Raw Ingredient Freezing Problems

• Both eggs and milk -- essential quiche components -- are difficult foods to freeze. Egg whites can become syrupy and separate from mixtures. Since the liquid part of milk freezes much more readily than the fat, milk also separates. If the quiche mixture contains cheese, separation of fat, protein and liquid can increase the likelihood that quiche frozen raw will become greasy, rubbery and damp when baked.

Effects of Baking

• For eggs and milk to combine, the mixture must be beaten and cooked over low-to-medium heat. This allows protein fibers in eggs to bind with milk proteins. Cooked at a high heat, egg proteins would solidify into scrambled eggs while milk proteins would curdle. In a crustless quiche, a small quantity of flour or cornstarch diffuses protein molecules to smooth the egg-milk custard, and you can increase the heat to brown the edges of the quiche while puffing the centers. Bake crustless minis, for example, in 15 minutes at temperatures as high as 450 degrees Fahrenheit, while a 9-inch takes 20 to 25 minutes at 425 F.

Freezing After Baking

• Cool quiche before freezing to diminish the retention of moisture from steam. Let minis stand to cool for 10 minutes, then place them on a plastic-wrap-covered cookie sheet in the coldest part of the freezer for 4 to 6 hours or until frozen solid. Remove from the cookie sheet and place in a recloseable plastic freezer bag or wrap airtight in plastic wrap, covered with aluminum foil. Allow 6 hours for a full-sized quiche to harden, then wrap it with plastic wrap and foil.

Reheating After Freezing

• Both mini- and full-sized quiches should be baked without thawing. Place frozen minis on a cookie sheet in a preheated 400 F oven for 10 minutes. A 9-inch crustless quiche will need 25 to 30 minutes in a 350-degree F oven to reheat completely.