Often, cheese literally after a few days in the refrigerator loses taste, becomes moldy, gets a strange color, etc. You can blame manufacturers for using low-quality ingredients as much as you like, but first you need to figure out: do we store the product correctly? Is it possible to freeze cheese and how to prolong its life - is described in detail in the article.
General storage conditions for cheese
As a rule, after the purchase we simply put the cheese on the shelf of the refrigerator, believing that in this way we ensured its safety. This is really enough if you plan to eat it for two to three days. If it is assumed that the product will spend in the refrigerator for a longer period of time, then you need to know how to store the cheese so that it does not deteriorate ahead of time.
This requires optimal humidity and temperature. Both parameters should be at an average level, since too high and too low values lead to damage to the cheese.
Suitable temperature - plus 6-8 degrees Celsius. The best place in the refrigerator is the lower shelf. The required humidity is 85-92%.
Some tricks
Cheese should not be placed in a plastic container, pan, covered plate, as the product has the ability to absorb foreign odors well. And the cheeses themselves (for example, some types of French) often smell strongly enough. It is better to use foil, cling film or parchment paper, which will protect not only from unnecessary aromas, but also from moisture loss.
Shelf life can be increased if packaging is changed every few days. This does not apply to goat milk cheeses that do not need to be wrapped in anything so as not to disrupt the ripening process.
If you store cheese in a plastic bag, put a couple of pieces of refined sugar there. This is an excellent prevention of mold.
Cheese should be cut immediately before use. If you plan to serve it on the table in its pure form, and not as an ingredient in dishes, it is recommended to remove the product in about an hour. During this time, he will have time to regain his natural taste and aromatic properties.
You cannot store different types of cheeses in one package or container.
Homemade homemade cheese can be stored in the refrigerator for only a few days, using a glass or enameled container with a lid.
These are general rules, but for each type of cheese you need to apply your approach. Before we figure out whether it is possible to freeze cheese, let's identify the storage features of each species.
Hard Cheese Storage
These are the usual Gouda, Cheddar, Edamer, Parmesan, Emmental, Gruyeres. Semi-hard or hard cheese should be wrapped in thick waxed paper, and then wrapped with plastic wrap or put in a plastic bag or in a cheese bowl.
It should be located in that part of the refrigerator where a constant temperature is ensured. That is, in the shelves on the door, which constantly opens, there is no place for cheese. Ideal temperature - plus 4-8 degrees Celsius. In such conditions, the product will live 3-4 weeks. The harder the cheese, the longer it will be edible.
If the cheese is moldy, it is not necessary to throw it away. It is enough to cut off the damaged areas.
If the semi-hard cheese has dried up, it can be “reanimated” by placing it in milk for several hours. Absolutely stale product will not save anything, but it can be grated and used for cooking.
It is not recommended to chop hard cheese before storage, as in this case it will dry faster.
How to store cheese if there is no refrigerator or cellar? Dampen a towel in salt water, wrap cheese in it, place in a ceramic or glass dish with a lid and place the container so that it does not fall in direct sunlight. Days 7-10, the product will "live."
Parmesan Storage
Parmesan after purchase must be freed from plastic packaging, replacing it with parchment or wax paper. Then, at a temperature of 6-8 degrees, the cheese will lie for several months. Unless, of course, you rubbed it.
Grated parmesan should be eaten for a week, if you do not have a special parmesan, which will allow you to store the product for about a month without loss of taste and useful properties.
Hard and semi-hard cheese freezing
It is this cheese that is suitable for such processing. To freeze cheese in the freezer, just place it in a bag for freezing or an ordinary plastic bag and send it to the freezer. You can throw a piece of sugar in the container to absorb excess moisture.
It is convenient to mark on the package the date when the product was placed in storage. Cheese should be consumed within six months, but the optimal period is three months. Then it begins to dry out.
The disadvantage of freezing is that after defrosting the cheese becomes too crumbly and loses some of its taste. Therefore, it is recommended to use it not in its pure form, but for the preparation of hot dishes. For example, pizza.
Is it possible to freeze crushed hard cheese? Sure. But if you decide to cut it, then lightly sprinkle the pieces with flour or starch, otherwise after defrosting it will be impossible to accurately separate the slices.
If you freeze grated cheese, then during the cooling process you can take out a container with chips several times and shake it well. Then the product will not freeze in one piece. Or just add a little starch to the package and shake for distribution.
If you have an appliance for vacuum packaging, then your cheese will better retain its taste when frozen.
Storage and freezing of pasty cheeses
Mascarpone, Philadelphia, ricotta, mozzarella and other curd and paste cheeses are preferably stored in the same packaging in which they are sold.
The product has a short shelf life. After opening it is better to eat it for a maximum of eight days. The period and storage conditions before opening are always given by the manufacturer on the label, and these instructions must be observed.
Is it possible to freeze cheese of this type if the package is already open? Yes, it will be edible for three to six months. But after defrosting, you will have to subject the product to heat treatment before consuming it.
Soft Cheese Storage
Roquefort, danable, camembert, brie and even processed cheese are recommended to be wrapped in foil before storage. Every three to four days they should be removed from the sealed packaging and left in the refrigerator for two hours so that the product is saturated with oxygen. But in general, such cheeses are best purchased in order to eat two or three times.
If you opened the processed cheese, then he will live in the refrigerator for no more than a week. Further, it is likely to dry and become tasteless. Before opening, it will calmly lie for 6-7 months, since this type of cheese is melted at high temperature, which ensures a long shelf life.
Unlike hard varieties, if soft cheese is moldy, it should not be eaten. Simply removing “excess" from the surface will not solve the problem, because the harmful substance could enter the product.
Can this type of cheese be frozen? It is possible, but only for a short time and only if absolutely necessary.
Storage of brine cheeses
Hard cheese - suluguni, feta or feta cheese - before being sent to the refrigerator, it is necessary to place it in a container with brine with a strength of 16-18% or special whey, which will allow you to save the product for several months.
Brynza will be stored for 75 days, and Suluguni - 25 days.
So, the answer to the question of whether cheese is frozen is unequivocal - yes. Another thing is that this occupation is from the category of "possible, but not necessary." It is better to buy the right amount of cheese if necessary, rather than storing excess.