Is it possible to freeze cheese and how to do it correctly?

On the advantages of the freezer, many people know firsthand. Thanks to her, fruits, berries and vegetables can be eaten at any time of the year, as well as other useful preparations. You can store almost anything in the freezer - even cheese. Many people do not know this and simply throw away a spoiled product that has been in the refrigerator for a long time. But you just need to learn how to freeze it the way professionals do!

The first guessed to increase the storage period professional chefs from Europe. In local restaurants dishes using this product were served constantly. It is important that the cheese is always available. He was acquired for the future and kept in freezing compartments in the kitchen. This method is hotly loved by Italians, for whom pizza without this component does not exist. Then there were packages with fasteners, and topics about how to keep products longer, often began to appear in society. Many at first did not dare to make blanks, because you can easily make a mistake and confuse the date, and poisoning with dairy products is always difficult. However, compliance with all recommendations brings a good result, so why not.

This approach has a lot of advantages:

• less need to go to the store;
• there is always an additive for any dish;
• You can buy a quality product abroad and have it for a long time.

It is often more profitable to buy a large product package than a small piece. Sometimes you just don’t want to run to the store all the time if the family eats a lot (for example, they make sandwiches in the morning or like pizza), and many more go abroad and try to buy something tasty there. Therefore, cheese is often brought as a gift or for yourself, to sometimes savor a delicacy. Of course, in all these cases, you want to keep the product longer, especially in summer, when the temperature is higher.

In the fridge, on average, the cheese will lie for about a week if you put it on the bottom shelf. It is also recommended to tightly close it, be sure to cover the lid with it. If it is important to keep the product longer (for example, several months), then the freezer will definitely help.

So, you can freeze:

• hard varieties;
• grated cheese;
• brine varieties;
• tofu;
• product with the consistency of pasta;
• exotic species.

Another thing is that in all these cases, when you freeze you need to comply with some requirements.

In general, cheese is stored in the refrigerator for an average of 3 days. It is possible to extend the period in the freshness zone up to a week, but still it will not be possible to keep the product there for a long time, all the more so under the influence of time it will still acquire a strange aftertaste and texture. It remains to allocate him a place in the freezer and consider the following tips.

The first is the choice of packaging. Today, almost every home has several plastic containers. Many consider them universal and keep everything there. We can say for sure that plastic is a bad idea for freezing. Today, many do not recommend using it at all, because the material has a negative effect on health, and the safety of plastic containers has not yet been proven. By itself, plastic absorbs too much odors and can transfer them to the product. Some varieties of cheese can also smell specifically - it turns out that a person breaks into extra expenses trying to save money, because after such storage the container will have to be thrown away. For example, do not need to be stored in such containers blue cheeses with mold, which have an intense smell.

Not suitable for freezing open containers such as a conventional plate. It is best to take a film, foil or paper, so the cheese will be protected from foreign flavors.It is important in the process at least once to change the packaging - so the product will last longer. The only thing that needs to be remembered is that it is not necessary to close the goat cheese tightly, otherwise it will cease to ripen and lose its properties. With proper storage, it will be intact in the cold from 2 weeks to 3 months.

Avoid flowering will help ordinary refined. You can simply put two pieces of sugar in the bag with the workpiece - this will prevent the appearance of mold.

It is better not to cut the cheese before putting it in the freezer - simply because it will be less than good. It is better to freeze the whole piece (or divide into smaller portions, but not thinly cut). Then, if necessary, it is taken out of the freezer in advance and left at room temperature. It usually takes about 1-2 hours for the product to defrost and be usable.

Hard varieties are the easiest to store. You can cut the product into pieces weighing 250-500 grams and put them in any airtight wrapper, parchment or foil is perfect. Next, the bars are put in cellophane. If the cheese was sold in a closed package and its integrity is not broken, you can not open it. Do not forget to just write the date of freezing, so as not to miss the end of the period.

Hard cheese needs to be defrosted slowly. First, put it in the refrigerator so that there is no sharp temperature difference, it is optimal for this to use the bottom shelf. When the cheese is softened, it is taken out and kept a little more at room temperature. You do not need to use a microwave to defrost - it will melt or lose its properties. Remember that the slower the cheese thaws, the greater its original condition will be.

Prefer solid varieties - they better preserve their qualities during freezing.

The storage technology itself is as follows:

• grind the cheese using a grater or food processor (it is better that the pieces are not too small);
• put the product in polyethylene, leaving 5-7 centimeters of space;
• close tightly and make sure there is no air inside;
• sign the date of packing and put the bag in the freezer.

Shredded cheese takes almost no space. If there are several packages, you need to wait until they freeze, and then stack them on top of each other. Grated cheese is thawed at room temperature. It can also be used immediately if you need to sprinkle hot dishes or billet (pizza that goes to the oven, or something else).

For hot sandwiches, cheese is perfect. It can be frozen by placing each piece of paper or covering it with a film so that they do not stick together.

Many people believe that these species are not stored in the freezer, but this is not the case. Simply, there are a few rules that must be followed so that the product does not lose its qualities.

Before freezing, Suluguni, Fet or Brynzu must be soaked in brine (it is better to make 18% of the fortress). Serum can also be used. Suluguni will then be stored for 25 days, and cheese - up to 75 days!

A delicacy with mold is best stored in its original packaging, if it retains its integrity. It is allowed to use cling film; it is only important to ensure that after you wrap the product with it, there is no air inside.

Home option is often stored in the refrigerator. Principles of preparation for freezing are no different from the above methods.

Pasty species are also well kept in the freezer. Ricotta, Philadelphia, Mascarpone are best kept in store packaging. Usually these products are stored in the refrigerator for no more than 8 days in the open, but the freezer increases this period to several months.

Melted cheese can also be frozen, but this kind is very picky and after defrosting loses its appearance. In the thawed form, it is suitable only for spreading on sandwiches or grinding on a grater, but it will be difficult to cut it into beautiful pieces.

If the package is open and you want to freeze the remnants, this can also be done. For another 3-6 months, the product will lie perfectly in the freezer, but you cannot re-freeze it - it will lose its appearance and taste.

A soft variety is best at least once a week to get out of the freezer and leave in the refrigerator for 2-3 hours. This will help the product to be fed with oxygen, which is very important for proper storage.

You can always make blanks, but it is important to understand that the product will necessarily change its qualities - for example, it will crumble. Parmesan, Cheddar and other solid species that tolerate low temperatures are least affected. They can be stored at –15–20 degrees for at least two months.

Many famous chefs share their secrets about the storage and use of frozen species.

Here are some of them:

• to return the cheese to its original appearance after freezing, it can be soaked in milk for 1-2 hours;
• stale cheese can be grated and used;
• the sliced ​​product is stored less than whole;
• if it is not yet possible to freeze the product, but it has already been purchased, you can wrap it in a cloth soaked in salt water and send it to the refrigerator;
• if the workpiece is stored in containers, they must be hermetically closed;
• sliced ​​cheese is put on parchment paper, otherwise it will stick together;
• also, instead of parchment, cooks often use flour or starch, sprinkling it into slices so that they do not stick together;
• it is better to make no more than 10 slices from one batch;
• it is better not to put the product in the far corner of the freezer - it should be noticeable against the background of other products;
• if you know how you will use cheese, you can postpone the required amount in advance;
• best in the freezer stored varieties without holes;
• you can't put frozen cheese in hot water, hoping that it will defrost faster - this will happen, but the quality of the product will be terrible;
• It is very convenient to store the billet cubes - so you can use them for almost any dish.

Using these tips, you can extend the shelf life of almost any sort, but remember that even with all the conditions, the frozen product will lose the fresh version to taste and appearance, so use freezing only if necessary.

Since today many people prefer to freeze cheese, some manufacturers have begun to indicate on the package what temperature it can be done at. Do not forget to study the instructions - it will help to avoid mistakes.

How to freeze dairy products without loss of taste and quality, see the following video.