Storing béchamel: What is the shelf life of béchamel sauce?

Once you have made too much béchamel, the question arises as to the best way to store it.

The best way to store béchamel is to keep it in the fridge for up to 3 days. You can also freeze béchamel for up to 6 months, but after that the consistency must be restored by stirring thoroughly. The sauce should not be left unrefrigerated for longer than 2 hours.

In this article, I show you how I keep my béchamel sauce for a long time, whether chilled or frozen.

How long does béchamel keep at room temperature?

Béchamel sauce should not be left unrefrigerated for longer than 2 hours. Over time, the number of bacteria increases exponentially and can reach an unhealthy level after just a few hours, especially in warm temperatures.

When storing unrefrigerated, it is particularly important to cover the pan well to reduce air contact and to stir the béchamel occasionally so that no crust forms on the surface. The sauce should also be stored as far away from direct light as possible.

Store the béchamel in the fridge

Béchamel sauce can usually be kept in the fridge for 3 days. It must be packed airtight and stored on the top shelf of the fridge. To prevent a crust forming, cling film can be placed directly on the surface of the sauce.

Step 1: Leave the béchamel to cool

First, the béchamel must cool down so that the fridge is not overloaded. In the meantime, cover the pan with a lid.

Step 2: Empty the béchamel into a bowl

Now pour the sauce into a container of a suitable size. Preferably with an airtight lid.

Step 3: Cover the bowl with cling film

Now comes the most important step: cover the béchamel with cling film so that the film is in direct contact with the surface of the sauce. This way, there is no air contact and no firm crust forms.

Step 4: Store in the top shelf of the fridge

Keep the béchamel in the top shelf of the fridge. It will keep for a maximum of 3 days chilled, but I recommend making it the night before or in the morning at the earliest.

Store the béchamel in the freezer

Béchamel sauce can be frozen without any problems and can be kept in the freezer for up to 6 months. However, the consistency of the sauce may change slightly when defrosting. However, the old consistency can be restored by mixing thoroughly.

Follow these instructions for freezing béchamel to avoid freezer burn.

Step 1: Allow to cool

As with all sauces, béchamel needs to cool before freezing so as not to overload the freezer. To prevent the surface from drying out, use the following trick: Cover the pot with cling film and press the film onto the surface of the béchamel so that it no longer comes into contact with air. The sauce needs about 1 hour to cool completely.

Step 2: Portioning

Béchamel should not be frozen twice, so you should freeze it in several portions if necessary.

Step 3: Fill into freezer bags

Only fill the individual portions into freezer bags of the appropriate size. Before sealing, make sure that there is no air left in the bag to avoid freezer burn. To save space during storage, it is a good idea to press the freezer bags flat. This way, you can stack them in the freezer.

Step 4: Double packaging and labeling

As we all know, two are better than one, which is why I pack each freezer bag in a second bag. This way, the béchamel is optimally protected and has the longest shelf life. Don’t forget to note the production or use-by date. This way you leave nothing to chance.