From our Blog
Desperate Cooks Freeze Their Cheese!
Alicia says: I started freezing my cheese when I got tired of throwing away huge moldy hunks at $5 and $10 each. And when I realized I was throwing away bags of shredded cheese too often as well, I really got into freezing cheese. For blocks, wrap in wax paper and foil and label and date the cheese so you know what you have in the freezer. Thaw in the refrigerator and use within 3 days.
Kraft suggests the only unopened bags of shredded cheese should be frozen, but I still freeze half used bags that I know I just opened and are mold-free. Once the bags are opened, they do mold quickly, so be aware before throwing them in the freezer.
So just pop the unused portion (keeping it in the same zipper top bag it came in), into your freezer. If your freezer is properly set between 0 and 10 degrees F., your bags will store with no loss of quality for several months.
Frozen already-shredded cheeses work wonderfully with no compromise in flavor or texture in baked dishes, as stir-ins for pasta or even as a topper for casseroles. Just give the still-frozen bag a couple of whacks on the counter and voila! Cheese, sans mold.
Related Recipes
Three-Cheese Broccoli Quiche
Lighter on the egg and emphasizing the trio of cheeses, our broccoli quiches will turn any brunch into a special occasion.
Read full recipe.
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Comments
Cool. I’ve always done that with shredded cheese, but didn’t know I could w/blocks. Soft cheeses like brie don’t suffer any loss of quality?
Actually, we always shred our block cheeses first, and don’t usually freeze soft cheeses. Has anyone else frozen brie?
I freeze blocks too, but they should be used as shredded or sliced and melted when you have defrosted them. Just be sure to cut the block in reasonable chunks before freezing so you won’t end up throwing it out once you’ve defrosted it. I recommend using frozen cheese within 3 or 4 days of defrosting for best results.
Soft cheeses like brie do change slightly when freezing, but I have successfully frozen brie before, especially since my favorite way to eat it is baked and spread on a rustic bread with raspberry jam! Yum!