Can You Freeze Cheese? Yes—Here’s What You Need to Know
You can buy cheese in bulk and find no shortage of ways to enjoy it. But can you freeze cheese to make it last longer?
Can you freeze cheese?
Dairy products are notoriously fussy when it comes to freezing. But when there’s a great sale at the grocery store, it’s hard to resist the siren call of delicious two-for-$10 bricks of cheese. It doesn’t last forever in the refrigerator, but can you freeze cheese?
Yes—sometimes! The general rule of thumb is that freezing cheese will likely change its texture. If you do opt to freeze extra cheese, its best use after thawing is for cooking—the texture change becomes a moot point after it’s all melted. You probably don’t want to freeze the fancy stuff you bought for snacking on with homemade crackers, though. But frozen cheese, once thawed, would be perfect in a cheesy casserole recipe.
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Can you freeze mozzarella?
Blocks of mozzarella or shredded mozzarella are fine to freeze, though they tend to have a crumbly texture after freezing. Just avoid freezing fresh mozzarella, as its high water content has a likelihood of forming ice crystals.
Can you freeze cottage cheese?
Cottage cheese, along with ricotta cheese, can be frozen. However, upon thawing, both cheeses are likely to have a grainier texture. As with most frozen cheeses, thawed cottage and ricotta cheeses are best used in baked or cooked recipes.
Can you freeze cheese slices?
Yep! For prepackaged sliced cheese, just pop the package into a freezer bag and place it in the freezer. For deli-sliced cheese, place a piece of parchment paper in between each slice of cheese. Then wrap the cheese in freezer paper, tape shut and place the whole package in a freezer bag or freezer-safe container.
Can you freeze shredded cheese?
For prepackaged shredded cheese, place the package in a freezer bag before putting it in the freezer. For cheese you shred or grate yourself, place it in a freezer bag and carefully remove as much air as possible from the bag.
Now that you know how to freeze cheese, find out 13 clever cooking hacks to save time (and money) in the kitchen.
