Pate

[Kooper]

Hello everyone,
I am going to try my first Pate on the weekend. Does anyone know how well it will freeze. The recipe I have says it will make 3lbs of pate and that seems like a lot to eat in a week.

Thanks for your help,
Kooper

[grisell]

My experience says no freezing. It can get granulous and slimy. See it as an emergency measure. On the other hand I think it will keep well for up to two-three weeks if it is covered with jelly or fat and your fridge is cold enough.

[grisell]

If you use cure/nitrite/saltpetre in an appropriate amount (as for sausages) it will get a very beautiful color and better taste. It will also help in preservation.

[BriCan]

Hello everyone,
I am going to try my first Pate on the weekend. Does anyone know how well it will freeze.

There are two answers to this. If you keep it clean i.e. meat and spices; then the answer is yes. If on the other hand you add fillers, binders, phosphates and such then yes 'you will' have a problem.

I have and do freeze Pate/liver sausage without any problem.

The recipe I have says it will make 3lbs of pate and that seems like a lot to eat in a week.

You could have invited us all over for a sampling.

[Ianinfrance]

Hi Kooper

Hello everyone,
I am going to try my first Pate on the weekend. Does anyone know how well it will freeze. The recipe I have says it will make 3lbs of pate and that seems like a lot to eat in a week.

Thanks for your help,
Kooper

I make a lot of paté. I have frozen it, but I'm afraid I don't agree that it goes slimy, though it does lose some of its texture certainly.

Grisell is on the right lines, IMO, but there is one thing he says that is positively misleading IMO. Jelly covering a pate does nothing to preserve it, I'm afraid. However, if you make your patés in several dishes, and weight them down while they are cooling, you should find that you can then run about 1 cm of pork lard over the top once set. Then smooth some foil over the top of the fat. They should then keep in a cold fridge for a good fortnight. If you want them to keep longer, without freezing, you can pour OFF the jelly while still warm, then fill the gaps with melted lard and again weight to cool. Finally cover again with a good cm of melted lard & foil. Your pate should then keep for up to a month in the fridge. If you use some cure #1 in place of about 1/10th of the salt, and vacuum pack your fat covered paté, it should keep even longer.

Sorry to have come here a bit too late. But - next time.

If you're interested, here's my paté recipe - for a LOT more than 3 lbs - I can mine in tins.
http://pagesperso-orange.fr/souvigne/re ... art480.htm

[wheels]

I have to say that I agree fully with Ian on this one. That's the traditional way of keeping any potted meat for storage and has stood the test of time.

Phil

[mattwright]

I agree with Ian. I make a good deal of pate and rillette, and have found a couple of weeks in the fridge is OK - but certainly remove any of the jelly left around. I have actually added the jelly in to soups, melted. I always top my stuff with a good helping of lard or duck fat.