Can cheese be frozen? Freezing rules, shelf life, how to defrost?

General rules for freezing cheeses

Storing cheese in the freezer is used if a lot of product has accumulated, and it is clear that it will not be possible to consume it on time. The frozen product can be stored for a long time, and you will always have grated or chopped cheese on hand, which is convenient to use when cooking.

You can put different types of cheese in the freezer for storage. But there are rules common to all types of product.

The main feature of cheese freezing is the dependence of the reaction to low temperatures on the density of the product. The harder the structure of the cheese, the easier it tolerates freezing. Hard and semi-hard varieties practically do not change their taste after defrosting, but become even harder.

General rules for freezing:

Place only small pieces of cheese in the freezer. The approximate size of the slices is 500 g.
To make cooking easier, cut the cheese into cubes. Then you won’t have to worry about cutting frozen pieces.
Thaw the cheese in stages. Move it from the freezer to the refrigerator for an hour or two, and only then defrost it outside the refrigerator.
Use milk. To eliminate excessive dryness, place the thawed pieces in cooled milk for 10-15 minutes. The moisture will be absorbed into the cheese structure and the product will return to its original form.
Cut correctly. Make the cheese pieces so that after defrosting you can use them within a week. Then the product begins to rapidly deteriorate.
There are cheeses for which freezing is strictly contraindicated. These are products prepared without fermentation. After freezing, such cheeses turn into curd mass. Cheeses that should not be frozen are:

home cooked;
soft and semi-soft;
with mold;
spoiled and expired.

The maximum storage time for cheese in the freezer is six months. Grated cheese and slices are stored for no more than 3 months, since after this period, the finely chopped product dries out.
Use stickers. Label pieces of cheese with the storage date so you don't miss the expiration date.
For freezing, you can use bags and parchment.

Cheeses with mold cannot be frozen, as mold microorganisms die at subzero temperatures.

Soft cheeses, when defrosted, lose a lot of liquid, acquire a grainy structure, and their taste deteriorates catastrophically.

Preparing cheese for freezing

Only fresh cheese should be frozen. If the product has stains, mold, or a slimy coating, it should not be put in the freezer. Sub-zero temperatures will not improve the situation. After defrosting, the workpiece will go into the trash bin.

Preparation instructions:

Take a sharp knife. Cut off the dried crusts; it is better to freeze without them.
Divide large pieces into portions. The optimal value is about 100 g.
Packing. Vacuum bags and plastic bags with special fasteners are ideal. It is allowed to use polyethylene and cling film. In this case, we wrap it several times.

What types of cheese do you freeze most often?
HardSoft

You can freeze different types of cheese in the freezer - hard, semi-hard, Parmesan, Brie, Cremette. Shelf life from 2 to 6 months. Does not tolerate storage in the chamber of suluguni, delicacies with mold, processed cheese with herbs, and other additives.

What happens if you freeze cheese incorrectly?

If you store cheese incorrectly, it is very easy to spoil it. Improper freezing can also result in cheese spoilage.

Mistakes when freezing cheese:

if you wrap cheese in cling film, it may acquire an unpleasant plastic taste;
By storing large pieces of cheese, you will defrost them entirely, and if you do not have time to eat all the cheese in a few days, you will have to throw away the unused remainder;
if you are going to use cheese for making pizza and other dishes, grate/cut it immediately, otherwise you will have to spend a long time cutting it;
Do not store cheese in the freezer for longer than allowed; it will become too dry and its taste will deteriorate.

Blue cheese

Well-known varieties such as Brie and Camembert have a short shelf life, provided that their outer penicillin coating has been damaged. Even a small cut in the rind stops the ripening process. Such heads are stored for no longer than 5 days.

A whole circle will quietly lie for up to six months in the compartment for fruits and vegetables, that is, at a temperature of +2...+4 °C. It should definitely be wrapped in wax paper.

In general, storing the cheeses in question (including those with blue mold) does not involve freezing them. The thing is that cold kills the culture of penicillin and other fungi used in production.

If you bought a lot of Camembert or other moldy cheese for the occasion, it is better to marinate it.

Proper freezing of different types

The procedure and principles for storing different cheeses in the freezer have much in common. There are only small nuances related to the structure and other features of this product.

Hard cheeses

Cheeses with a dense structure store better than other varieties. It is more profitable to pre-grind the product in one way or another - grate or cut into cubes. In this form, the product will be convenient to use for preparing pizza, baked goods, and other dishes.

Do not defrost cheese in the microwave. It will melt in it and lose all its beneficial properties.

Hard cheeses include Armenian Chanakh, Romano, Emmental, Maasdam and others. To make your task easier, buy cheese for freezing in vacuum packaging, then the process will be simplified as much as possible - you just throw the product into the freezer.

Parmesan

This Italian cheese is made from cow's milk and has a rich taste and aroma. After defrosting it does not crumble. Parmesan can be stored at -20°C for at least 2 months.

Don't put Parmesan in the corner of the freezer so you don't forget about it. Other products may block it, and you may simply not see the package of cheese.

Processed cheeses

Spreadable cheese can be stored in the refrigerator for a long time without compromising its consumer properties. Their shelf life, thanks to freezing, increases from 8-10 days to 3-4 months.

Processed cheeses are the most finicky. When thawed, they lose their presentation. It is used only for spreading toast and sandwiches. Cutting it into cubes will not work.

Suluguni

Suluguni is a cheese with a sour milk taste, moderately salty. Its consistency is thick. This is a layered and elastic cheese.

Before freezing suluguni, soak it in 20% brine. Or in serum. When the cheese structures absorb the liquid, drain the remaining liquid and pack it in an airtight container. Other pickled cheeses are frozen using the same scheme.

Adyghe cheese

This product belongs to the group of curd cheeses. He is able to adapt to frost. But the minimum freezing temperature is limited to -5°C. With this mode, the cheese retains its structure and other properties for 2 months.

Mozzarella

This young cheese, prepared according to an Italian recipe, can be stored in the freezer for the same amount of time as any other curd cheese - about 3 months. It is better not to unpack Mozzarella before storing it - it is better stored in an airtight container.

Similar to Mozzarella - in industrial packaging, Mascarpone, Philadelphia, Ricotta and Camembert are stored.

Cremette

This cream cheese is usually used to make creams. To provide themselves with an important ingredient and pay wholesale prices, many pastry chefs purchase large quantities of cremette. And to preserve it longer, they put it in freezers.

How to freeze cremette:

Place the cheese in vacuum bags.
Place the cremette in the freezer, placing the bags in a single layer.
To ensure that the product freezes quickly, turn on the maximum cold setting.
When the cheese is frozen, place the vacuum sealed bags into one large bag and seal it.

Almost all types of cream cheeses separate after defrosting. In this form they are only suitable for sauces, salads, and cheesecakes. Beat the defrosted cremette with a blender. It can be used in cooking, but not for creams. Some cream cheeses are able to return to their original consistency.

Dutch

There are many varieties and varieties of Dutch cheeses. The most popular are Gouda and Edam. Cheese lovers also appreciate Maasdam for its appetizing perforated structure.

Dutch cheeses with holes do not store well. It is recommended to freeze only varieties with a dense, hole-free structure.

How to freeze Dutch cheese:

Cut the cheese into portions, for example, 150-200 g - as much as you may need.
Wrap each piece in paper, and then put it in a bag and then in the freezer.

Camembert

This cheese has a moist and chewy center. Camembert resembles Brie, but is more difficult to freeze. While the cheese is ripening, it contains live fungi. But once they get into the freezer, they die. The cheese loses its unique taste.

Blast freezing helps to avoid loss of the taste of Camembert. There are freezers in which you can enable a similar function. The temperature should not be higher than -20°C.

Hochland

Hochland is a processed cheese and is frozen according to the same freezing rules. The main thing is not to freeze foods that contain perishable additives.

Hochland freezing procedure:

Remove the cheese triangles from the packaging.
Place them in the freezer for 2 hours. Turn on the coldest setting possible.
Place the frozen triangles in a large bag, seal it, and place it back in the freezer.

Hochland cheese slices are frozen in a similar way - first they freeze them, scattering them around the freezer, and then put them in airtight packaging.

How to defrost

Available options:

Gradual defrosting. First, the bars are briefly sent to the refrigerator. Then leave it on the counter until completely thawed. This method is used when cheese is defrosted for consumption without heat treatment.
Immediately remove the product from the freezer. It will defrost on the table. This method is used when cheese is used to prepare food (first and second courses).

Thus, any type of product can be frozen. But it can retain its properties if properly prepared. The cheese is sliced or grated. Hard products withstand freezing best.

How to freeze grated cheese?

Many people have come across grated hard cheese in stores. If grocery chains see that cheese may lose taste due to its expiration date, it is “shaved.”

The grated cheese is placed in separate containers, vacuum-packed, and frozen. The product can be stored for several more months, but if it had remained in the form of a piece or a head, it would have long ago been “released” as an expired product.

Housewives can use this trick. Firstly, you can extend the shelf life of the cheese, and secondly, you will have ready-made cheese topping on hand for baking and various dishes that contain grated cheese as an ingredient.

Procedure for freezing grated cheese:

Using a food processor or a classic coarse grater, grind the hard cheese. The chips should be large enough - there is no point in grinding the product into a mushy mass.
Place the cheese shavings in a ziplock bag. There should be enough cheese to leave about 6-7 cm to the edge.
Seal the bag so that there is no air inside. Write the date of bookmarking on the bag.

Another advantage of grated cheese is that it saves space in the freezer so that the product takes up minimal space.

Signs of expired cheese

It happens that the product does not contain information about the date of manufacture or shelf life. This happens in the market, with unscrupulous suppliers. It is better, of course, not to purchase such a product.

Signs of poor quality products:

the brine in the package is dark and cloudy;
there are dark or whitish inclusions or spots on the surface of the cheese;
the color of the pulp is yellowish, uneven;
You can notice mucus on cheese without packaging and it has an unpleasant smell;
if, when pressed, the piece is pressed strongly, it means that it has begun to deteriorate;
The taste of an expired product is sour, there is no delicate milky aroma, and foreign odors may be present.

To avoid unpleasant situations, it is best to purchase cheese in small portions and in sealed packaging, which contains all the information about the product. Leftovers can be saved using any of the methods suggested above.

Freezing in cubes or bars

To freeze cheese into cubes/blocks, you will need a sharp knife, parchment or a piece of food foil, and special vacuum bags.

Cut the cheese into pieces. Please note that the smaller the cubes, the shorter their shelf life. So don't be shallow. Cut into pieces that you can use at a time, or that are enough to prepare 1-2 dishes.
Wrap the slices individually in parchment. It is advisable to also wrap them with foil paper on top - so that the product retains its taste properties as much as possible.
Place the cheese wrapped in paper in bags - this will prevent the cheese from sticking to the internal surfaces of the freezer.

Don't forget to write the storage date on the container.

Can it be stored without refrigeration?

Soft cheeses, like cottage cheese, cannot be stored for long without refrigeration. You can preserve their quality and taste for 1-2 days in the following ways:

prepare a slightly salted solution, pour it over the cheese pieces placed in a glass jar, and keep it in the coolest place in the room (if possible, put it in a cold pantry or on the balcony, covering it from light);
moisten a cotton cloth in salt water (salt concentration 16-18%), wrap the cheese in it, put it in a container (do not cover it with a lid) and place it in a dark, cool place, re-moisten the cloth in the solution once a day;
Wrap the piece in parchment or foil, put it in an airtight container, lower it into ice water, and press it on top with a weight.

At room temperature, bacteria begin to rapidly multiply on the surface of the product and mucus forms.

Cheese without defrosting

By freezing cheese, you can not only increase its shelf life, but also simplify and shorten culinary processes. This becomes possible if unfrozen cheese is used during cooking.

If you expect to save time on defrosting, store chopped cheese, preferably grated. You can add it to dishes, ready-made and semi-ready dishes without defrosting.

Not defrosted cheese is added to:

pizza;
soups;
casseroles;
minced meat for meatballs and cutlets.

Is it possible to freeze processed cheese in the freezer and how to do it?

Processed cheese is typically sold in a foil wrapper and does not require pre-packaging. But this is perhaps its only advantage. Freezing processed cheese is easy - just put it in the freezer. But defrosting such a product, and especially serving it on the table, is strictly not recommended. The fact is that after freezing its consistency will completely change. Such cheese can only be spread on sandwiches or added to dishes that can be further heat-treated (baked).

How to choose

Products that are produced on an industrial scale are most often sold in vacuum packaging. When purchasing them, pay special attention to the date of manufacture, given that storing Adyghe cheese in a vacuum does not exceed 1 month. It is imperative to make sure that the integrity of the packaging is not compromised.

When purchasing a loose product, for its production date . In addition, it must be carefully inspected to ensure its quality. If the product turns out to have traces of mold (not white, like noble cheeses), you should immediately refuse to purchase it.
High-quality natural Adyghe cheese should contain only milk, enzyme, whey and salt. Other additives are an indicator of low quality products, and are used in production for only one purpose: to increase its shelf life.
Fresh product should be firm to the touch and have a white, yellowish or cream color. But if the initially white color became creamy, the rules for storing Adyghe cheese were violated.
There should be no dry crust on the surface . The taste of this product is usually not too salty, and the aroma is similar to the smell of whey without the chemical notes.

If the structure of the cheese is too dense and the smell is sour, you should not buy such a product, much less consume it.