You can never get enough cheese! Or can you?
Sometimes when you go grocery shopping you overcompensate a little too much on cheese. You buy about 10 packs instead of the one or two that you really need.
You want that cheesy goodness to last longer than just a week or so. But is it even possible to freeze mozzarella cheese?
The short answer is yes - you can in fact freeze mozzarella cheese. The question is whether it’s a good idea. Dairy products tend to be rather tiresome to freeze, though it is entirely possible to freeze mozzarella cheese. It’s just a matter of employing the correct methodology.
How To Freeze Mozzarella Cheese
It’s entirely possible to freeze an entire ball of mozzarella cheese, but it’s often best to choose to freeze the cheese when it’s sliced. This means that you don’t need to defrost the entire tub when you want some cheese. Instead, you can grab a couple of pieces out at a time.
Here’s how you freeze mozzarella cheese. To start with, make sure that any water is removed from the cheese. This involved getting rid of any brine in the cheese, and allow the balls of mozzarella cheese a moment to get rid of any extra moisture inside of them.
Then, you need to portion out the cheese in whatever way you see fit for your cooking process. Slicing is a good choice but it depends on your individual needs. Once you have portioned out the cheese, you then need to get rid of any moisture that’s built up afterward. A paper towel can help with this.
Grab your cheese portions and put them into a freezer bag. You need to make sure that the portions are in just one layer so the pieces of cheese don’t end up freezing in lumps. Make sure the bag is completely flat when you put it in the freezer. You can move the bag to wherever you like once it’s frozen.
How to Defrost Mozzarella Cheese
Defrosting mozzarella cheese is a cinch. The best way to defrost it is to grab the portion of cheese that you need from out of the freezer, then put it in the fridge to defrost one day before you are freezing it. This method will take quite some time to do.
Alternatively, you can also leave the frozen mozzarella cheese out in room temperature to thaw. Again, this will take quite a bit of time to do, so it’s best to leave it in the refrigerator overnight. It’s also not the best thing to do, as it’s more likely to damage the texture of the cheese.
You can also use the cold water method. To do this, put the freezer bag of mozzarella cheese into a bowl of cold water to defrost it. It should take between one to a couple of hours - it won’t take as long as the methods we’ve previously mentioned.
Finally, you can use the cheese from frozen. If you’ve already thought about what you are planning on using the mozzarella for and it’s been portioned correctly, you can generally just toss the cheese right into the dish that you are cooking. You should account for a longer cooking time to allow the cheese to thoroughly thaw.
Factors to Consider When Freezing Mozzarella Cheese
It’s worth noting that sometimes mozzarella cheese can lose a little bit of its creaminess that it had before you froze it. This isn’t really a big deal if you are planning on putting the cheese into another dish or if you are melting it, but it’s still something to keep in mind. The texture may also change, meaning it may not be the best choice for things like salads and sandwiches.
The amount of time that you can keep the mozzarella cheese in the freezer is also going to depend on the formation of the cheese. If it’s a mozzarella brick then it should be fine in the freezer for around 6 months or more. This is because the moisture level is pretty low in the blocks. Alternatively, you could shred the mozzarella cheese which will make it last for around 3 or 4 months in the freezer.
Before you put the mozzarella cheese in the freezer, it’s important to ensure that you wrap it up properly. This helps to stop the cheese from getting freezer burn. Freezer burn is best to be avoided as it can result in bacterial contamination or food poisoning. It will also make the cheese lose its flavor. To further reduce the risks of freezer burn, put the cheese closer to the front of the freezer.
If you want to refreeeze your mozzarella cheese balls then it is possible to do so, but it should be noted that this isn’t the best idea if you plan on having the cheese on its own, such as in a salad.
Summary
So to summarize - yes, you can indeed freeze mozzarella cheese! Now the next time you overcompensate on cheese for your grocery shop, you can ensure that nothing is left to waste.
Freezing mozzarella cheese is a fairly simple process so long as you know how - just make sure that you have all of the right bags and containers on hand and you’re good to go.
Naturally, remembering to defrost properly is equally as important. Ensure that you leave the food in the fridge overnight before eating, or that you put it directly in the dish.
It’s important to remember that the texture and taste may not be exactly the same after freezing it. Nevertheless, freezing mozzarella cheese is a great way to ensure no cheese is wasted, and it will give you plenty of cheesy goodness for weeks to come!