Note to the housewife: is it possible to freeze Adyghe cheese and how to do it correctly?
Adyghe cheese is a natural dairy product made from cow's milk. This is a national Circassian dish, which received its name from the Republic of Adygea, where its production is traditional.
If there is a surplus of product at home, the question of organizing long-term storage and the possibility of organizing freezing becomes acute.
Is it possible to freeze Adyghe cheese? We’ll tell you in the article.
Content
Is it possible to freeze fresh and smoked?
Adyghe cheese is a soft type, the production of which does not use additional heat treatment or long-term pressing.
Due to the peculiarities of manufacturing technology, the product does not come in very large heads. Even the largest ones do not exceed 2.5 kg in weight.
Soft varieties contain a lot of moisture, which, when exposed to negative temperatures, crystallizes and turns into ice. This cannot but affect the structure of the fibers.
When defrosted, the product undergoes changes in its structure and taste.. It is recommended to use it as part of dishes that require heat treatment.
It is not advisable to freeze smoked cheese; it is recommended to consume it fresh, before the expiration date indicated by the manufacturer on the packaging.
Read about the shelf life of Adyghe cheese in this article, smoked - in this.
Rules
When planning long-term storage of Adyghe cheese, it is necessary to pay attention to the following points:
- Preparing containers.
- Preparation of the product itself.
Even small wheels of cheese may be too large to freeze whole. Therefore, it is important to decide how much product will be needed for one preparation. Based on this, the head is cut into pieces.
Each serving will require separate packaging. Plastic containers and zip-lock bags can be used for storage.
The tightness of the packaging is a very important point., since a soft cheese product can easily absorb foreign odors, which will subsequently negatively affect the taste.
Adyghe cheese that will be frozen must be fresh (not expired or stale) and dry. The less moisture in the product, the better it tolerates freezing and subsequent thawing.
Each piece must be placed in a separate container. This will prevent sticking and will prevent you from defrosting more product than is necessary at a time.
If several pieces are sent in one package, they will have to be defrosted at the same time. It is also important not to freeze Adyghe cheese together with other types of cheese in the same container.
Shelf life in the freezer
With properly organized freezing, Adyghe cheese can be kept in the freezer for two months, maximum three. But it is important to consider that the longer the product sits, the stronger the changes will be in it.
The product must be kept in the freezer at a stable temperature and not subject to intermediate defrosting.
How to defrost?
Soft Adyghe cheese is very sensitive to temperature changes. To minimize damage, defrosting must be done gradually.
To do this, the product is first placed in the refrigerator in the same packaging in which it was frozen. Depending on the serving size, it may take up to 12 hours to completely thaw.
It is not advisable to speed up the defrosting process by exposure to hot air or warm water., since this can greatly affect the structure of the product and significantly worsen its taste.
Maximum - at the last stage of defrosting - transfer the cheese from the refrigerator to the table.
Once defrosted, the product can no longer be stored for a long time, even in the refrigerator, and should be used immediately. At the same time, it is important that the cheese, even during thawing, is in an airtight container - without the danger of drying out and absorbing foreign aromas.
Conclusion
Freezing Adyghe cheese is not the best way to preserve the product. This option is only suitable if there is no other choice.
After defrosting, the product, although it will change the structure and partially the taste, can be used for cooking as one of the components.
