Saturday, October 27, 2012

Can You Freeze Mozzarella Cheese?


There are many people that are fans of this delicious, semi-soft or soft cheese and for good reason. It’s ideal on pizzas, delicious melted over just about everything and tasty on crackers. Often we love it so much we want to get it in bulk. This can raise the question on storage and if freezing is appropriate.

Fresh Mozzarella From Sheep Or Buffalo’s Milk

If you haven’t tried delicious and true, fresh Mozzarella you are missing out on the one of the creamiest textures in the cheese world. It is a delicious way to enjoy a low-fat, high protein snack. If you’re considering freezing your fresh Mozzarella you might want to know what you can expect afterward. There will be a definite texture change with this variety. You’ll often end up with some excess liquid that will need draining. This is usually the whey. Loss of this liquid can cause a small loss in flavor. You will also notice that the cheese will crumble or fall apart much easier. If your plans are using the cheese for baking then this is an excellent way to store it. If you want to use it for a tasting party then perhaps you’d be better off storing it in the fridge and chancing the mold you can scrape off.

Shredded Mozzarella

Pre-packaged or home-shredded Mozzarella is the best for freezing. You can place the pre-packaged cheese in a strong freezer bag, squeeze all the air out and plop directly into freezer. You can also use it directly from the freezer in dishes such as; pizza, lasagna and pasta. If you’re shredding it yourself then it’s good to toss a bit of cornstarch through to keep it from sticking together. When storing it, wrap in foil or plastic wrap and then place in a freezer bag. Make sure all the air is out as any air will damage the cheese and cause freezer burn.

Bricks Of Mozzarella

You can easily store bricks of Mozzarella for 3-6 months in your freezer. You won’t lose too much in the taste but it will become mealier and crumble more easily. When using it on top of pizzas, melted over veggies or mixed into soups and sauces this is just fine. You are best to store it in sizes that you will use for cooking these dishes so you don’t have to refreeze or try to use it all up. It is also a great idea to thaw in your fridge overnight before using. If you’re going to store in slices then separate the slices with wax paper to prevent them sticking together.

3 comments:

  1. thank you. I've wondered this for YEARS . thank goodness it popped into my head while playing on the " Internets"

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  2. this made me feel SOOOOO stupid.

    frozen pizza has .... frozen mozzarella on it. hahahahahaha

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    Replies
    1. Thank you!! This was so much help!!

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