How Long Hollandaise Sauce Will Stay Fresh In The Fridge

So, you've finally mastered the art of making hollandaise at home. The notoriously fiddly mother sauce has come together in a silky-smooth emulsion and has been draped over your eggs Benedict. The only problem is, you've made more than you need for your breakfast. So, do you let your creation go to waste, or can you save it for the next meal?

You'll be glad to hear that yes, you can safely store hollandaise sauce in the refrigerator for 2-3 days for later use. To get the best results, let the sauce cool to room temperature first and transfer to an airtight container. Before you use it, check for any signs of spoilage. Usually, a darker color or chunky texture is a signal that something has gone bad, and due to the eggs and dairy, spoiled hollandaise may also smell like rotten eggs or curdled milk. To store your hollandaise beyond a couple of days, consider freezing it after cooking. It will keep safely for around two months, but might not reheat as successfully.

The biggest problem with storing your hollandaise for later isn't so much about keeping it fresh in a food safety sense, but how cooling the sauce affects its consistency. All that delicious butter you so carefully emulsified is going to turn hard as soon as you put it in the fridge or freezer, and melting it too quickly will result in a split or 'broken' sauce. If you plan to reuse hollandaise within a few hours of first making it, it's suggested to keep it warm rather than refrigerating and reheating. You can do this with a double boiler, a pan on low, or even a thermos.

For the best results when reheating refrigerated hollandaise, it's important to bring it to room temperature, then heat slowly in a double boiler, while whisking to maintain the emulsion. If the sauce does split, you can attempt to revive your broken sauce by adding a spoonful of hot water at a time, again while whisking. For frozen hollandaise, simply thaw in the refrigerator overnight then complete the reheating steps above.