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Have you got mozzarella cheese left over and want to make sure that you don’t end up throwing it away? Why not freeze it? Certain types of mozzarella can be easily frozen and kept for many months. Here’s how to freeze mozzarella cheese for best results UK…
How to Freeze Mozzarella Cheese For Best Results UK
There are a series of steps you should take, if you want to learn how to freeze mozzarella cheese for best results.
You will also find a few tips and hacks that will make the process easier, cheaper, and more foolproof throughout.
Step One: Draining
If you attempt to freeze mozzarella cheese that is still very wet, you will notice that it changes more during the freezing process than mozzarella cheese that has been thoroughly drained before it is put in the freezer.
When mozzarella cheese is wet, the increased liquid turns into large ice crystals, or lots of ice crystals, that then go on to change the structure of the cheese itself.
Draining mozzarella cheese is easy and only takes a couple of minutes.
You will need to grab a bowl, a sieve, and your mozzarella cheese. Remove the cheese from all packaging, then place it in the sieve, over the bowl. Any liquid present will drip from the cheese and into the bowl below.
Once the cheese has been completely drained – which should only take a couple of minutes – you can then take the next step.
It is not recommended to skip the draining part of the process.
Step Two: Preparation
The best way to freeze mozzarella cheese is either already-grated (or shredded, for the American readers out there), cut into slices, or divided into individual portion sizes.
Image by Dominik Schraudolf from Pixabay
When you freeze individual portion sizes, you can reduce the amount of food you waste. Instead of taking out a huge chunk of cheese, defrosting it, then eating some of it before throwing the rest out when it turns bad, you’ll only be defrosting the right amount that you need. The remainder will stay in the freezer, ready for you to eat it at a later date.
Not only that, smaller chunks or portions of mozzarella cheese will take less time to freeze, and also less time to thaw out when you take them out of the freezer.
The larger the portion, the longer it will take to both freeze and thaw out.
Step Three: Wrapping/Containers
Mozzarella cheese should be frozen in airtight containers, bags, or wraps. You can use either:
- Cling film (plastic wrap)
- Aluminium foil
- Ziplock bags
- Freezer bags
- Tupperware-style containers (or similar airtight containers)
If you have the equipment available, vacuum sealing the freezer bags (or similar containers) will help to prolong the life and quality of the cheese even further.
You will need to ensure that your containers or wrapping are completely airtight. If you are using cling film, use a minimum of two layers of cling film. The same applies to aluminium foil. If you can, use one or two layers of cling film and then wrap the aluminium foil around it.
Containers or wrapping that are not airtight will result in cheese that has freezer burn, and it will essentially be ruined.
Step Four: Labels
You should add labels to everything you freeze.
The labels should contain the product inside – in this case, mozzarella cheese.
You should also add the date of freezing. This is to ensure that you defrost and then eat or cook with the cheese before it starts to turn bad.
Even mozzarella cheese that has been frozen has a lifespan.
Step Five: Freezer Time
If you are freezing multiple packages or containers or mozzarella cheese, I recommend making sure that they are flat and in one layer, rather than stacked on top of each other, when you first add them to the freezer.
Once the cheese has been completely frozen (usually within a few hours), you can then stack and rearrange it so that you better use the storage space.
You should ensure that the mozzarella cheese is in one layer while it freezes to ensure that it freezes properly, evenly and thoroughly.
How Long Does Mozzarella Cheese Last in the Freezer?
You can keep mozzarella cheese for up to 3 or 4 months in the freezer.
This is according to FoodKeeper, a project developed by various US institutions with the aim of reducing food waste around the world.
I thoroughly recommend downloading it and taking a peek!
Some food experts and bloggers say that it’s okay to keep mozzarella cheese in the freezer for up to 6 months.
I would personally always recommend consuming frozen dairy products sooner rather than later.
How to Thaw Out Frozen Mozzarella Cheese
The best way to thaw out mozzarella cheese is overnight, in the refrigerator.
It does take quite a long time for frozen mozzarella to thaw out, especially large portions of it.
You should not leave frozen mozzarella cheese on the counter, at room temperature, to defrost, however. This could lead to an increase in the growth of bad bacteria that could cause an upset stomach when the cheese is consumed.