What Cheeses Can Be Frozen and How Can You Do It Correctly?

Freezing food is one of the most effective and safe ways to preserve it because, thanks to the very low temperatures of the freezer, it lasts a long time without deteriorating. If you are used to  freezing fruit and vegetables, meat, fish and legumes, you may have doubts about other foods: not everything, in fact, can be frozen. For example, what should you do about cheese? First of all, know that cheese can be frozen, but with some exceptions: not all varieties are suitable for the freezer, because on some, humidity and cold temperatures would have a negative effect. Let's see together which cheeses you can freeze and which you can't, but also how to do it correctly to best preserve the product.

Which Cheeses Can Be Frozen?

As we mentioned, not all cheeses are the same and not all can be frozen. Stretched curd cheeses, semi-hard cheeses and mature cheeses are suitable for freezer storage because they contain very low humidity and therefore the freezing and thawing processes will not affect their consistency and flavor too much.

This is because when the water in a food passes from a liquid to a solid state (i.e. when it freezes, precisely) it expands by about 9%, and then contracts again once thawed. In a cheese that is already very moist, therefore all fresh or semi-soft ones, this would also result in a separation of the fat from the other components, resulting in a thawed cheese with a grainy or oily consistency, as well as having little flavor.

So, the green light is given to freezing cheeses such as provola, fontina, cheddar, edam, primo sale, feta, provolone and emmentaler, but also parmesan and mozzarella (in this case, it is better if made from cow's milk and not buffalo milk and only if you want to reuse it for cooking). It is better to avoid freezing cheeses such as ricotta, brie or taleggio, which should be consumed fresh and kept well away from the freezer.

In any case, it is good to remember that even in the case of semi-hard, aged and stretched curd cheeses there is a small loss in consistency and flavor following defrosting, which is why experts recommend using the cheese you have frozen more for cooking than for eating in slices (but it certainly doesn't hurt to cut off a piece and do a taste test to be sure).

How to Freeze Cheese Properly

To freeze cheese correctly, the same rules apply as for any other food, so first of all it is essential to minimize exposure to air. If you have to freeze cheese that you have not yet opened, you can place it directly in its original packaging if it is perfectly intact, but if you have to store cheese that has already been opened, you will first have to wrap it in a layer of cling film and then place it in a special hermetically sealed bag.

It is also a good habit to cut cheeses into smaller portions and not into "blocks" that are too large, because it will be easier to defrost only the quantity you need and you will also avoid them crumbling during defrosting. You can also freeze already grated cheese in airtight bags or directly in its original packaging.

How Long Do Frozen Cheeses Last?

Once placed in the freezer, cheeses can remain frozen for a period of between three and six months: beyond that they do not become bad, you can still eat them, but they begin to lose some of their organoleptic properties. Precisely for this reason, the advice is always to put a label on the bag with the date you put the cheese in, so you know when you froze it and until when you can use it to its full potential.

Remember that to defrost cheese correctly, it is advisable to place it in the fridge for a few hours so that the temperature rises gradually and the taste and consistency of the product are not altered. Furthermore, once defrosted, cheeses should never be refrozen and it is preferable to consume them within 24 hours.