Can cheese be frozen?

Cheese is one of the main companion foods in our day to day. We can use it for cooking, season pasta dishes, make lasagna, or serve it as an appetizer without anything else. Can cheese be frozen? Have you ever wondered if you can freeze cheese? Although cheese tastes delicious, it is extremely difficult to preserve due to its dairy origin since it is normally very easily damaged.

However, while fresh cheeses expire quickly, aged and semi-aged cheeses last longer in the refrigerator (about 6 months). Some cheeses can be frozen, although a proper procedure must be followed to maintain their properties. We want to tell you which cheeses can be frozen and which cannot, as well as the best preservation and freezing methods so that they last as long as possible. Keep reading why fridge smells like dead animal!

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Not all cheeses are the same, as their manufacturing and preservation processes are very varied. For that reason, some types of cheese will resist freezing better than others, while some will lose their consistency, flavor or properties. Next, we evaluate the most common types of cheese to see if we can keep them in the freezer.

No, if you wonder what cheeses can be frozen and whatnot, unfortunately, this is the type of cheese that should be put in the freezer the least. Due to its smooth texture and its high serum content, it does not withstand such low temperatures, causing it to break, dilute and lose its flavor and texture during the thawing process. If it is your only option, you can dry its surface with absorbent paper and then place it inside an airtight bag or plastic wrap and take it to the freezer.

Within the group of fresh cheeses that are not recommended to freeze, the following stand out:

Mozzarella
Ricotta
Mascarpone

Can blue cheese be frozen?

Blue cheeses such as Roquefort or Cabrales, which are affected by fungi and are considered semi-cured, are not suitable cheeses to be frozen, as they tend to crumble. Whether or not to preserve the structure of the cheese is not important because we want to use it to prepare a sauce. For example, we can freeze it without a problem.

Can cream cheese be frozen?

It is not recommended to freeze any type of cream cheese such as Camembert cheese or Brie cheese because they lose their consistency when they thaw. The case of spreadable cheeses or cream cheese is not so serious since they are still suitable for spreading during defrosting, although they lose consistency. Thus, despite its creamy texture, cream cheese can be frozen.

Can you freeze goat cheese?

As with the previous ones, it is not recommended, since during defrosting, it would break and crumble very easily. However, since its degree of humidity is medium, this type of cheese does not suffer as much as fresh cheeses. Therefore, we can freeze goat cheese following the appropriate instructions, which we share at the end of the article.

Can semi-cured cheese be frozen?

These are the cheeses that best withstand low temperatures and that, after defrosting, keep their flavor and texture practically intact. Cheeses such as gouda, gruyere or Emmental are excellent to keep frozen for up to 6 months and you can pack them both in blocks, grated or in sheets.

Can cured cheese be frozen?

This type of cheese is characterized by its good resistance to the weather in general, being the ones that are best kept at room temperature. They can be frozen, but due to their hard and not very malleable consistency, they may tend to crumble after thawing as well as lose some of the strong aromas that characterize them. One of the best examples is Manchego cheese, which can only be kept refrigerated and removed one hour before consumption.

How to freeze cheese?

Although it may seem like it, freezing cheese properly is not an easy task if we want to take care of its flavor and fantastic aroma. In addition, for each presentation, it is necessary to follow rules that will prevent damage to the cheese.

Grated cheese

Choose the cheese you want to freeze grated. In our case, we highly recommend semi-cured and cured cheeses.
Grate the cheese with the help of a grater.
Use an airtight bag and fill it with the cheese, leaving a space to get the air out.
Close the bag perfectly, trying to make it completely flat; If your refrigerator is a rack, help yourself to a baking sheet.
When you go to use the cheese, take out the right amount that you are going to use and do not thaw the bag in its entirety.

Block of cheese

Cut pieces no larger than 500 g so that the freezing process can be carried out successfully.
Wrap the piece of cheese in plastic wrap and then line it with aluminum foil or, if you prefer, put it in a zip-lock bag.
Freeze the cheese with the date you are freezing it.
Thaw the piece you will use, transferring it from the freezer to the refrigerator or leaving it at room temperature for a couple of hours.
Sliced or sliced cheese
Cut pieces of wax paper the size of the cheese slices.
Sandwich the cheese with a sheet of paper and stack up to 10 layers.
Put the stack of cheese in an airtight bag or freezer container and write the date.
When you want to use it, remove the sheets with the help of the paper.
The cheese in its different presentations can remain in the freezer for a maximum of 6 months if it is stored properly. However, we recommend consuming it before 3 months and avoiding defrosting until the moment of total consumption, defrosting only the pieces that you want to use for the moment. Similarly, do not exceed the freezing time of creamy cheeses to more than 1 month to prevent their fat content from being diluted and damaging the cheese.

How long does cheese last: storage times

Lightly aged or low-fat cheeses will last the least in the refrigerator, averaging 15 to 20 days. On the other hand, pressed lid cheeses can be kept between 1 and 2 months if they are kept correctly in the fridge. Pressed-cover sheep cheeses have the longest shelf life. They can last for months before spoiling.