How long can you freeze sausages?

Both raw and cooked sausages can be frozen for up to 2 months but it's important to freeze them when they are as fresh as possible to maintain their quality. Ideally, freeze fresh sausages as soon as you bring them home from the supermarket and always within their use-by-date. Freeze cooked sausages immediately after cooking and cooling or refrigerate and freeze within 24 hours.

How to freeze sausages

When freezing sausages, the process is almost identical for freezing fresh sausages and freezing cooked sausages. Follow these simple steps for the best results:

1. Separate and portion sausages
   Tightly wrap sausages individually or in pairs in freezer-proof film before storing them in an airtight container. This will protect against freezer burn and enable you to defrost and cook the precise quantity you need, avoiding food waste.
2. Keep raw and cooked sausages separately
   Never wrap raw and cooked sausages together as there is a risk of bacterial contamination. Cooked sausages should be cooled completely before wrapping to prevent steam from being trapped, providing the perfect conditions for freezer burn.
3. Label and rotate
   Label with the type of sausage, today's date and the use-by-date. When placing in the freezer, organise so that the oldest food is always brought to the front and used first.

Signs that your frozen sausages are bad

If you see a build-up of ice crystals around your frozen sausages accompanied by grey or brown spots, your sausages have freezer burn. This occurs when food has been exposed to air and moisture has been drawn out of the meat and frozen on the surface. It also occurs when food has been stored in the freezer for too long.

Sausages with freezer burn will have a dry, leathery texture and be unpleasant to eat. Freezer burn can be prevented by following our storage tips above.

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