Monday, March 8, 2010

Freezing Cheese


You can easily freeze cheese in your freezer, so if you find that killer deal on cheese, or if you are like me and you scavenge the discount bins and are buying cheese close to the best before date, you can easily freeze it for use later.

If you are using cheese for cheese sauce, pasta noodles, etc, grate the cheese first, and then freeze in either a freezer bag or with your food saver. As it freezes, remove it from the freezer a few times to shake it, so the cheese doesn't stick together as it freezes. This way, you can grab just as much cheese as you need.

Note: did you know that the “cheese companies” put additives in the shredded cheese to make it not stick together? YUCK!


If you would like to freeze it in blocks, do note that the cheese will change texture slightly. So it will be fine for grilled cheese, for example, but not as good for cheese and crackers. Wrap the cheese well in foil or plastic wrap, wrapping as tightly as possible to prevent air reaching the cheese. Then place in a bag, squeezing as much air as possible.

Plan to use frozen cheese within 4 to 6 months. Thaw cheese in the refrigerator. Use soon after thawing.

The cheeses that freeze best are brick, Camembert, cheddar, Edam, mozzarella, muenster, Parmesan, provolone, Romano and Swiss. Blue cheeses are more prone to becoming crumbly but they'll still taste good. Cream cheese and cottage cheese do not freeze well.