A way out of a hopeless situation, or is it possible to freeze cream cheese?
Cream cheese is one of the versatile foods that is included in a large number of dishes and often serves as a convenient snack for snacking.
Despite the many possibilities of use, it can remain in excess in the refrigerator.
The question then becomes whether you can freeze cream cheese to use later.
Content
Is freezing recommended?
Soft, very flexible and tasty cream cheese - This is a dairy product that can be frozen for future use.. It is recommended to do this only if the product is already available and should not be allowed to go to waste.
How can you freeze cottage cheese?
Freezing cream cheese is a convenient way to extend its shelf life to several months, but it is advisable to find a use for it during the first two.
If the packaging has not been opened, you can put the product directly in it in the freezer.
Cheese from the already opened original packaging should be transferred to a plastic container with a tight-fitting lid, trying to distribute the product evenly.
If there is too much cheese, you can use several separate containers for storage.It is also possible to freeze complex dishes that contain this ingredient.
In order not to forget exactly when the workpiece was sent for storage in the freezer, It is recommended to attach date tags. What is the shelf life of curd cheese, you can find out here.
Rules for storing cream cheese in the freezer
Cream cheese is relatively easy to prepare and does not take long. Cooks try not to prepare it for future use, so that there is no problem organizing the storage of surplus.
Cream cheese with cream cheese base There are two main types:
- cooked with heavy (33-35%) cream;
- prepared with butter (82%).
If there is a lot of product, you will have to think about freezing. This is not the best way to preserve cream cheese, as freezing changes the texture and consistency.
After defrosting, delamination almost always occurs.. The bulk of the cream becomes drier and may even crumble. Even if everything is stirred well after thawing, the cream will no longer take its original shape.
The shelf life of cream cheese or the cheese itself is up to 3 days. After defrosting - a day. The sooner the product is used, the better.
How to properly defrost and return to the original structure?
In order for the cheese to retain its qualities as much as possible, it is important to defrost it correctly.
To do this, it is best to move the container into the refrigerator. With this method, defrosting is not fast, but it is gentle on the product itself.
In the case when time is running out and defrosting needs to be done faster, it is possible to simply leave the frozen container on the table at room temperature.
The disadvantage of this option is that it produces a drier and grainier texture. cream cheese with liquid separation. In any case, the texture will differ from the original one.
If defrosted incorrectly, not only the appearance of the product, but also its taste may be affected.
whisk
In order to return the creamy texture, additional processing will be required. Various options are possible. The easiest way is to mix the cheese and beat with a whisk.
Microwave
Using a microwave oven allows you to return the creamy form to defrosted cheese.
Work order:
- After the product has thawed, you need to transfer it to a container that can be used in the microwave.
- Warm up the cheese for literally 10 seconds.
- Remove and mix thoroughly.
- Repeat steps 2 and 3 until the result is decent.
Using the stove
You can return the product’s shape in another way - without using a microwave.
Work order:
Fill a medium saucepan halfway with water.- Place on the stove over low heat.
- Transfer the thawed cheese from the container into a small saucepan.
- Place a small saucepan inside a large one in which the water is heated.
- The cheese is gently mixed until it becomes not only soft, but also homogeneous.
The small pan should not touch the bottom of the large one while heating.
Double boiler
You can heat the cheese using a double boiler. With this method, it is necessary not only to control the degree of heating, but also to stir the product during the process.
Using a defrosted product
After the cheese has been thawed and its consistency restored, the product will look similar to fresh, but the taste will change.
It is advisable to use it not in its pure form, but as part of dishes. It is perfect for baking. So some change in texture will not be so noticeable.
Most popular applications cream cheese after defrosting:
- baked sauce;
- spaghetti casserole;
- chicken casserole;
- cookies, etc.
Adding cream cheese to baked goods will add softness to the finished dish.
Conclusion
Freezing cream cheese is not the best storage option. It is recommended to do this only in a hopeless situation. – when it is important to preserve an existing product.
In order for the product to be edible after defrosting, it is necessary to strictly follow the rules and not keep the product frozen longer than recommended.
