How to reheat hollandaise

Hollandaise Sauce can be made one day in advance and reheated. All you need is to be careful. To avoid cooking the egg yolks, add Blender Hollandaise Sauce to a microwave-safe bowl. Hollandaise sauce is better when served fresh. The eggs and butter used might separate if it is left to sit. If you reheat the sauce, it might overcook, and the sauce might be ruined, turning it lumpy and destroying its flavor.

However, that does mean it cannot be heated. There are ways to ensure that the sauce maintains most of its balanced flavor and keep it smooth and free from lumps. Reheat it in the microwave or on the stovetop until it is warm. When reheating, do it slowly to avoid overcooking the egg or causing the sauce to separate.

Microwave

When using a microwave to heat hollandaise, set it on low power to save your sauce. Pick the lowest heat possible to avoid cooking the eggs or separating the sauce. A microwave allows you to set it onto a low heat setting, giving you more control of the heat that the hollandaise sauce is exposed to.

You can only heat the hollandaise sauce for short periods before switching the heat off. The microwave is the quickest method to reheat hollandaise sauce, as it does not need to heat before being used as an oven. 

Using a microwave comes with its disadvantages. If your microwave does not have specific heat settings, it might not be possible to heat the hollandaise sauce without it separating. Microwaves have different power levels, and it can be difficult to determine if you can heat the hollandaise sauce or not. Using a microwave makes it easy to overcook the hollandaise even if it is left in the microwave for a few seconds too long. That results in the whole sauce being ruined and unusable.

Steps

1. Put your hollandaise sauce in a microwaveable container.
2. At 20 percent power, microwave it for 15 seconds. Set it for 15 seconds to avoid cooking the eggs.
3. Wait for another 15 seconds before you reheat again.
4. Repeat the process until done.
5. The method is a little tricky but worth it.

Stovetop 

A stovetop is another method of reheating this sauce. It is possible to warm up hollandaise sauce here, but you have to monitor it. Avoid putting on high heat. Low heat gives you better results. If your hollandaise sauce is separated and does not combine again. Add some splashes of water while you mix it.

Only use the stovetop if you can set it to low heat, it will cook if exposed to high heat, and your hollandaise sauce will not be palatable. If the hollandaise sauce is separate, add butter and water and stir it to blend. Keep stirring the mixture to ensure the hollandaise sauce in the bottom of the pan does not cook (Shelfcooking.com). 

The stove reheats the hollandaise sauce if you can set it on low heat. Stir the sauce as it reheats to keep it from separating. If your stove is not set to such a low setting, do not be surprised if the hollandaise sauce cooks and you end up with scrambled eggs. 

The hollandaise sauce on the bottom of the pan might also burn and cook if not stirred enough. Keep a close check on the hollandaise sauce being heated on the stovetop to ensure that it does not start to overcook or that it does not burn.

Steps

1. Put your sauce in a saucepan.
2. Set the stove to low heat. 
3. Stir to make sure the sauce is heating up evenly.
4. Melted butter and water help the sauce blend again nicely. Feel free to add some.
5. When done, you may enjoy your hollandaise sauce again.

Best method

Double boiler

Set your double boiler up and put the hollandaise sauce in the upper section. Heat the water on ultra-low heat and stir the sauce until you reach your desired temperature. Take the sauce off the heat if it starts getting too warm or the water starts getting too hot. Double boilers provide precise temperature control (Chefstoys.com). 

A double boiler is a gentle method because it uses second-hand heat. The hot water warms the bowl, which warms the sauce. Keep the water temperature low. If the sauce starts to split, take it off the heat and whisk in a few drops of warm water. The water should bring the sauce back together. The method is easy to control the temperature and warm it slowly.

Steps

1. You can put some water in a saucepan and rest a bowl on top of the pan. Leave a gap between the bottom of the bowl and the water.
2. Put the hollandaise sauce in the bowl.
3. Start heating the water on low heat.
4. Whisk the sauce while heating. 
5. Once the bowl is warmed and softened, take the sauce off the heat. Continue stirring until it is up to temperature.

Storage

Hollandaise sauce is served fresh. Store it in a warmer box if you have to make it in advance to avoid reheating it. Do not leave the hollandaise sauce in the warmer for longer than 2 hours, as it exposes the sauce to bacterial growth, leading to food poisoning. What makes bacterial growth possible are uncooked eggs.

Consume the hollandaise sauce on the same day. The next day should be the latest, or else the quality will decline, and it becomes difficult to reincorporate the sauce. To store hollandaise sauce in the fridge, keep it in an airtight container.

Safe Temperatures

To avoid splitting or curdling, hollandaise should heat between 120F to 145F (49 to 63C). If the sauce exceeds 150F, the eggs can overcook, become grainy, and split.

FAQs

Can You Save Leftover Hollandaise Sauce?

Yes, you can serve leftover hollandaise sauce since it can be refrigerated in an airtight container overnight. You can add it to a new hollandaise sauce you have the next day. For better results, add the hollandaise sauce one spoon at a time to the fresh batch and whisk it together to blend it all. It tastes just as good as it did the first time around.

How Long Will Hollandaise Sauce Last in the Fridge?

Hollandaise sauce will last up to two days in the fridge, as long as you keep it in an airtight container. Seal the lid tightly, and the hollandaise should not contact other food items.

Can Hollandaise Sauce Be Frozen?

Avoid freezing hollandaise sauce because it will separate and will be very difficult to blend back together once thawed. If you choose to freeze hollandaise sauce, it should be thawed at room temperature or in the fridge and whisked to minimize separation. Reheat gently on the stovetop or the lowest setting in the microwave.