How To Best Enjoy Cheese

That is the question when it comes to cheese and we have thoughts!

Ideally, cheese is best enjoyed fresh and by its “enjoy by” date on the original packaging. We recommend whenever possible to manage your cheese purchases in this way. Ice can do funny things to cheese. As ice forms during the freezing process and later melts during the thawing process, this expansion and contraction of water break down the molecular composition of the cheese. This in turn affects the texture, the coloring, and even the taste. Blue cheese, specifically, loses its traditional texture and transforms into a more “mealy” consistency, and it can be more prone to crumbling. The veining can turn yellow and the flavor may be off or muted due to freezer burn.

If you must freeze your cheese, we recommend the following tips:

Time is of the essence – if you know you can’t consume all of your cheese by the packaged date, it’s better to freeze cheese right away after purchase versus after it’s been sitting in the fridge for a while.

Dress it for the weather – before you send your cheese off into the depths of your freezer, make sure it’s protected from the elements. If it is unused, keep it in its original packaging. If it’s already opened, wrap it tightly in parchment paper and/or saran and cover it with freezer paper or place in a freezer bag. Better still, consider placing it in a food saver cryovac bag if you have one to eliminate all of the air.

Consider the end game – due to the less than ideal changes that result from freezing cheese, consider only freezing cheese you plan to cook with. Melting down the cheese can eliminate or mask some of these attributes. You may want to even consider grating it before freezing it so it is easier to work with once thawed.

Stay away from the softies – while hard and semi-hard cheeses can withstand the cold temperatures of the freezer, soft cheeses do not fare well at all. Once thawed, they can leave you with a liquid mess. It is best to stick to the harder cheeses. And remember, cheeses that are super hard like an aged Gouda, for example, can live nicely in your fridge for a long time anyway.

Defrost with care – Try to avoid extreme temperature fluctuations by thawing the cheese for several days in your refrigerator. This will allow the cheese to gradually absorb moisture as the ice crystals melt. Then open the cheese and allow it to breathe at room temperature for at least 30 minutes before using.

By adhering to this advice, you can safely extend the life of your cheese for up to 3 months in a conventional freezer and up to 6 months in a deep freezer. It is advised to use within 4-5 days of thawing.