A note to thrifty housewives: how long does cottage cheese last in the freezer?

Cottage cheese is one of the delicious and extremely healthy lactic acid products. Unfortunately, it is impossible to buy it for future use and store it for a long time even in the refrigerator.

Therefore, thrifty housewives are wondering whether it is possible to extend the shelf life of cottage cheese by loading it into the freezer. A comprehensive answer to this question is in this article.

Can it be stored in the freezer and for how long?

It should be noted that the shelf life of fermented milk products is limited for a reason. The fact is that after the cottage cheese processing procedure, the fermentation process continues. This becomes a prerequisite for reducing its shelf life.

In favor of freezing the product is the fact that freezing does not change the microflora, lactic acid bacteria are preserved, but the process of their reproduction stops.

This allows us to say with complete confidence that freezing cottage cheese is the most reliable way to extend the shelf life of the product, which even in the refrigerator compartment loses its freshness after just 3-5 days.At the same time, it is recommended to freeze products in the first days from the date of production.

You can freeze cottage cheese, but only once. Repeated freezing negatively affects the preservation of beneficial properties.. In addition, its structure is disrupted and the taste changes significantly. After defrosting, such cottage cheese has a too soft and liquid consistency.

Shelf life of frozen product

Freezing a product, which is considered the best solution to extend its suitability for human consumption, ensures preservation only for a certain period.

The duration depends on several factors:

• creating optimal temperature conditions;
• fat content of products;
• freshness at the time of loading into the freezer;
• the presence of preservatives in the product;
• compliance with freezing rules.

According to GOST 31453-2013, paragraph 8.2, the main guideline regarding the shelf life of cottage cheese, including frozen, are the standards established by SanPiN in Appendix No. 1 (2.3.2.1324-03).

According to the regulatory requirements set out in these documents, cottage cheese can be stored:

• when using deep freezing (temperature -30°C) followed by storage at -18°C, storage duration is 30-60 days;
• in a freezer with the ability to maintain a temperature of minus 15°C - no more than 14 days;
• at a temperature of -7°C – only 7 days.

Compliance with the specified deadlines guarantees the preservation of the beneficial properties and taste of the product. Longer storage has a negative impact on the mass structure and taste. Such cottage cheese can only be used if it is heat treated. And there will be no benefit from it.

Which is correct?

Storage in the freezer has its own characteristics. To ensure that the product does not lose its beneficial properties and taste, The following recommendations should be followed:

1. Only freeze fresh products.
2. Freeze cottage cheese without curd serum. That is, remove excess moisture so that it becomes grainy and dry. To do this, strain the liquid from the cottage cheese, placing it in a colander covered with a layer of gauze and keeping it in the refrigerator for 3 hours. Ignoring this advice leads to separation of the curd mass after defrosting and loss of taste.
3. Store in portions that can be consumed immediately after defrosting. The fact is that the oxygen and liquid contained in the cottage cheese negatively affect its preservation.
4. Be sure to store in a hermetically sealed container that does not allow access to oxygen to the product. Otherwise, the oxidation process will cause a deterioration in taste and depreciation of beneficial qualities.
5. The optimal temperature in a home refrigerator required for high-quality freezing of cottage cheese is -18°C. However, initially it is recommended to freeze it at shock temperatures: from -30 to -35 degrees Celsius. And then (after 6-7 hours) store at -18. This freezing allows you to extend the shelf life of the product up to 2 months. At a constant temperature in the freezer from -6 to -15°C, the storage duration will be no more than 2 weeks.

This video will show you how to freeze cottage cheese:

Containers for freezing

Particular attention should be paid to the packaging used before loading the curd into the freezer. It is advisable to resort to the following options:

1. Plastic or ceramic containers with a tight-fitting lid.
2. Ziploc bags. They are convenient for packaging cottage cheese in portions. In addition, air is easily removed from the bag. It can be made of any thickness, which will speed up freezing and thawing.
3. Glass containers. The cottage cheese will be well preserved in it. However, there is a risk of damage to the can, which will require disposal of the product.

Where is better - in the refrigerator or freezer?

There can be no clear answer. It all depends on the purpose of the acquisition. If you bought cottage cheese to use within 2-4 days, then it is more advisable to store it in the refrigerator at a temperature of 0 to 6°C. This product will delight you with taste and smell.

It can be consumed either raw or subjected to heat treatment, preparing:

• casserole,
• syrniki,
• dumplings and other delicacies.

If there is more cottage cheese available than can be consumed in a period of 2-4 days, then it is wiser to place it in the freezer. Only freezing makes it possible to extend the shelf life of fermented milk products from 7 to 60 days. Therefore, if there is excess product, it is better to freeze it.

How to freeze?

For high-quality freezing, you can use two methods. Each of them has its pros and cons.

Using a zip bag

The easiest option involves the use of special bags with a zipper. They are designed for storing food.

The algorithm for creating a blank consists of sequential actions:

1. Load the fermented milk product of first freshness into a bag equipped with a hermetically sealed clasp.
2. Spread the cottage cheese in an even layer.
3. Without closing the bag, remove the air accumulated in it, gradually pressing the mass. You can use a cocktail straw for this. The absence of air will have a positive effect on the taste after defrosting.
4. Place a sticker on the bag indicating the date on it. This allows you to control the shelf life.
5. Close the clasp and place in the freezer.

Advantages of the method:

1. Freezing rate. This helps preserve taste and quality.
2. Save space in the freezer.
3. Ease of use. You don’t have to take out the entire piece for defrosting, but only remove the required amount from the total volume.

Creating portioned preparations is more practical. The product is not subject to temperature changes that cannot be avoided due to the need to remove it from the freezer and cut off the required amount.

Containers made of ceramics, plastic, glass

Ceramic and plastic containers, as well as glass containers, are suitable for freezing. Their use for freezing cottage cheese has its own nuances:

1. When placing cottage cheese in a container, do not fill it to the brim. This can lead to air getting inside, as when freezing the mass will increase in volume, causing the lid to rise.
2. Glass and ceramic containers are good because the product in them does not become darker and the appearance of moisture is eliminated, since the containers used are equipped with hermetically sealed lids. It is also not filled completely.
3. Having chosen one of these options, you should fill the containers with cottage cheese, close the lid tightly and place them in the freezer.

pros

• tightness;
• maintaining quality indicators;
• lack of air access.

Minuses:

• The disadvantage can be considered the fact of longer freezing compared to the package;
• the container may crack;
• You won’t be able to get only part of the cottage cheese, you will have to defrost the entire product.

In addition to the above points, you should also pay attention to the fact that a longer freezing process negatively affects the taste of the cottage cheese.

Nuances of defrosting

The only correct way to defrost cottage cheese is placing the product on the refrigerator shelf.

There it will gradually defrost over 10-12 hours and retain its beneficial properties and taste. It can be consumed raw.

At room temperature, the product will defrost in 3-5 hours. But at the same time, the risk of the spread of pathogenic microorganisms increases, which causes rapid spoilage of the fermented milk product.

There is an opinion that you can quickly defrost cottage cheese in the microwave. However, in this case, the product will become useless to the body and will become tasteless.

Whether the beneficial properties of the product have been preserved can be determined by two indicators. White color and the presence of a milky smell indicate the quality of the product..

What should not be frozen?

Curd masses and pastes should not be frozen. The reason is that after defrosting they lose their structure and consistency. The product becomes completely tasteless and useless.

Another thing is semi-finished products that have undergone preliminary heat treatment. Freezing:

• cheesecakes,
• pancakes with cottage cheese,
• dumplings,
• cottage cheese casserole does not affect their quality and taste.

Conclusion

Cottage cheese is an extremely healthy and tasty fermented milk product. Keeping it in the freezer for a long time prolongs its suitability for consumption.

However, by freezing and then thawing a product, it is important to follow the recommendations and rules for carrying out this process.