop up any trimmings you may already have in the freezer.
Scrapple is made from both white and dark meat; it’s usually best if there’s a 50-50 mix of each.
Since it’s not kosher, scrapple isn’t made from a single type of meat.
If you’re observant and want to avoid pork, make sure the butcher knows that you want beef or veal scraps only, never pork.
Scrapple is usually served with either eggs and toast for breakfast or as part of a sandwich.
It can also be used in other dishes-many people put it into stews and casseroles, for example.
In Pennsylvania, Dutch Country, they have a dish they call scrapple fries, fried potatoes sliced and served with the meat as part of an open-faced sandwich.
Scrapple can be made very easily at home, although homemade scrapple is sometimes not quite as finely chopped as commercially produced products.
To make the meat, you first have to cube it. nAfter that, the pork should be cooked in water until it’s tender and ready to fall apart.
At this point, you add the cornmeal and allow the mixture to cool.
Most recipes recommend adding 2 cups of cornmeal for each pound of meat; some people also add dried herbs and spices at this point, although others serve it plain.
Scrapple can be served with fried applesauce. You can also make potato pancakes and serve them with melted cheese on top.
Scrapple is also good inside a sandwich; many people like to include it in a Reuben sandwich with corned beef.
How to Freeze Scrapple?
Scrapple is usually eaten fresh-a. Few are lucky enough to have leftovers for later on.
That means you need to know how to freeze scrapple.
First, to freeze this delicious meat, place individual pieces of it onto a parchment paper-lined baking sheet.
Once they’re frozen solid, you can transfer them into plastic freezer bags or airtight containers for long-term storage.
You can put whole slices of scrapple straight into the freezer once they’ve cooled down enough to be no longer hot.
Alternatively, you can slice it and freeze the slices individually; remember to label your containers to don’t mix them up with other food.
They will last about two months in the freezer.
Scrapple can also be frozen after it’s cooked, although it’s best to let it cool first.
Does Freezing Affect Scrapple?
Does freezing affect scrapple? It does, slightly.
Freezing changes the texture and flavor of most foods-even meat products change when they’re frozen for a long time.
Since scrapple is made from two different types of pork, it will be more affected by freezing than other types of meat.
Pork is a fatty meat, so it’s especially vulnerable to freezer burn and other problems.
Scrapple does have a pretty high-fat content since it’s made from scraps of pork.
This means that you need to be careful about how you freeze it and for how long you store it in the freezer.
If your scrapple is frozen for a long period, you should be especially careful to follow proper techniques for preventing freezer burn and other problems.
How to Thaw and Reheat Frozen Scrapple?
If you want to reheat frozen scrapple, the best thing to do is pop it into a microwave oven and heat it on high.
You can also thaw scrapple in cold water or on a plate in the refrigerator; never thaw it at room temperature.
Scrapple can be cooked before freezing, but it’s best to do it in the microwave or on a slow cooker.
Cooking it beforehand means that you don’t need to cook your frozen scrapple when you’re ready to eat; instead, you can heat it and serve it.
If your scrapple isn’t cooked before you freeze it, you’ll need to cook it after you thaw it.
You can make a simple scrapple sandwich with this meat or use it in other recipes.
Just remember that the cooking time for this frozen product will be longer than normal, so don’t overcook it.
How to Tell if Scrapple is Bad?
If you want to know how to tell if scrapple is bad, it’s important to remember that fresh scrapple and frozen scrapple are two different products.
Fresh scrapple must be eaten as soon as possible, while frozen scrapple can last in your freezer for up to 3 months.
Scrapple can last much longer than three months in the freezer, but it often has significant quality issues after that point.
Because it’s made of meat that isn’t usually eaten in most households, some people can have difficulty finding frozen scrapple at their grocery stores.
How to tell if scrapple is bad? If you have had it around for a long time and don’t know what to do with it, here are some ways to identify expired scrapple.
Appearance – The color of the scrapple changes from its normal brownish-gray or black color into a darker shade of gray.
This is a sign that the scrapple is spoiling. The smell of the scrapple also changes.
The meat starts to smell when it is beginning to spoil, and you can tell it has gone bad because there will be a rotten odor that emanates from the scrapple.
It’s an odor that cannot be ignored by anyone who smells it, even those with the most sensitive noses.
If you take a bite of the scrapple and taste something funny that wasn’t there before, don’t try to eat it.
There’s no way knowing what is causing the funny taste, so there’s a greater chance of being allergic to it if you do decide to eat it anyway.
The texture will also change.
The mouthfeel will be soggy and soft instead of being crunchy like it was before.
The taste of the scrapple also changes when spoiling, but you really shouldn’t be eating it in that case anyway.
Conclusion
In conclusion, scrapple is a nutritious and delicious alternative to normal sliced bread.
It’s a cultural icon of the United States, and it deserves to be preserved for future generations.
You can freeze it, but you have to make sure that you cook the scrapple before eating it.
It’s all in this article, and I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I did writing about it.
Can You Freeze Scrapple? Easy Guide to Freeze Scrapple
Ingredients
- Scrapple
- Air-tight containers or Ziplock bags
- Labels and markers
Instructions
- First, to freeze this delicious meat, place individual pieces of it onto a parchment paper-lined baking sheet.
- Once they’re frozen solid, you can transfer them into plasticu0026nbsp;freezer bags or airtight containersu0026nbsp;for long-term storage.
- You can put whole slices of scrapple straight into the freezer once they’ve cooled down enough to be no longer hot.
About The Author
