The subtleties of freezing, or how long homemade cottage cheese can be stored in the freezer

Cottage cheese is a perishable fermented milk product containing a large amount of vitamins, minerals, enzymes, etc. that are beneficial to human health.

Preservatives can only briefly slow down the growth of starter bacteria and the fermentation process. At the same time, low temperatures will help preserve the product for a long period.

There are some subtleties of freezing it and storing it in the freezer. They must be taken into account so that the product retains maximum of its characteristics and beneficial properties.

We'll tell you how to store homemade cottage cheese in the freezer below.

Can it be stored in the freezer?

Only homemade food can be stored in the freezer. cottage cheese. After freezing, it will retain most of the nutrients, structure and taste. It is best to freeze fatty cottage cheese. It hardly changes its consistency.

Shelf life

In the refrigerator at a temperature of +2°C...+6°C, cottage cheese can remain fresh for only 2-3 days. However, it is not always possible to consume it during this time. To preserve the product, it can be frozen. The shelf life of frozen cottage cheese is 30 days.

At the same time after freezing The product is recommended to be used for preparing:

• pies;
• cheesecakes;
• casseroles;
• cottage cheese;
• cheesecakes;
• cheesecakes;
• dumplings, etc.

It is not advisable to use it in its pure form. The product may become more watery and lose its characteristic sourness. Once defrosted, it can be stored for no more than 2 days.

How to store frozen?

Cottage cheese When frozen, it is customary to divide into portions, which can later be completely used up when preparing dishes. It cannot be re-frozen.

In the freezer, this product should be stored in an airtight container, separate from meat And fish. Cottage cheese quickly becomes saturated with odors, so keeping it in a container that doesn’t close tightly is not recommended.

Freezing and thawing rules

Freezing and thawing has its own characteristics. It is necessary to properly prepare the product so that it can be preserved for the maximum period. First you need to dry it out as much as possible. Place gauze folded in several layers on the table. You need to pour cottage cheese onto the material.

Then the gauze must be rolled into a bag. Place the plate in the pan upside down. You need to put a bag on it, on which you should put a load. Under the influence of gravity, excess liquid will be released and drain to the bottom of the pan. 2-3 hours will be enough to remove moisture.

The prepared product should be divided into small portions. They are then placed in separate plastic containers. After this, you need to close the container with a lid, using a cocktail straw to remove air from them. The less oxygen in the containers, the better the product will be preserved.

Now there are containers with a vacuum function on sale. They are considered the most suitable for storing cottage cheese.

Each container must have a sticker with the date of packaging. After this, the containers should be placed in the freezer. The product will freeze within an hour.

Particular attention should be paid to defrosting. The slower this process proceeds, the higher the chances of maintaining the consistency of the product, its taste and beneficial qualities. It is best to defrost cottage cheese on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator. The process takes on average about 5-12 hours.

Defrosting time depends on portion size. This product can be consumed in its pure form. If you plan to use the product to prepare a particular dish, you can defrost it at room temperature. This will take up to 2 hours.

With this method of defrosting, part of the liquid present in the product will leave, but this will not affect the taste characteristics.

Video on the topic of the article

This video will tell you about freezing cottage cheese:

Conclusion

Cottage cheese can be frozen, but only once. The lower the temperature, the longer the product will remain fresh. It is better to defrost cottage cheese immediately before eating or cooking.