Can cheese be frozen? How to store cheese in the refrigerator

2024 Author: Isabella Gilson | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:14

Cheese often loses its taste after just a few days of being in the refrigerator, becomes moldy, acquires a strange color, etc. You can blame manufacturers as much as you like for using low-quality ingredients, but first you need to figure out: do we store the product correctly? ? Is it possible to freeze cheese and how to extend its life - described in detail in the article.

General storage conditions for cheese

As a rule, after the purchase, we simply put the cheese on the shelf of the refrigerator, believing that in this way we ensured its safety. This is really enough if you plan to eat it within two to three days. If it is expected that the product will spend a longer period of time in the refrigerator, then you need to know how to store the cheese so that it does not deteriorate prematurely.

This requires optimal humidity and temperature. Both settings should be at medium levels, as too high and too low values will spoil the cheese.

The right temperature is plus 6-8 degrees Celsius. The best place in the refrigerator is the bottom shelf. Required humidity -85-92%.

Some tricks

Cheese should not be placed in a plastic container, saucepan, covered plate, as the product tends to absorb odors well. And the cheeses themselves (for example, some types of French ones) often smell quite strongly. It is better to use foil, cling film or parchment paper, which will protect not only from unnecessary aromas, but also from moisture loss.

Shelf life can be increased by changing the packaging every few days. This does not apply to goat's milk cheeses, which do not need to be wrapped in anything so as not to disturb the ripening process.

If you store cheese in a plastic bag, put a couple of pieces of refined sugar there. This is an excellent mold prevention.

Cheese should be cut immediately before use. If you plan to serve it on the table in its pure form, and not as an ingredient in dishes, then it is recommended to remove the product in about an hour. During this time, he will have time to return to his natural taste and aroma.

You cannot store different types of cheese in the same bag or container.

Homemade homemade cheese can be stored in the refrigerator for just a few days using a glass or enamel container with a lid.

These are general rules, but each type of cheese needs to be approached differently. Before we figure out whether it is possible to freeze cheese, let's identify the features of storing each type.

Storage of hard cheeses

This is the usual gouda, cheddar, edamer, parmesan,Emmental, Gruyère. Semi-hard or hard cheese should be wrapped in thick waxed paper, and then wrapped in cling film or placed in a plastic bag or cheesecake.

Place it in the part of the refrigerator where a constant temperature is ensured. That is, in the shelves on the door, which constantly opens, there is no place for cheese. The ideal temperature is plus 4-8 degrees Celsius. Under such conditions, the product will live for 3-4 weeks. The harder the cheese, the longer it will last.

If your cheese is moldy, you don't have to throw it away. It is enough to cut off the damaged areas.

If the semi-hard cheese has dried up, it can be "reanimated" by placing it in milk for several hours. A completely stale product will not save anything, but it can be grated and used for cooking.

Cutting hard cheese before storage is not recommended as it will dry out faster.

How to store cheese if there is no refrigerator or cellar? Soak a towel in s alt water, wrap it around the cheese, place in a ceramic or glass dish with a lid, and place the container out of direct sunlight. The product will “live” for 7-10 days.

Parmesan storage

Parmesan after purchase must be freed from plastic packaging, replacing it with parchment or wax paper. Then, at a temperature of 6-8 degrees, the cheese will lie for several months. Unless, of course, you rubbed it.

Grated parmesan should be eaten within a week unless you have a special parmesan maker thatwill allow you to store the product for about a month without loss of taste and useful properties.

Freezing hard and semi-hard cheeses

This cheese is suitable for such processing. To freeze cheese in the freezer, just place it in a freezer bag or a regular plastic bag and send it to the freezer. You can throw a piece of sugar into the container to absorb excess moisture.

It is convenient to mark on the package the date when the product was placed in storage. It is necessary to use cheese within six months, but the optimal period is three months. Then it starts to dry up.

The disadvantage of freezing is that after defrosting, the cheese becomes too crumbly and loses some of its flavor. Therefore, it is recommended to use it not in its pure form, but for the preparation of hot dishes. For example, pizza.

Can I freeze shredded hard cheese? Certainly. But if you decide to cut it, then lightly sprinkle the pieces with flour or starch, otherwise after defrosting it will not be possible to neatly separate the slices.

If you freeze grated cheese, then during the cooling process you can get a container with chips several times and shake well. Then the product will not freeze in one piece. Or just add some starch to the package and shake to distribute.

If you have a vacuum sealer, your cheese will retain its flavor better when frozen.

Storing and freezing spreadable cheeses

Mascarpone, philadelphia, ricotta, mozzarella and other curd and spread cheeses should preferably be stored in the same packaging as they are sold.

The product has a short shelf life. Once opened, it is best to eat within a maximum of eight days. The period and conditions of storage before opening are always given by the manufacturer on the label, and these instructions must be followed.

Can this type of cheese be frozen if the package is already opened? Yes, it will be edible for three to six months. But after defrosting, you will have to heat the product before eating it.

Storage of soft cheeses

Roquefort, danablo, camembert, brie and even processed cheese are recommended to be wrapped in foil before storage. Every three to four days they should be removed from the sealed package and left in the refrigerator for two hours so that the product is saturated with oxygen. But in general, it is better to buy such cheeses in order to eat them two or three times.

If you opened the processed cheese, then it will live in the refrigerator for no more than a week. Then it will most likely dry out and become tasteless. Before opening, it will lie quietly for 6-7 months, since this type of cheese is melted at a high temperature, which ensures a long shelf life.

Unlike hard cheeses, if soft cheese becomes moldy, it should not be eaten. Simply removing the “extra” from the surface will not solve the problem, because the harmful substance could have penetrated into the product.

Can Ifreeze this type of cheese? You can, but only for a short time and only in case of emergency.

Storage of pickled cheeses

Hard cheese - suluguni, feta or brynza - must be placed in a container with brine with a strength of 16-18% or special whey before being sent to the refrigerator, which will keep the product for several months.

Cheese will be stored for 75 days, and suluguni for 25 days.

So, the answer to the question of whether cheese is frozen is unequivocal - yes. Another thing is that this is an occupation from the category of "it is possible, but not necessary." It is better to buy cheese in the right quantities when needed, rather than stocking up on excess.