Can You Freeze Cheddar Cheese?

Cheese; you either are completely in love with it, want it on everything or don’t really care for it. Take a vote and you’ll find people tend to be madly in love with cheese, eating it plain, with crackers or on a great many dishes. They may through a slice on apple pie or make veggies more appealing by melting it over them.

Why Freeze It If We’re Gobbling It Up?

The fact is, cheese can be pricey if you like the good stuff or if you like to enjoy it often.  There are a couple of different ways you can save money on cheese. One is taking advantages of sales and the other is buying in bulk. Both mean that you might end up with more Cheddar than you can eat before it starts to get moldy.  Now you are left with the inevitable question of what to do with all this delicious cheese. The first and often simplest answer is to consider freezing your cheddar, mozzarella or cheese curds. But now you’re left with wondering how it will hold up to it.

What Will Come Out Of The Freezer

Because Cheddar cheese isn't nearly as soft as Mozzarella or cheese curds you will find that it will hold up to the freezing process better than the soft varieties. Often our softer cheese (which isn't aged as long) has more space for the air to get into it and will lose flavor faster as well as its texture. To be honest, the last thing you’ll want to do is take a very fine cheese like a Camembert you've imported and toss it into the freezer. Instead send it to a real cheese fan that will gobble it up and enjoy every morsel!

Most likely you aren't asking about the gourmet flavors, you’re asking about some bulk cheddar cheese. If you are planning on eating the cheese in slices, served with crackers or another side like fruit then you might want to reconsider. The texture of a firm cheese like Cheddar tends to come out of the freezer with most its integrity intact, although it will be texturally different. Don’t worry though; your flavor will still be there. This is why freezing Cheddar or even Mozzarella (semi-soft) cheese for later use in cooking can be an excellent way to preserve your cheese and your budget.

Consider The Following Tips:
• Cheeses like Parmigiano Regggiano, Asiago, Romano or aged Cheddar tend to fare the process very well.
• Don’t freeze for longer than six months or you can run into freezer burn and poor flavor.
• Freeze in small portions that you’ll use in a dish such as baked spaghetti, pizza, or casseroles.
• Shred before freezing and toss the cheese in a light coating of corn starch or flour to keep them from sticking.
• If freezing in slices, separate with wax paper to prevent sticking.
• Take time to store it very well. Tightly wrap in plastic wrap or aluminum foil and then seal in a quality freezer bag being careful to get ALL the air out.