Excess for future use: or is it possible to freeze cheese or not?
Natural cheese is a nutritious, tasty and very healthy product that should be present in every person’s diet.
Of course, it is better to eat it fresh, enjoying its exquisite and rich taste. But sometimes there remains a significant surplus from a purchased piece, which is unwise to throw away, but is better to save for future use.
Is it possible to freeze cheese, how to do it correctly and how long it can be stored frozen, is described in this article.
Content
Is the product frozen?
Cheese manufacturers recommend consuming this product only fresh, especially since most cheeses can be stored in a regular refrigerator for several weeks without losing their taste and other qualities.
When the cheese mass is frozen, all the moisture inside it turns into ice. As you know from a physics course, when frozen, water expands, and ice crystals break the structure of the cheese from the inside, depriving the product of its characteristic delicate and homogeneous consistency.
Even after careful defrosting, the cheese will not completely restore its structure; its taste will change. The frozen water will thaw and leave the cheese. It will become saltier, drier and denser (or, conversely, mealy), less aromatic than it was before freezing.
That is why defrosted cheese is not eaten on the same basis as fresh product, it is used only for addition to various dishes:
- as a pizza topping component,
- in casseroles,
- pies,
- salads,
- sauces and soups.
Solid and semi-solid
Hard and semi-hard varieties include:
Cheddar,- Parmesan,
- gouda,
- edam,
- Russian,
- cantal,
- fleeting,
- Poshekhonsky,
- Tilsiter,
- Maasdam,
- Dutch.
These groups of cheeses tolerate freezing better than other varieties because they contain a minimal percentage of moisture. Once defrosted, they become even firmer and saltier, allowing them to be used in all types of dishes. Read about storing Parmesan cheese Here, Russian - here, Lambert - Here.
Soft
Soft or young cheeses:
- Mozzarella,
- feta,
- caciotta,
- Chechil,
- Suluguni,
- feta cheese.
They contain a lot of moisture and have a delicate structure, which is their calling card and feature. They are not recommended for freezing, because after thawing they become dry, brittle and overly salty.
Read about storing Suluguni cheese here, feta cheese - Here, Chechil - here.
Home
At home, simple soft cheeses are often prepared from cottage cheese, such as Adyghe cheese. This moisture-rich product with a delicate structure (minimal pressing and no aging period) does not tolerate freezing well, becoming dry and tasteless. Read about storing homemade cheese in this article.
Sausage and processed
Processed and sausage cheeses are produced by melting (processing) hard or semi-hard cheese. They have a dense or semi-liquid (viscous) structure and a pungent taste.
Not suitable for freezing, because after thawing their taste deteriorates significantly. Sausage cheese begins to crumble, and processed cheese can break up into liquid and thick fractions.
Read about storing processed cheese without refrigeration Here.
With mold
Cheeses with any type of mold (chèvre, brie, camembert, roquefort, dor blue, caret, gorgonzola, muenster) cannot be frozen. Their delicate structure suffers greatly when frozen, the taste can deteriorate significantly - bitterness may appear.
This happens from the death of microorganisms that produced the “correct” mold. After defrosting, pathogenic microorganisms may begin to multiply in the product, producing mold that is hazardous to health and worsens the taste of the product.
Read about storing blue cheese in this article.
Ossetian
This type of cheese is made from goat or sheep milk, sometimes from a mixture of cow and goat. It has a high fat content and a spicy-salty taste. and belongs to the group of semi-soft pickled cheeses.
Adyghe
A product similar in type of production to Ossetian cheese. It is perfectly stored in a household refrigerator at +4 +6 degrees for about 3-4 months. After freezing, moisture leaves the mass and the cheese begins to crumble. Adyghe is not suitable for freezing. Will tell you how to store Adyghe cheese this article, smoked - this.
From cottage cheese
Ricotta, quark, almette, mizithra, Philadelphia and other similar cheeses are made from cottage cheese by boiling and soft pressing, and do not require aging at all.
This product contains a lot of moisture and when frozen turns into a monolithic piece of ice.. After thawing, the moisture will leave and the cheese will lose significant weight. It will become dry and tasteless.
Curd cheese cannot be frozen. You can find out how to store curd cheese here, Cremette - Here.
Vacuum packed
If the vacuum-sealed product is in the deep-frozen stage, it can be placed in the freezer and stored there for some time. It will not lose quality. If the cheese has already been defrosted, it cannot be re-frozen.
How to freeze correctly?
Only fresh product is suitable for deep freezing (not weathered, without signs of mold and other types of spoilage), dry (without condensation), cheese cooled in a household refrigerator.
Product packaging for storage is of great importance. It should be as airtight as possible, reliably protecting the cheese from the external environment.
Several types of packaging materials are used:
- cling film;
- dense plastic bags with a zip fastener;
- food foil;
- parchment (plain or waxed).
Vacuuming the product gives excellent results. using a special device - a vacuum sealer:
- Chilled cheese (pieces or already sliced) is placed in a special bag, filling it two-thirds. Level the mass by moving it closer to the sealed edge of the bag.
- Insert the open edge of the bag into the vacuum sealer and pump out the air until the bag is compressed.
- The edges of the package are sealed.
Is it worth freezing in pieces?
For freezing, large pieces of cheese should be cut into slices weighing no more than 500 g. You can cut into thin slices, small bars or cubes, depending on how the cheese will be used later.
The smaller the piece, the faster it will freeze completely.. The speed of freezing directly affects the quality of the product after thawing.
Each piece of cheese is placed in a separate bag or tightly wrapped in paper or foil. Some housewives use double packaging, first wrapping the cheese in parchment and then putting it in a bag. This technique helps avoid condensation when the cheese thaws.
It is recommended to put a label on each bag with the date the product was frozen.. This will help you navigate the shelf life and use the cheese on time.
The highest quality product is obtained by quick freezing to -23 degrees. The faster the cheese freezes, the fewer ice crystals will form in its mass and the better the structure will be preserved after thawing.
Rubbed
It is much more convenient to freeze already grated cheese for later use. The technology is simple:
- Grate the cooled cheese on a dry grater.
- Spread in a thin layer on a plate or cutting board for 1-2 hours to allow the mixture to dry out a little. Then, when frozen, the cheese particles will not stick together into a monolithic lump.
- Distribute the mass into bags or containers, portionwise. Seal tightly.
- Place in the freezer where the “quick freezing” program is set.
Read about storing grated cheese in this article.
How long does it last in the freezer?
It is recommended to store frozen cheese at a constant temperature of at least -18 degrees. The maximum shelf life of cheese, without loss of quality, in the freezer is 6 months, the product in vacuum packaging is up to 12 months. But only hard sliced cheese will last that long.
Grated or chopped product, even in vacuum packaging, can be stored for 3-4 months. Soft cheeses can be kept frozen less than others, only 3 months.
How to defrost?
Lump cheese, after being removed from the freezer, should be placed in the refrigerator for 8 hours. The temperature should be at 0-1 degrees, so it is better to put the cheese on the “coldest” shelf.
Next, the piece is released from vacuum packaging or other packaging and transferred to a glass or enamel container. You can wrap the cheese in parchment or food foil.
To restore some of the lost moisture and creaminess to defrosted cheese, the piece should be placed in cool milk for 15 minutes. After which, its surface is dried with a clean towel and the piece is wrapped in paper.
Already grated cheese can be immediately used to add to various dishes, without thawing. This does not affect the quality of the final result.
Conclusion
Freezing, even if done according to all the rules, negatively affects the taste, consistency and aroma cheese, so it is used for further culinary processing.
Freezing is an extreme measure taken to prevent product loss. It is better to organize your food system so that you only eat fresh cheese.
