Buzz
One of my favorite strategies to reduce kitchen waste is making the most of my freezer. Many items that might otherwise spoil on the counter or in the fridge can be saved with the help of this wonderful appliance. While you might already know that you can prolong the shelf life of meats and breads by freezing them, don't overlook cheese as well. However, not all cheeses freeze equally well. Here’s a guide on which cheeses can handle the freezer and which ones you’ll need to use up more quickly.
Why Freezing Cheese Works… In Some Cases
Freezing dairy can be a bit tricky, as it’s the thawing process that can sometimes lead to disappointment. But aside from building your own cheese cave, the freezer remains a useful option to extend the shelf life of certain cheeses. Dairy products, including cheese, milk, sour cream, and yogurt, are mixtures of fat, water, protein, and acid. The balance of water to the other components determines whether the dairy is liquid like milk, semi-solid like yogurt, semi-firm like cheddar, or hard like parmesan.
Freezing can alter the structure of anything containing water. As you may be aware, water expands as it freezes, which means if there are tiny water droplets dispersed within a dairy emulsion, these droplets will force the other ingredients aside as they expand. When the product is thawed, the water reverts to liquid, but the proteins and fats have been displaced, leaving behind pockets that once held ice. Though these cheeses remain safe to eat, their texture will be compromised, which might affect the overall flavor perception.
Cheeses that can be frozen (and those you should avoid freezing)
No need to memorize an exhaustive list of cheese names to make sure you're freezing the right ones. Since water is most susceptible to change when frozen, you can confidently freeze cheeses that have lower water content. Hard, aged cheeses like parmesan, manchego, Iberico, or sharp cheddar will undergo less disruption in terms of both texture and flavor.
Cheeses with a higher water content are more likely to experience separation between water and fat, which can cause them to appear broken or grainy once they thaw. Therefore, it's best to avoid freezing cheeses that you enjoy for their smooth, spreadable texture, such as brie, camembert, burrata, or blue cheese.
Some cheeses you might not expect can also handle freezing. Feta and halloumi, despite being somewhat moist, can be frozen and thawed without any issues. Their texture is already a bit clumpy or even squeaky, so freezing just enhances that characteristic.
In my experience, shredded cheese performs excellently in the freezer. I never hesitate to toss bags of shredded cheddar, provolone, or mozzarella into the freezer. Low-moisture mozzarella blocks also freeze well.
How to freeze cheese
To freeze cheese, treat it like you would any other food you want to prevent from freezer burn, such as meat or bread—wrap it in air-tight plastic. If your cheese is fresh, it might already come wrapped in plastic, like shredded cheese. These can go straight into the freezer. I prefer to freeze them flat, which makes it easier to stack and access later.
If your cheese is in weak plastic or has already been opened, transfer it into a freezer-safe zip-top bag and press out as much air as you can before freezing it. It might also help to cut your blocks of cheese into smaller pieces if you typically use them in specific sizes. Personally, I enjoy sharp cheddar on crackers, so I slice it into small portions before sealing them in a bag for freezing. This way, I can easily grab what I need when I'm ready to defrost. Pre-slicing or pre-cubing works well for many types of cheese too.
How to thaw frozen cheese
To thaw your frozen cheese, just leave it in the fridge overnight, and it will be ready for slicing, shredding, melting, or enjoying as a snack the following day. You can use shredded cheese directly from the freezer, sprinkling it into dishes where it will thaw and melt quickly. This allows you to enjoy your cheese for a longer time. For your softer, spreadable cheeses, now’s a great opportunity to finish them off before they start to spoil in the fridge.
