Can you freeze gourmet cheese?
- Thread starter DDD
- Start date
Depends on what kind of cheese...
Hard cheeses can be frozen IF... you grate it first, and only want to use it in cooking - cheese sauce and such.
SOME of the softer cheeses can be frozen, I'm told, but haven't tried it.
Most cheese keeps, though... often a month or more, if store-wrapped.
Hard cheeses can be frozen IF... you grate it first, and only want to use it in cooking - cheese sauce and such.
SOME of the softer cheeses can be frozen, I'm told, but haven't tried it.
Most cheese keeps, though... often a month or more, if store-wrapped.
DammitJanet
Well-Known Member
Some say freezing cheese is sacrilege, some think it's only logical. On what side do you fall? And from a cheese professional's point of view, what's the reasoning for taking or not taking the icy plunge?
I'm pretty definitive on the issue: Don't freeze your cheese! But, as in most cheese matters, all rules are up to interpretation.
So perhaps I should restate. Don't freeze fine cheese. Hand-crafted cheeses are delicate, and very simply said, they'll deteriorate in the freezer. In a freezer, ice crystals form within the paste of the cheese, and when cheese defrosts, the molecular structure breaks down, transforming a perfectly fine wedge into a mealy, more crumbly and dry version of its former self. Cheeses with fissures, holes, or cracks are especially susceptible to freezer damage.
Fresh cheeses are more sensitive to freezing than aged cheeses; with higher moisture content comes an even more fragile texture. Picture a light, fluffy triple creme: a freezer would annihilate its delicate, curdy paste, turning it crystalline and then weepy after a defrost.
The argument for freezing aged cheeses like parm and cheddar might seem logical because they're more durable in the first place, and so could withstand being frozen. But since most aged cheeses can virtually last for ions in your refrigeratorwhen stored properly, why bother with the freezer, which can do more harm than good?
Even with the knowledge of these deterrents, cheese freezers will live on. The only type of cheese that justifies being frozen is of the block variety, like a grocery store block cheddar, monterey jack, or provolone. These are industrial cheeses, highly processed and meant to be durable. By nature, they're not delicate and sensitive to temperature changes that can drastically alter their integrity. But take note: when defrosted, they'll be best used as melters, which will mask any potential alteration to texture from their frozen stint. Bring on the nachos!
I'm pretty definitive on the issue: Don't freeze your cheese! But, as in most cheese matters, all rules are up to interpretation.
So perhaps I should restate. Don't freeze fine cheese. Hand-crafted cheeses are delicate, and very simply said, they'll deteriorate in the freezer. In a freezer, ice crystals form within the paste of the cheese, and when cheese defrosts, the molecular structure breaks down, transforming a perfectly fine wedge into a mealy, more crumbly and dry version of its former self. Cheeses with fissures, holes, or cracks are especially susceptible to freezer damage.
Fresh cheeses are more sensitive to freezing than aged cheeses; with higher moisture content comes an even more fragile texture. Picture a light, fluffy triple creme: a freezer would annihilate its delicate, curdy paste, turning it crystalline and then weepy after a defrost.
The argument for freezing aged cheeses like parm and cheddar might seem logical because they're more durable in the first place, and so could withstand being frozen. But since most aged cheeses can virtually last for ions in your refrigeratorwhen stored properly, why bother with the freezer, which can do more harm than good?
Even with the knowledge of these deterrents, cheese freezers will live on. The only type of cheese that justifies being frozen is of the block variety, like a grocery store block cheddar, monterey jack, or provolone. These are industrial cheeses, highly processed and meant to be durable. By nature, they're not delicate and sensitive to temperature changes that can drastically alter their integrity. But take note: when defrosted, they'll be best used as melters, which will mask any potential alteration to texture from their frozen stint. Bring on the nachos!
AnnieO
Shooting from the Hip
I'm glad your PCs are sending you healthy food!
Don't wrap it in foil, whatever you do.
If it has a rind, wrap in a paper towel, a couple layers of plastic wrap, and put in a freezer Ziploc bag... But no more than about 1 month or it will start to dry. If no rind, skip the towel.
Also, if you can blast freeze it (think veggies), it won't break down as horribly. But... That's not usually possible.
I also agree with the sharing idea.
Don't wrap it in foil, whatever you do.
If it has a rind, wrap in a paper towel, a couple layers of plastic wrap, and put in a freezer Ziploc bag... But no more than about 1 month or it will start to dry. If no rind, skip the towel.
Also, if you can blast freeze it (think veggies), it won't break down as horribly. But... That's not usually possible.
I also agree with the sharing idea.
keista
New Member
loose your cheese to time and mold, or loose your cheese to time and ice crystals? If you can't share, take your chances with the freezer. If these are cheeses that can be used in a dish, prepare the dish and freeze. I always wonder about freezing certain things and then go search the freezer section in the supermarket. If it's in there, then I should be able to freeze it too. Of course this does not guarantee it will be as good as fresh, but at least it's not wasted. 
hearts and roses
Mind Reader
Wow, Janet, that's a lot of info!
I have frozen cheese but do not anymore. The texture does change and when it defrostS, some of the liquids never meld back into the cheese. I'd rather risk having to trim a little mold off a good cheese than ruin it in the freezer. I usually will toss it if it goes moldy, but I have trimmed it if it's not too bad. I've had wrapped cheese last for three, almost four, weeks just in the fridge cheese drawer.
I have frozen cheese but do not anymore. The texture does change and when it defrostS, some of the liquids never meld back into the cheese. I'd rather risk having to trim a little mold off a good cheese than ruin it in the freezer. I usually will toss it if it goes moldy, but I have trimmed it if it's not too bad. I've had wrapped cheese last for three, almost four, weeks just in the fridge cheese drawer.
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DammitJanet
Well-Known Member
Well Im good with google...lol. Suz and I used to compete to see which one of us would get it up faster...lmao.
