There are a large number of varieties of cheese: hard, semi-hard, soft, homemade and dozens of varieties. The duration of the entire storage period varies. To prevent food from spoiling, they should be frozen. But this does not always give a good result. The density of the mass will change; it is unknown what properties it will have after thawing.
You can find out this experimentally – on your own. But it is better to study the properties of different types of products in advance. This will allow you to find out whether cheese can be stored in the freezer and how long it can be kept at sub-zero temperatures. The product is not one that has an unlimited shelf life.
General storage rules
To prevent the cheese mass or hard block from deteriorating, a number of conditions must be met when sending for storage:
- the air should be cool, humid, the best option for temporary storage is a chamber in the refrigerator, pantry;
- air humidity is set at 85-90%;
- the temperature in the refrigerator is maintained at 0°...+4°С (for some types of cheese), most often the product is placed in the storage chamber at a temperature of +6°...+8°С, less often milder conditions are created (for French varieties) ;
- The product can be stored in the refrigerator provided it is fully protected from drying out and chapping (for models with a no frost system), it is covered with parchment, and the paper edge is secured with tape;
- You can store cheese in the freshness zone; it is not recommended to leave the product in places where it will be exposed to temperature changes; these areas are located next to the door.
Tip: You can increase the shelf life by soaking the parchment/gauze in salt water; wrap the block with this material and send it for storage.
Product preparation
It is very important to properly prepare cheese for freezing. Divide it into portions suitable for single use. For large block cheeses such as cheddar, the serving should be no more than 500 grams. You can grate it or cut it into thin slices before freezing.
The cheese can be stored in its store-bought packaging or wrapped in cheese paper or foil. It is advisable to place the slices of the chopped product with parchment. Place the prepared cheese in an airtight ziplock bag or plastic container. This will prevent dry air from entering it.
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What happens if you freeze and then defrost cheese?
It is permissible to keep hard, semi-hard, soft and homemade varieties in the refrigerator (provided that the basic preparation rules are followed). But not all of them can be frozen in the freezer. For example, soft varieties are not recommended to be stored in the freezer. This also applies to homemade products. This means that the answer to the question whether it is possible to freeze cheese is ambiguous, it will be different, depending on the properties.
Hard cheeses withstand low temperatures in the freezer better than others. But even then you have to face troubles. In the freezer, the properties of the product are lost completely or partially. After defrosting, it becomes brittle and can no longer be used for slicing, but remains edible and almost does not lose its taste. The reason is the formation of ice crystals. After defrosting, they thaw, the moisture evaporates and the product dries.
What varieties are stored in the refrigerator?
Russian is a semi-solid product that is prepared from pasteurized cow's milk with milk-clotting rennet enzyme, as well as a starter of mesophilic lactic acid bacteria. Like all semi-hard cheeses, it is perfect for freezing.
Brie is a soft cow's milk cheese named after a French province. It is located in the Ile-de-France region near Paris, where it was first made. Spreadable cheeses store well in the freezer. If the delicacy lasts in the refrigerator for 8 days, then at sub-zero temperatures it can last up to several months.
Suluguni is a pickled Georgian cheese that came from the Samegrelo region. Suluguni is frozen, but before the procedure it must be soaked in 18% brine. When the product has drained, pack it and send it to the chamber.
Philadelphia is a soft, creamy cheese made from milk and cream. The flavor bouquet contains sweetish notes. Does not require ripening, it can be frozen. However, after defrosting, grains may appear in it.
Dutch is a hard cheese that is most often prepared in round, flattened heads. In cross-section, the delicacy is covered with small eyes, but can also have a smooth surface. This spicy and slightly salty product is frozen by cutting it into cubes and sprinkling them with starch. This way the pieces won't stick together.
Parmesan is a long-ripening Italian hard cheese. It is brittle, crumbles when cut and has an uneven cut. It tolerates temperatures down to –20°C well and, when frozen, will wait for its gastronomic hour for a couple of months.
Interesting. Parmesan is so loved and valued in Italy that in the 50s of the twentieth century, banks issued loans to cheesemakers using this variety as collateral. In Italian banks of those years there were special storage facilities where the borrower's delicacy was kept and matured as collateral. Didn't repay the debt? The bank sold your goods.
Homemade - delicate milk cheese, which is prepared at home using primitive technologies, cannot be stored. This product is consumed only fresh. Frost will turn it into ordinary cottage cheese, and if stored in the refrigerator for a long time, it will spoil.
Interesting. The Italians produce a very strange cheese, Casu Marzu. The delicacy is aged longer than usual, until it rots, when the larvae of cheese flies begin to multiply in it. They turn the product into a soft mass from which liquid oozes, or “cheese tears.” There are quite a lot of insects in the finished cheese, so Italians eat it with their eyes closed. It is impossible to remove the larvae from the head: under the influence of gastric juice they do not die, periodically causing nausea, vomiting and stomach pain in the gourmet. Dead cheese flies eaten by a Kasu Marzu lover even threaten to be poisoned with cadaveric poison.
How to freeze cheese correctly
You need to store cheese in the freezer if you follow these recommendations:
- the bar is crushed (on a grater), cut into slices, the size of the largest is 500 g; when choosing a method, they take into account the period during which the defrosted product will be eaten;
- the bars are wrapped in parchment or film, and shredded shavings are stored in the freezer using containers and sealed bags;
- the recommended temperature at which cheese can be frozen is -10°C or lower;
- the product is capable of absorbing odors; to prevent such consequences, it is covered with different materials and placed in sealed containers, this will avoid mixing several types of cheese in the freezer;
- shelf life after thawing is reduced;
- Storing cheese in the freezer often takes several months; to remember the date of storage, you need to use stickers for bags.
Tip: If you defrost cheese, it will become too dry. You can restore its properties by soaking it in milk (no more than 15 minutes).
Freezing grated and sliced cheese
If there are no immediate plans to fully use the product, then, of course, the best solution would be to freeze it. It is most convenient to do this not in a huge piece, but in chopped or grated form.
The freezing technology for storing grated cheese is as follows:
- grate or chop with a food processor, but not too finely;
- pour the resulting shavings into a bag, leaving about seven centimeters free;
- carefully seal the bag so that there is no air left inside;
- Indicate the freezing time on the bag and put it in the freezer.
Grated cheese takes up virtually no space in the chamber. And you don’t have to defrost it; you can immediately sprinkle it on a hot finished dish or preparation, for example, pizza, before putting it in the oven.
If you need to freeze sliced cheese, you only need to do three steps.
- Divide into manageable size pieces.
- Place each piece in a separate container with a hermetically sealed lid (optionally: foil, factory packaging, wax paper), and place in the refrigerator.
- If you are using non-original packaging, attach a label indicating the type and weight of the cheese and the date it was frozen.
Freezing different types
Some varieties can be stored in the freezer. They do not lose their properties and almost do not crumble. More often than not, if you freeze cheese that has fewer or no holes, it will keep better once removed from the freezer. Some varieties are best not frozen.
Hard cheeses
The block is first crushed with a knife or on a grater.
Here are the varieties that can be frozen:
- Emmental;
- Gouda;
- Armenian;
- Russian;
- Cherred;
- Mozzarella;
- Romano;
- Maasdam et al.
A product that has been frozen may thaw naturally. You cannot speed up this process using a microwave - the cheese will melt.
Parmesan
Main properties: dense structure, moderate fragility. If you freeze a product of this type in the freezer, these features will make themselves felt even more strongly. It can be stored for the same amount of time as other types of cheese in this category.
With increasing freezing time, fragility increases. As a result, the bars will fall apart when you try to cut them. Recommended temperature range is within -22°C.
Brie cheese, melted and creamy
Despite their softness, these varieties can be frozen. Moreover, they can be stored for a long time. But after thawing, some varieties often lose their appeal.
Processed cheese tolerates storage in the freezer the worst. After thawing, it is recommended to use it only instead of paste for spreading on toast. Despite this, you can still store cheese in the freezer.
If you plan to place a creamy variety in the chamber, it is better to choose these options:
- Viola;
- Violetta;
- Cremette;
- Lambert (55%).
Brie cheese, as well as Ricotta and Camembert, lose their properties more strongly if they are frozen. They begin to crumble more actively. The reason for such changes is a violation of the structure. If you freeze this type of cheese, it will become grainy.
Brie and other named types are best stored at moderate temperatures (for example, in the refrigerator). They are much less likely to be exposed to extreme cold.
The Cremette variety can be stored under such conditions only if the product is intended for the preparation of creams and sauces. This cheese can be frozen, but then its structure will change. After defrosting, the mass will begin to separate.
Suluguni
Fresh curd product is characterized by elasticity, increased density, and has a sour milk and salty taste. If you freeze it, it will become dry. The taste will deteriorate because of this.
Tip: It is recommended to freeze suluguni after a short soaking in salt brine (20%)/whey. The structure of this cheese will change minimally.
Curd (Adyghe) cheese
This is another variety that is characterized by a sour milk taste. This cheese has similar properties to other types: feta, feta cheese. They can be frozen. At the same time, useful components are not destroyed.
It is recommended to freeze Adyghe cheese at a temperature not lower than -5°C. This is enough to extend the shelf life to 60 days. Do not moisten it, especially with hot water.
Blue cheese
It is better to store this type of cheese at a moderate temperature - in the refrigerator. If you need to increase the shelf life, you should study more deeply the question of whether blue cheese can be frozen. The main condition is the creation of an oxygen-free environment. Blue cheese is sent for storage in industrial packaging.
If the product is frozen after opening the sealed film, it will lose its properties. It is impossible to restore them later. Long-term storage of cheese in the freezer is recommended if there has not yet been contact with oxygen. Damaged areas of the packaging are covered with cling film.
Which varieties should not be frozen?
It is convenient to store cheese in the freezer so that it does not spoil, but there are varieties that are best not frozen.
Homemade - prepared without high temperatures, fermentation and industrial equipment. They are eaten only fresh. If you put such a product in the freezer, then after defrosting you will get regular cottage cheese. Soft and pasty varieties of Ricotta, Brie, Camembert also become grainy and crumbly after freezing.
to freeze cheese with noble mold , since it dies at sub-zero temperatures. A stale product (sticky, sour, moldy, dried) cannot be stored at all.
Interesting. Cheese production on an industrial scale began in Holland in the 14th century. Today, the largest producer of this product is the United States of America. The Greeks consume the most cheese. They add it to a traditional salad, fry it, boil it, bake it with seafood and meat.
Is it possible to freeze grated cheese
Hard cheese is stored in the freezer taking into account the preparation rules. One option is grated. Use a grater or food processor. You need to get medium sized chips to freeze them. The grated product should not be placed in one bag/container. Then it will be difficult to separate a part from it.
You must first learn how to freeze cheese after grinding: to do this, divide the shavings into handfuls, pour each one into its own zip bag. To prevent it from sticking together into a lump, the main condition must be fulfilled. So, you should freeze the cheese taking into account the filling of the bags - leave 6-7 cm to the edge.
What to do with leftover cream cheese after cooking
If after cooking you have cream cheese left and following my advice, you do not resort to freezing the finished cream. The leftover cream cheese can be used to prepare various desserts or even breakfasts. For example, you can make a small batch of trifles or make a small batch of cheesecake. And in the morning, prepare some delicious sandwiches with aromatic cream cheese. Creamy soup or sauce complements cream cheese perfectly.
Cream cheese is a delicious and light cheese that can be used as a topping for snacks and as a key ingredient in a variety of sweet and savory dishes. The finished cream can also be frozen when used as an ingredient where texture is not important. Before preparing cream cheese, be sure to use proven recipes, calculate the amount of cream for assembling the dessert in order to reduce the amount of cream left to a minimum.
Freezing in cubes or bars
The size of the bars is determined individually. Each one should be wrapped in parchment and topped with foil-based paper. If you don’t have all the materials at hand, one of them is enough. Moreover, preference is given to parchment. The chopped bars are placed in bags, after which they are sent to the refrigerator compartment.
Important: The smaller the size of the bars, the faster their shelf life ends.
Is it possible to freeze processed and cream cheese in the freezer?
Processed cheeses are initially wrapped in foil, so they do not require additional packaging when frozen. Of the advantages of freezing this type of cheese, that’s all.
After defrosting the processed product, it is not served, as the structure has changed significantly. The only thing it remains suitable for is making sandwiches and adding to heat-treated dishes.
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How to defrost
Available options:
- Gradual defrosting. First, the bars are briefly sent to the refrigerator. Then leave it on the counter until completely thawed. This method is used when cheese is defrosted for consumption without heat treatment.
- Immediately remove the product from the freezer. It will defrost on the table. This method is used when cheese is used to prepare food (first and second courses).
Thus, any type of product can be frozen. But it can retain its properties if properly prepared. The cheese is sliced or grated. Hard products withstand freezing best.
Which cheeses are suitable for freezing and which are not?
Technically, you can freeze any cheese, but some varieties respond better than others to this storage method. The best cheeses for freezing include:
- Mozzarella.
- Cheddar.
- Colby.
- Adam.
- Gouda.
- Monterrey Jack.
- Limburger.
- Provolone.
- Cheese for pizza.
It is not recommended to freeze the following cheeses:
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- White.
- Paneer.
- Bree.
- Camembert.
- Ricotta.
- Parmesan.
- Romano.
- Processed cheeses.
- Cottage cheese.
Food experts have come to an interesting conclusion: cheeses that we typically use to prepare various dishes are more suitable for freezing than those that we are used to eating fresh.
Hard and semi-hard varieties such as cheddar, Swiss, blue and brick can be frozen, but only if you don't mind the texture becoming crumbly and mealy. In addition, they will be more difficult to cut and you are unlikely to be able to serve them as an appetizer. Pizza cheese and mozzarella tolerate freezing well. However, this process can negatively affect their texture and meltability.
Some types of semi-sweet cheeses, such as soft goat cheese and Stilton, are also suitable for freezing. Sometimes this method is used to store cream cheese, although it may peel off when thawed. When whipped, its texture is restored.
