Couldn’t help yourself at the store and bought all the cheese on sale? What are you going to do with it now? Many food items can be frozen such as bread and meat, but with cheese, it is not so easy. We will explain to you which cheese you can freeze and which you should eat in the next few days.
You probably know the situation all too well – when cheese is discounted it’s hard not to fill your cart to the brim. With so many delicious kinds, it would be rude not to try them all! But when you get home, you realize your eyes were bigger than your stomach and now you don’t know what to do with all this cheese. You start to place items in the freezer, but then wonder “can you freeze cheese?” The short answer is "yes, but...". So, we’ll give you the slightly longer answer here:
It is possible to freeze some types of cheese. However, the length of time the cheese can be kept in the freezer depends on the type of cheese. It’s also important that the freezer is kept at 0°F or lower.
Unfortunately, the taste of cheese will not be the same after it’s been frozen. Whether on its own, on bread, or as part of a cheese platter, you’ll notice that some of the flavor is missing. The reason for this is that the cold temperature interrupts the maturing process. However, the cheese can be used for cooking after it’s been in the freezer. Just make sure to defrost it slowly in the refrigerator after you take it out.
Delicious Parmesan, Swiss, Colby, provolone, Romano, and Cheddar are of course far too good to throw away. Fortunately, it is possible to freeze them for up to six months. It’s recommended to grate the cheese first and then put it in an airtight container in the freezer. The cheese can then be used for gratinating a few months later.
You might be shocked to find out that soft cheese such as Brie, Camembert, and goat’s cheese can also be frozen for up to six months. So the next time you have a hankering for some baked gnocchi and goat’s cheese, you know where to look – in your freezer.
Unfortunately, there are some types of cheese that don’t tolerate freezing very well. On the other hand, these varieties usually last at least a few days in the refrigerator .
- Filata and cream cheese
Cream cheese and filata such as mozzarella or scamorza have too high a water content. In the freezer, these cheeses change their consistency and are usually inedible after they've been defrosted. Therefore, you should consume these types of cheese within two weeks. Ricotta or cottage cheese also aren’t meant to be frozen and shouldn’t spend more than one week in the refrigerator.
- Blue cheese
The taste and consistency of blue cheese changes in the freezer. To avoid a rude awakening after defrosting, it is better not to freeze this cheese.
- Young cheese
The cold temperature stops the maturing process. Therefore, even young, unripened cheese is not suitable for freezing.