Do you like mozzarella? It’s indeed a great stuff, and no one can resist the goodness of this cheese. However, there’s one downside about mozzarella cheese. When you buy it, you get it in large quantities, like 5-10 pounds. And the truth is that you might not finish it all at a go. So you might be wondering how to preserve it and avoid wastage. Then the next thing that comes into your mind is freezing it. Is it possible to freeze Mozzarella? There’s no doubt that most dairy products are fussy when it comes to freezing them. This article will give you a more detailed answer on whether you should freeze mozzarella.
Can you freeze Mozzarella Cheese? Yes- You can freeze mozzarella cheese. The best thing about mozzarella cheese is that it will always maintain its taste and consistency after you freeze it. However, what matters is the type of mozzarella cheese that you are going to use. There are different types of mozzarella. However, the fresh mozzarella cheese is not recommended for freezing since you can only use it when fresh. Freezing soft mozzarella leads to a change in texture and taste.
There are different ways of freezing mozzarella cheese, depending on the type. It can be shredded or sliced mozzarella cheese. We’ve discussed each of them in this post below. Meanwhile, let’s have a look at how long you can preserve mozzarella cheese.
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How long does mozzarella cheese last in the freezer?
If you have an open package of mozzarella in your refrigerator, it can last for 5-7 days if you store it properly. When frozen in the freezer, mozzarella cheese can be fresh for up to 3 months. On the other hand, loaf mozzarella has a shelf life of 21 days after you open it, while smoked mozzarella can last for 28 days.
Can You Freeze Shredded Mozzarella Cheese?
Shredded mozzarella can be fresh for about 8 months and maintain its best quality if you store it well in the freezer. You can store it in the freezer at a temperature of 0° F so that it can stay safe.
You can increase the shelf life of shredded mozzarella cheese after opening it by placing the cheese in air-tight containers. You can as well seal their original packaging tightly. In the refrigerator, shredded mozzarella can last for 5-7 days if stored properly.
After opening the package, you should freeze or consume the shredded mozzarella within the refrigeration time indicated.
You cannot leave shredded mozzarella at room temperature for more than two hours. This is because bacteria thrive very fast at a temperature between 40 °F-140 °F. If left at room temperature for more than two hours, you need to discard it immediately.
You can add the shelf life of shredded mozzarella cheese by freezing it. After freezing shredded mozzarella in a fridge, you should note that it tends to lose its flavor and texture. For this reason, you can use it to prepare casseroles, soups, sauces, and other cooked dishes.
How to freeze shredded mozzarella cheese
Most people like grating a block of mozzarella before freezing it. Here’s how to go about it.
- Take the shredded mozzarella cheese and pre-freeze it on a baking sheet.
- Put aluminum foil on the cookie tray or the baking sheet. You can as well use a silicone mat instead of aluminum foil. This ensures that the cheese won’t stick to the surface.
- Transfer your sliced mozzarella cheese to the mat or foil, then place it in the freezer until it freezes to a solid-state.
- Use a spatula to break down the frozen cheese. The cheese is going to freeze together into one clump to make it available when you need it. You can now break it down into a bunch of chunks using a spatula.
- Put the cheese into a container or a freezer bag, depending on what works best for you. If you choose to use a bag, ensure that you squeeze the air out before sealing it. You can as well label the bag.
- Place the bag in the freezer. Your cheese can now stay there for a long time without getting spoiled.
Can You Freeze Mozzarella Cheese Block?
Mozzarella block cheese doesn’t have a lot of water like fresh mozzarella cheese. This makes it more like hard cheese. It becomes more long-lasting when it comes to freezing it.
The issue comes when the cheese starts going dry when you freeze it. But this shouldn’t worry you since it’s not a big deal. But how can you freeze it?
Let’s find out below.
You can freeze mozzarella cheese blocks in two ways. You can either freeze it in portions or freeze it shredded.
Choose any of these freezing methods depending on how you’re going to use them. If you are planning to prepare homemade mozzarella sticks, consider freezing the block in portions.
- However, if you need mozzarella cheese to melt on casserole or pizza, you can freeze the cheese in shredded form.
- Prepare blocks of cheese before freezing
- It would be best if you cut larger blocks of cheese into ½ lb. pieces. Don’t put a huge piece of cheese inside your freezer.
- If you have a large block of cheese, consider cutting it into smaller pieces that don’t weigh over ½ lb. You can cut it into smaller portions than that, depending on how you will use it. This is important because it makes the cheese thaw out thoroughly.
- Wrap the blocks of cheese in a plastic wrapping that has an air-tight seal. You can as well use a sealed food-safe vacuum to store the cheese. Wrap the block of cheese tightly to remove air and prevent freezer burn. Put the wrapped cheese in a freezer bag so that it can add another layer of protection.
- Make sure that you are using moisture-resistant packaging.
- Before placing the packaged cheese in a freezer, consider putting a label and a date on the package. This will help you always to know the type of cheese you are freezing and how long you need to do that. A permanent marker will label it well.
- Don’t forget to add an expiration date and the date you wrapped it.
- Finally, you can put it out in a dry place in your freezer.
- Remember to always lock your freezer door for the cheese to freeze quickly.
Can You Freeze Fresh Mozzarella Cheese?
Fresh mozzarella is best when served in salads and other dishes. Due to its wetness, it’s normally submerged in brine so that it can last for a longer time. It will always turn out to be watery after removing some moisture before you freeze or when you defrost it.
In a nutshell, its texture change is not always perfect. The best thing is that you can use fresh mozzarella when you melt it and use it as a topping, especially in toasts. If you have a collection of dishes that need to be melted fresh mozzarella, the frozen leftovers might work perfectly.
It would be best if you kept in mind that thawed mozzarella will be watery. If you thaw fresh mozzarella cheese, it’s going to be watery, and too much moisture can spoil your dish. If there’s excess moisture, consider defrosting the cheese, then dry it before melting the ice.
For best results, you can avoid defrosting it and use it straight from the freezer. Even though you can freeze a whole ball of fresh mozzarella, freezing it while sliced is much better. This helps you use one slice or two when you need them, and you won’t need to defrost the whole piece.
There’s no harm if you would still want to defrost several pieces so long as it is convenient for what you’re going to prepare. The most important thing is to get enough cheese that you need from the freezer as fast as possible.
It takes a few minutes to freeze fresh mozzarella cheese using the equipment you have at home. Let’s find out how on the steps below.
- Get rid of excess water from the cheese. You should remove the brine and allow the balls to discharge more liquid for about one minute.
- Slice the mozzarella according to the most convenient way for the recipe you are trying to make. Choose whatever size that you find best.
- Get rid of too much moisture. After cutting the cheese, you will notice that it has too much moisture. Remove it with a paper towel to avoid all the brine freezing with the slices.
- Place the mozzarella portions into a freezer bag. Consider pre-freezing the pieces you just cut on a tray. This step is not a must, and you can skip it and just put the cheese in a freezer bag.
- As you put them, ensure they are a single layer each to avoid freezing them together. This is to make it easier for you to get hold of them whenever you need them.
- Freeze the bag flat. As you place the freezer bag in your freezer, let it stay in a flat shape until the pieces of cheese freeze completely. After freezing, you can arrange them the way you wish.
That’s how you can keep your fresh mozzarella safe in the freezer and use them whenever you need them.
Can You Freeze Mozzarella Cheese Balls?
Mozzarella cheese balls always come in a soft round ball. While they can be a great combination for meals, they don’t last long under room temperature. It’s possible to freeze them so long as you follow the right steps. So how can you freeze mozzarella cheese balls.
Let’s find out below.
- Remove the mozzarella cheese from the bag and pour out the liquid that comes with it. This is to avoid freezing it with the liquid.
- Take a cling film and wrap the mozzarella cheese. Cling film will prevent air from getting inside the cheese and spoil it.
- Put the wrapped mozzarella cheese in a ziplock bag, then seal it on the top. It should be about 90% off the way.
- It’s now time to squeeze out air from the bag before you seal the remaining 10% of the bag. This is a crucial step because it prevents air from getting inside the bag.
- Put the bag in your freezer, and your mozzarella will be safe! That’s it!
Can You Freeze Mozzarella Cheese Sticks
Yes, it’s possible to freeze mozzarella cheese blocks. Most supermarkets have mozzarella sticks, so you don’t have to make them from a ball. There are many delicious sauces you can make using frozen mozzarella sticks. They can as well be great snacks, and children really love them.
It would be best if you took note that mozzarella sticks from the supermarket have already been frozen for a while. It’s crucial to consume them as fast as possible after purchasing them. If they have already been frozen, don’t ever refreeze after thawing them.
Sometimes you may make fresh mozzarella sticks from home. It’s okay to freeze them for future consumption. However, you shouldn’t freeze them for over 3 months. Cheese sticks tend to lose their flavor when frozen for more than 3 months.
When you purchase mozzarella sticks, remove them from the packaging. You can as well open their air seal, which is in the freezer bag. Take a sheet of baking paper and place the sticks.
For best results, stick the cheese in an oven for a few minutes and let them get perfectly golden.
Freezing mozzarella portions or sticks
It’s important to wrap the cheese tightly before starting to freeze them. This will prevent them from drying out.
However, if you will be melting it, this shouldn’t be an issue of concern. Here’s how to go about it.
- Divide the cheese into portions. It depends on your recipe of choice, so go for what works best for you. If you have a mozzarella block, consider cutting it into sticks or fat slices that you can then cut into sticks.
- Wrap the sticks so that they don’t dry. An aluminum wrap works best as it covers each portion tightly.
- Place the portions in a container or a freezer bag. If you haven’t wrapped the pieces of cheese, ensure that they don’t touch each other to avoid freezing together.
- Another way is to put them on a baking sheet, pre-freeze them, and then put them in another container.
- Put the container with cheese or the bag in a freezer. The cheese can then stay in the freezer until when you’ll need to use it.
Can You Freeze Grated Mozzarella Cheese?
Yes, you can freeze grated mozzarella cheese. All you need is to put it in a freezer bag and place it inside the fridge. You can as well wrap it in a cling film tightly, then put it in a freezer bag and place it inside the fridge. The only thing you need is to avoid clumping, as this tends to happen often when you freeze grated mozzarella cheese.
How do you avoid clumping of grated mozzarella cheese?
You can prevent grated cheese from clumping by adding a little flour to it. Don’t worry about the change of flavor, as it won’t happen. Neither appearance nor the test will change when you add flour. You can then place it in a Ziploc bag and put it in the freezer. You can freeze as much cheese as you want this way without worrying about it getting clumped.
Can You Freeze Fresh Mozzarella Cheese Balls?
Yes, you can easily freeze fresh mozzarella cheese balls in a solid piece. It will still maintain its flavor and consistency when you freeze it. While this is only applicable for mozzarella balls, soft mozzarella only needs to be consumed when fresh. Otherwise, it will be quite mushy and watery after you freeze and thaw it.
Can You Freeze Fresh Mozzarella Cheese In Water?
Yes, you can freeze your fresh mozzarella cheese in water. Fresh Mozzarella cheese can be vacuum-packed sometimes. You can store it in fresh water and put it in freshwater. However, you can only use it within a maximum of 2-3 days. If you choose to freeze it in water, put it in a cold water container and place it in the refrigerator.
Can You Freeze Mozzarella Cheese Logs?
Having some wrapped mozzarella cheese logs that you need to freeze? You can freeze them and consume them later. Consider double wrapping them in plastic bags to be 100% safe. Put a label on each bag, then put them inside the freezer.
How can you thaw mozzarella cheese?
Once you are ready to use your frozen mozzarella cheese, thawing them shouldn’t be an issue. Below are several options on how you can defrost this cheese.
- Place the mozzarella in the refrigerator for a few hours. The cheese will freeze depending on its level of freezing. If it’s grated cheese, it will thaw faster. Consider leaving it in the refrigerator overnight if you are planning to use it the next day.
- Secondly, you don’t have to defrost the cheese to use it. You can melt the cheese by heating it in the oven or the toaster.
- To avoid extra moisture on fresh mozzarella, consider patting it dry using a paper towel after you thaw it.
How can you use thawed and frozen mozzarella?
Wondering ways of using your thawed mozzarella? Here are different ways you can utilize it.
Melting
Add an extra taste and flavor in your egg scrambles or creamy soups by melting and adding the thawed mozzarella in them.
Topping
Did you know that you can use both fresh and mozzarella blocks topping in a casserole, a plain old slice of bread, or pizza? This can make you enjoy them more.
Finally, you can use them on any recipe that needs melted mozzarella.
What are the tricks of using frozen mozzarella cheese?
Sometimes mozzarella cheese can be a mess, especially if you don’t know how to handle it. Here’s how to deal with it.
Always wrap mozzarella cheese tightly before freezing it to avoid contamination or freezer burn. Leaving your cheese exposed causes it to oxidate, leading to bacterial infection in those who consume it. You can avoid freezer burn by placing it not too far back in the fridge.
How can you tell that mozzarella cheese can go bad?
The most obvious and visible sign that your mozzarella has gone bad is the presence of mold. However, there are other ways to tell that your cheese has gone bad.
Checking the date
You can confirm the expiry date indicated on the cheese if you bought it from a store. While keeping the cheese properly can help preserve it, there’s always an indication of how long it’s expected to maintain its freshness and quality.
Bad smell
You can smell the cheese to find out if there’s any foul smell. In case you notice any unusual smell on your cheese, discard it immediately. Mozzarella normally has a mild aroma. Any off a smell like sour milk indicates that the cheese is not good for consumption.
The appearance or flavor also tends to be different. If there’s any mold or smell, consider discarding the whole mozzarella cheese.
Sometimes you may not be very sure about the cheese state, especially if you don’t have any indication of the date and can’t remember when you bought it. To avoid risking your health, consider discarding it.
Never try to trim mold from your mozzarella cheese to remain with the section without it. According to food safety experts from Clemson University Extension, bacteria can go underneath the surface of the cheese. You should as well avoid sniffing moldy cheeses.
In summary, it’s possible to freeze mozzarella cheese depending on the type. Fresh mozzarella cheese can be frozen, but its texture and flavor may change. It’s therefore great if you use it when it’s fresh.