Pierogies are perfect for meals, side dishes, or snacks. They are usually preserved in the freezer. If you are curious about defrosting homemade pierogies, look no further. We’ve consulted the experts, and they provided us with scrumptious answers.
Defrosting pierogies is part of the cooking process. You can work with them straight from the freezer depending on how they were frozen.
If your homemade pierogies are pre-cooked frozen, you can defrost them through:
- Classic Boiling
- Microwave-boil
- Saute
- Bake
- Deep-fry
However, if they are fresh-frozen, the only easy way to defrost them is:
- Classic Boiling (including salt)
In this article, we will talk about in detail the defrosting process of frozen homemade pierogies. We will also share recipes for making pierogies at home. So keep reading as we continue to provide you with more of this valuable information.
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What Are Pierogies?
Pierogi or pierogies are filled dumplings. It uses unleavened noodle dough to enclose a savory or sweet filling.
Common contents include meat, cheese, potatoes, sauerkraut, and fruits. The dish is then cooked in boiling water or fried in a pan.
It's challenging to identify the origin of the pierogies, a staple of Central and Eastern Europe. What is certain is that the term "pierogi" has Slavic origins, and the dumpling is now very well-liked in Poland.
However, this dish is already consumed widely in the United States as a side dish and they call it "pierogies" rather than pierogi. But in Europe, this is their main course.
How To Defrost Homemade Pierogies?
While letting food sit out at room temperature to defrost might seem convenient, speedy, and alluring, this method of defrosting poses serious risks to food safety and can encourage the growth of bacteria resulting in food poisoning.
Some foods, including frozen vegetables, frozen pastry, and hamburger patties, are intended to be cooked directly from the freezer or defrosted as part of the cooking process. And pierogies are just one of them.
There are two types of frozen pierogies and they are pre-cooked and fresh frozen pierogies. For pre-cooked pierogies, you can boil, microwave-boil, saute, bake and deep-fry them.
While the ideal method for cooking fresh-frozen or uncooked pierogies is to boil them on the stove and whether you choose to finish them in a saute pan is entirely up to you.
Here’s how:
Pre-cooked Pierogies
Classic Boiling
You will use a stove to boil for this method. Boil water in a big pot. When it's already boiling, add a package of frozen pierogies and continue boiling them for around 1 to 2 minutes or until they all float.
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In order to serve the cooked pierogies, either drain the pot or use a slotted spoon to remove them from the heat.
Keep in mind that you only need to heat these frozen pierogi through since they are already fully cooked.
If you're going to boil and then saute pierogies, remove them from boiling water as soon as they begin to float. Before you saute them, quickly dry them with paper towels.
Microwave-boiling
The quickest method is to microwave-boil them. In a microwavable bowl, add the frozen pierogies. Add enough water to completely submerge the pierogies.
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Check to see if the pierogies are hot and tender after 5 minutes of high-power microwave cooking. Carefully remove the bowl. Drain them, then plate.
A package of approximately 12 frozen pierogies typically requires 5 minutes of cooking. When microwave cooking, don't cover the bowl.
Saute
After boiling the pierogies or while they are still frozen, you can saute them. Over medium heat, melt butter or put olive oil, or a combination of these two in a big skillet.
Add pierogies to the pan with caution and cook them until they are heated, soft, and have a very light browning.
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A package of pierogies (12 pieces) will typically cook in 8 to 10 minutes if you are sauteing straight from frozen. While it will only take 2-3 minutes to lightly brown the frozen pierogi if you've already boiled them.
Bake
For a slightly crispier alternative, bake frozen pierogies. On a baking sheet that has been lightly greased with cooking spray, arrange the frozen pierogies.
You can spray the pierogies' top with cooking spray or brush with melted butter to add more browning before baking.
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Set the oven's temperature to 400 °F. Then, bake for 18 to 20 minutes in the oven and turn once halfway through. When the pierogies are thoroughly heated and lightly browned, then they are ready to serve.
Deep-fry
If you prefer your pierogies extra crispy, deep fry them. Choosing a sizable, deep skillet or pot, add cooking oil. Be sure there is enough oil to completely cover the pierogies.
Cooking pierogi in multiple batches is an option if your pan or pot isn't big enough to accommodate an entire package of them.
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With a slotted spoon, carefully add the frozen pierogies one at a time as the oil reaches 350°F. You check the temperature of your oil using a kitchen thermometer. Do not drop the pierogies into hot oil as it may splatter.
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Remove them from the oil and place them on a plate lined with paper towels after cooking them for at least 4 minutes, or until they all float.
Fresh-frozen Pierogies
Classic Boiling
As discussed above, classic boiling is a natural boiling using the stove. The steps of boiling fresh-frozen pierogies include:
- Pour water into your big pot and heat it until it boils.
- When water boils, add a generous pinch of salt.
- Add the fresh-frozen pierogies.
- Turn the heat down to medium.
- Cook for 5-7 minutes and give the saucepan a thorough stir to prevent the pierogi from sticking to the bottom because they will sink immediately.
- When you see the pierogies float then they are ready to scoop out using a slotted spoon or drain.
- Season and serve.
How To Make Pierogies?
Pierogi make easy, tasty last-minute meals since they freeze well. Many pierogi recipes exist but most are similar to the steps below, especially for those who love potato cheese filling:
Dough
1. Mix the 2 cups of flour and ½ teaspoon (tsp) salt to make the dough.
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2. Add 1 large egg to the mixture. The dough will be somewhat clumpy at this time.
3. Add the ½ cup sour cream and 4 tablespoons (tbsp) soft butter and mix until the mixture forms a sticky, slightly rough ball.
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4. Without adding more flour, knead and fold the dough with just your fingertips until it becomes less sticky but is still rather moist.
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5. Put the dough in the refrigerator for up to 48 hours after thoroughly wrapping it in plastic wrap.
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Filling
1. Boil 2 potatoes until they are mashable.
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2. Mash the potatoes then warm them up.
3. Mix 1 cup mashed potato and 1 shredded cheddar cheese.
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4. Stir and mash together until the cheese has melted and the filling is cool to the touch.
5. Add salt and pepper to season the food to your liking.
Wrapping
1. Roll out half the dough to a thickness of 1/8-inch thick.
2. Use a 2 inches round cutter to cut dough into circles.
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3. Repeat the process to the remaining half dough.
4. Save the scraps. You can chop them into little pieces and add them to simmering soups.
5. Put 1 1/2 tsp of filling into your round dough.
6. Fold the dough over to create something like a pocket.
7. Pinch the edges to seal them.
8. Use a fork's tines to reseal the edges.
After doing the steps above, put them in the freezer and they can be frozen for up to 4 weeks. You can also cook the pierogies right away after making them.
For filling tips, if it is a little wet, add one tbsp of flour. For easier molding, you can use a dough press. You can follow the steps of making dough and wrapping it with other kinds of fillings.
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Conclusion
Defrosting pierogies is different from others where you can just sit them out at room temperature. It’s not that way for pierogies. Instead, they are intended to cook right away from the freezer.
Defrosting depends on the manner in which pierogies are frozen, either pre-cooked or fresh.
There are a few methods you can try to defrost them which you can reference above. We hope this article helps you confidently defrost your savory pierogies.
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