Note to housewives: is it possible to freeze Camembert cheese and how to do it correctly

Soft, fatty Camembert cheese is a delicious product with a pleasant taste. It is used both independently and as part of complex dishes.

If there is more cheese at home than necessary, the question arises about the possibility of freezing.

We will tell you in the article whether it is possible to freeze Camembert cheese and how to do it correctly.

Production Features

Camembert is a very popular cheese that has a unique taste and aroma. During its existence, the recipe has undergone changes, and in the form it is now, it has become known since the end of the 19th century.

The production of Camembert has a number of features. When using traditional technology, the cheese wheels are obtained at a strictly defined size, weighing 0.340 kg. A serving of 25 liters of whole milk is enough to produce 12 such heads..

Camembert is traditionally prepared not all year round, but from September to May, before the heat sets in. The technology itself is quite complex, requiring strict adherence to temperature and time standards.

The mold culture characteristic of Camembert deserves special attention. During the ripening period of the cheese, it changes, turning from white to blue, grayish, and then red-brown. The color of the mold indicates the ripening of the cheese and the high quality of the product..

If Camembert is prepared correctly, it should be firm, with a moldy color characteristic of the variety. Transportation of the original product is also special - special wooden boxes and straw are used.

In the small French town of Vimoutier, a memorial was erected to the part of the girl M. Harel, who, according to legend, lived in the village of Camembert and was the first to start selling the cheese of the same name.

Is freezing possible?

Real Camembert is rarely found on sale, so you may want to stock up on it for future use. The product stores well and can last for weeks in suitable conditions.. But sometimes you need to freeze the excess.

Most hard and semi-hard cheeses can be frozen. And Camembert is one of them. This allows you to significantly extend the life of the product at home. But there are some nuances in this storage organization.

The undeniable advantages of freezing a product include the following:

• significant (up to several months) extension of shelf life;
• the ability to stock up on product;
• the ability to save leftover product.

After defrosting, Camembert will remain safe for health.

Does the product lose its quality after freezing?

Exposure to negative temperatures for any product does not pass without leaving a trace. After freezing cheese may change texture and lose some taste.

If you plan to use it for baking, in sauces, and in dishes that require heat treatment, this is not critical. Some crumbling or, conversely, stringiness when melting the cheese will not be so noticeable.

How long to store in the freezer?

With proper organization of Camembert storage Can stay in the freezer for up to six months. But it is important to consider that the longer the product is in the freezer, the greater the changes in its texture will be.

How to freeze correctly?

The quality of the product after defrosting largely depends on how correctly the freezing is carried out.

Preparation

One of the main points is to choose a fresh (not expired) product without damage. The cheese must be well-ripened and fairly hard. For ease of further use, the head can be cut into separate pieces.

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Each block of cheese must be carefully wrapped in foil.

If desired, the pieces can be placed in a container or in a zip-lock bag, which must be labeled with the date.

Freezing in individual portions means you don't have to defrost more cheese than necessary. The product cannot be re-frozen..

It is also possible to freeze the whole head. In this case, there is no need to remove the original packaging.

Conditions

The packaged product is placed in the freezer. And they don’t take it out anymore until Camembert is needed. It is advisable that the temperature in the freezer should not be higher than -18-20°C.

How to defrost?

The next very important point is proper defrosting.. The best way is to transfer the cheese from the freezer to the refrigerator. This will create the necessary conditions for the gradual thawing of the cheese.

You can also defrost cheese by placing the container with it in cold water.This approach will allow the cheese to defrost faster. You should not force the thawing process even more. Any exposure to high temperature will negatively affect the consistency of the product and worsen its taste.

Conclusion

Every housewife decides for herself whether to freeze Camembert. This can be very practical, since even the remaining product does not have to be thrown away – they can be sent for long-term storage, and used profitably in a few months.

And in cases where Camembert is planned to be used as a fresh snack, it is better to avoid exposure to low temperatures.