Can You Freeze Blue Cheese? Here’s How to Do This Right
Blue cheese is certainly an acquired taste, but if you love it, you know that it can be quite pricey. So, when you find a good deal and you take advantage of it, you may end up with a little bit more than you can eat before it goes bad. So, can you freeze blue cheese?
If you want to make sure that you don’t waste food either, you can look into freezing it so you can enjoy it at a later time. Let’s see how this works.
Can You Freeze Blue Cheese?
I love trying new cheeses, and make a point to buy a different, new cheese every week when I go grocery shopping. Unfortunately, I live alone and I can’t always finish an entire block of cheese before it starts to go bad.
This past week I bought a very expensive blue cheese. I really like the cheese, and don’t want this one to go bad before I can eat it all. I know that some cheeses can be frozen, but I’m not sure about blue cheese. Can you freeze a piece of blue cheese?
Yes, you can freeze blue cheese. However, blue cheese loses its flavor quickly when frozen, so it’s best to use blue cheese within two months of freezing for the best results.
Blue cheese has a high percentage of milk fat as well, and so it may lose some of its creaminess after being frozen and thawed as well.
Some people prefer to use blue cheese that has been previously frozen in recipes or crumbled over salads, rather than use it directly on bread or crackers. The less time it spends in the freezer, the more it will retain its original taste and texture.
How to Freeze Blue Cheese?
To freeze blue cheese, make sure that it is still within its best before date. Never freeze cheese that is going bad.
If you do not plan on eating the whole piece of cheese you are going to freeze in one sitting, consider freezing it in smaller pieces so that you only need thaw what you intend to eat.
- Wrap each piece of blue cheese in a double layer of plastic wrap to avoid freezer burn and to keep the cheese from taking on other flavors in the freezer.
- Place the wrapped cheese in a freezer bag.
- Squeeze the air from the bag and seal it.
- Label and date the bag and use it within two months.
How to Keep Blue Cheese for Longer?
If you want to keep the blue cheese good for longer, you need to get a vacuum sealer. These appliances can suck out the air from the bags or containers so the air doesn’t affect them while they’re in the freezer.
We have a great list of vacuum sealers that you can check out, but if you’re in a hurry, we can tell you that the FoodSaver V4840 2-in-1 Vacuum Sealer Machine is our top option. This one works with freezer bags and containers of multiple sizes.
How to Thaw Blue Cheese?
To thaw a piece of blue cheese that has been frozen you need to go through a few steps.
- First, remove it from the freezer and place the blue cheese in the refrigerator for several hours or overnight.
- Once thawed completely, unwrap the blue cheese and let sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes to allow its texture and flavor to develop.
- Serve with bread or crackers, or crumble into recipes as needed.
- Store any thawed blue cheese in the fridge and eat within two days.
- Never refreeze thawed blue cheese.