Whole wheel or pieces: is it possible to freeze blue cheese and how to do it correctly?

Blue cheese must be frozen if it is not possible to eat it immediately. When exposed to low temperatures, the taste and consistency of these fermented milk products may change.

To prevent this from happening, it is important to follow the rules for freezing and thawing blue cheeses. Is it possible to freeze blue cheese and how to do it correctly? We’ll tell you in this article.

Is it possible to freeze?

Blue cheeses can be frozen, but only if they are made from cow's milk. Cheeses made from sheep, buffalo and goat milk become bitter after defrosting. Therefore, freezing them is not recommended.

With white

These include:

• brie,
• Camembert,
• Neuchatel,
• rack and other types of cheeses.

While these products are ripening, they contain live fungi. At subzero temperatures they die.

To avoid loss of taste and consistency of such cheeses, the blast freezing method is used. Some freezers have this function. The freezing temperature should not be lower than -20°C.

With blue

This cheeses:

• Dor Blue,
• Dana Blue,
• Fourme d'Ambert and other varieties.

It is not recommended to remove such fermented milk products from store packaging before freezing. In cases where it has been opened, cling film can be used.The main thing is to prevent air from getting inside the preparation.

Soft

Soft cheeses include products with white mold. Their middle is stringy and moist. To preserve their taste and consistency, temperature changes should be avoided when freezing.

Semi-solid

For semi-hard blue cheeses include:

• Roquefort,
• Dor Blue,
• Gorgonzola and others.

But other varieties, for example, cheddar, can “boast” of noble mold. In the event that the product has been given enough time during the ripening process.

It is recommended to freeze these cheeses only if they will be used later in the cooking process. It is not recommended to freeze semi-solid moldy products in whole pieces. It's better to chop them into slices first..

How long to store in the freezer?

Blue cheese can be stored in the freezer for 3 months. The maximum shelf life is up to six months at temperatures down to -20 °C. The longer frozen blue cheese sits in the freezer, the more its flavor and texture will subsequently change. Read about storing blue cheese Here.

How to freeze?

You can freeze both whole wheels (heads) of cheeses and pieces of crushed products. For cheeses with blue, green and red mold, the second freezing option is recommended.

Features of freezing a whole cheese wheel with mold:

1. Wrap the cheese wheel tightly in cling film or aluminum foil. If the cheese is in store packaging, it must be wrapped in a layer of plastic film or foil. This will prevent moisture and excess air from entering the product.
2. The workpiece must be placed in a plastic container.It is important that it closes tightly. Another option is a special freezer bag.

   But in the container, the fermented milk product will be reliably protected from crushing.

3. A label with the specified date must be affixed to the package. This way the cheese will be used for the right time and will not lose its freshness.

Freezing whole cheeses has its advantages and disadvantages. The advantage is that you don’t have to spend a lot of effort and time on such a preparation. But the wheel will need to be used immediately after defrosting. Re-freezing the cheese wheel is not recommended.

Freezing in pieces:

1. Place parchment paper on a tray or tray.
2. Grind the cheese into pieces.
3. Place the slices on paper so that they do not touch each other.
4. Place the cubes in the freezer for 30-60 minutes.
5. Once pre-frozen, remove the pieces from the freezer and place them in an airtight container or freezer bag.
6. Place a label on the package with the freezing date.

How to defrost?

Some soft cheeses become viscous after storage in the freezer and lose their consistency. Proper defrosting will preserve the consistency and taste of the fermented milk product.

The entire defrosting process can take from several hours to a whole day.. It all depends on the size of the frozen product. Defrosting a blue cheese wheel will take longer than the same procedure with pieces or slices.

For further use, blue cheese thawed in the refrigerator should be used within 2-3 days. All this time, the fermented milk product should be stored on the refrigerator shelf.

If you don’t have time to wait for defrosting in the refrigerator, you can use alternative methods. But you need to take into account that in this case the consistency and taste of fermented milk products may change.

Blue cheese can be placed in the microwave for 30-45 seconds. If necessary, defrost for another 30 seconds.

You can also defrost cheese under running water. The product must be wrapped in plastic film. The workpiece is placed under cold (in no case warm, and especially not hot) running water.

If cheese has been thawed under running water or in a microwave oven, it must be consumed or cooked immediately. This product cannot be stored in the refrigerator.

Defrosting rules:

1. Remove cheese from freezer. This must be done at least 12 hours before use.
2. Place the product on a plate. This will prevent water from leaking onto the refrigerator shelves.
3. If the cheese was prepared in slices, they need to be taken exactly in the amount that will be used.
4. The cheese should remain on the refrigerator shelf until it becomes soft.
5. Before eating defrosted cheese, you need to remove it from the refrigerator and leave it for half an hour at room temperature.

Nuances

Noble blue cheeses require special freezing conditions.

Dor blue

Before putting such cheese in the freezer, you need to make sure it is clean and fresh. It is not recommended to freeze Dor Blue, which has been stored in the refrigerator for longer than the indicated period.After defrosting, the product will lose its taste and may become hazardous to health.

Before freezing cheese in packaging, you need to ensure its integrity. Often the original packaging has open corners. In this case, ice may form on the frozen product. This will spoil the taste of the product and its consistency.

Gorgonzola

Gorgonzola can be stored in the freezer for up to 6 months.. To prevent moisture loss when frozen, it is recommended to wrap the slices of this cheese in parchment paper. Then the blanks are wrapped in film or foil. This way the product will retain its softness after defrosting.

Conclusion

Blue cheeses can be stored on freezer shelves if necessary. If you follow all the rules for freezing and defrosting, these products will not lose their taste and consistency.

Depending on the type of cheese, it can be frozen whole wheels and subsequently eaten. Or chop into slices and use only in cooking.