Matzo balls are a Passover staple but can also be eaten all year round. They are Jewish dumpling balls made of matzo meal, beaten eggs, water, and fat (e.g., margarine, oil, chicken fat). Matzo balls are usually served in soup, often chicken soup, and they are absolutely delicious! But what do you do if you’ve made too much mixture or if you’ve cooked too many to eat on the day? Let’s take a look at how to store matzo balls.
Matzo balls should be stored in the fridge uncooked for 1-2 days or cooked for 3-4 days. In either case, they can be stored in the freezer for about 3 months. Store matzo balls separately from the water they were poached in or the soup they were cooked in since they can absorb too much moisture and disintegrate.
That said, keeping matzo balls fresh and in good shape is easier said than done. This is because they tend to be rather delicate once prepared. But we are here to help you out!
How to Store Matzo Balls
As we established, you can store matzo balls in the fridge for 2-3 days or in the freezer for around 3 months, and you can keep them cooked, uncooked, and even while placed in the soup.
An important thing to remember when storing matzo balls is that you really want to avoid them sticking together or getting mushy, so it is best to avoid storing them in the soup for too long. It can also be a good idea to make sure that the individual balls are separated out when you are storing them. Otherwise, they might stick together.
Can I Make Matzo Balls Ahead of Time
You can definitely make matzo balls ahead of time. In fact, the matzo ball mixture works better when it has been left to rest in the fridge for a while because this gives the matzo meal time to absorb the moisture.
If you really want to save time on the day that you will be serving them, you can even make the matzo balls a couple of days in advance ready and store them uncooked. Then take them out of the fridge and cook them on the day. Or you could even make a big batch and stick it in the freezer so that you’ll have matzo balls ready whenever you might need them!
What Can You Do With Leftover Matzo Balls?
Honestly, there are so many ways to use leftover matzo balls, especially if you use a bit of creativity.
- If you have any soup leftover, you can always put them in the soup again
- Roll them in cinnamon sugar and dip them in a chocolate yogurt sauce (probably best with matzo balls that don’t use chicken)
- Slice them in half and turn them into gnocchi by pan-frying them
- Deep fry them and dip them in a wasabi sauce.
The possibilities are endless!
Can Matzo Balls Be Frozen?
Yes, matzo balls can definitely be frozen. You can freeze them while they are in the soup if you want, and they will be safe to eat for three months, but most people prefer to freeze the matzo balls and the soup separately because the balls tend to get mushy and disintegrate if they are left in liquid for too long.
Cooked matzo balls that are separate from the soup can be stored in the freezer for three months with no issue at all. You can also freeze uncooked matzo balls ready for cooking when you need them, but you do need to be careful not to freeze them while they are touching each other, or they are likely to stick together.
Pro Tip: A good tip for stopping matzo balls from sticking together in the freezer is to place them individually on parchment paper and leave that in the freezer for a little while until the balls harden. Then take it back out of the freezer, remove the matzo balls (still frozen), and place them in a plastic bag to put back in the freezer.
How Long Will Matzo Balls Last?
Matzo balls will generally last the same amount of time as any other prepared food that you might store.
As a rule of thumb, you can expect your matzo balls to last around 2-3 days in the fridge or about 3 months in the freezer. It is best to drain them from the poaching liquid before storing them to avoid them getting mushy and breaking apart. And if you want to store them in soup, they can disintegrate pretty quickly in the fridge. This doesn’t mean that they’re not safe to eat, but they won’t taste as nice.
How Long Matzo Balls Last:
| Matzo Balls Storage Method | Uncooked | Cooked | In Soup* |
| Left Out | 2 Hours | 2 Hours | 2 Hours |
| In the Fridge | 1-2 Days | 3-4 Days | 3-4 Days |
| In the Freezer | 3 Months | 3 Months | 3 Months |
How Do You Reheat Matzo Balls?
You will be pleased to know that matzo balls are really easy to reheat.
Matzo balls don’t need to be defrosted, although you can defrost them in the fridge for 12 hours if you want to. You can reheat your matzo balls directly in the soup that you will be serving them in. Just heat the soup to a simmer, drop the matzo balls in, and cook for around 20 mins. Once the matzo balls are warm through the middle, they will be good to eat.
How to Tell If Matzo Balls Have Gone Bad
There is no definitive test for if your matzo balls have gone bad. You will just need to rely on your senses to make a decision. There are some telltale signs to look out for.
If your matzo balls have any of the following characteristics, it’s best to throw them out:
- A slimy film on the outside,
- Any visible mold on them
- A rancid odor and smell “off” have discoloration
- A change in their texture
It is always best to err on the side of caution with food safety, so if you have any doubts about whether your matzo balls are safe to eat, it’s better to get rid of them.
Final Bite
If you’re hoping to make a batch of matzo balls before the day you want to serve them, or if you have cooked too many and want to save the rest for later, you will be pleased to know that matzo balls can be stored in the fridge or freezer (although it’s best to not leave them in water or soup).
Perhaps the best part is that they are really easy to reheat. All you need to do is place them in the soup and let it simmer. To cook them through, you can even come up with some creative ways of using your leftover matzo balls if you want to have some fun and try something new!
For more, don’t miss How to Reheat Ramen | The Best Way.
Main photo courtesy of City Foodstirs, CC BY 2.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Anne James has a wealth of experience in a wide array of interests and is an expert in quilting, cooking, gardening, camping, mixing drinks (worked as a professional bartender), and making jelly.
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