Can You Freeze Cheese Slices? Here’s What You Have to Do
Updated on March 2, 2023
Cheese slices are a life savior, especially when you’re really bad at cutting thin slices – yes, we own that problem! Whether you’re the one with issues cutting straight through the cheese or your kids are still learning how to do that, you may be buying (or slicing) your own. But can cheese slices be frozen?
Freezing cheese slices can certainly help keep them for longer, especially as the life of the products gets prolonged quite a bit.
Can You Freeze Cheese Slices?
We’re not the only ones who find cheese slices to be so convenient and want to freeze them up. One of our readers sent us the following message:
My young son likes to make his own sandwiches for his school lunches. He’s too young to cut cheese with a sharp knife, so I’ve started simply preparing cheese slices in advance for him. However, I’ve noticed that cheese slices start to harden and go dry faster than when the cheese is left in a block.
I guess the moisture escapes easier in sliced form. Anyway, I’m getting tired of throwing away cheese, but like the convenience of having slices ready to use. I’m looking for a way to store the cheese slices for the long term. Can you freeze cheese slices?
Yes, you can freeze cheese slices, particularly if you are slicing hard cheeses. The best cheeses to freeze in slices are harder cheeses such as cheddar or Monterey Jack. Softer cheeses have more moisture in them, and are less likely to hold up after being frozen and then thawed again in slices. Therefore, you can freeze cheddar cheese slices and Monterey Jack cheese slices easily.
Cheeses such as Havarti or even mozzarella are better frozen grated or in a solid piece, rather than sliced and then used in recipes at a later time. Hard cheeses are more likely to remain in slices, instead of becoming mushy and too soft.
How to Freeze Cheese Slices?
The most important thing to make sure of when freezing cheese slices is that the cheese being frozen is at its freshest. Check the slices for mold or discoloration, and discard any pieces that you find with either of these features.
Since you’re slicing up the whole block of cheese at one time, this shouldn’t be an issue.
Next, don’t freeze any cheese slices that have been kept at room temperature for a long period of time. If a cheese has been sitting out for several hours, it might be best to discard it instead of trying to freeze it.
- Once you’ve selected fresh cheese slices that are ready for freezing, they need to be prepared so that the slices won’t stick together once frozen.
- Place a piece of parchment paper in between each cheese slice, creating a stack of cheese slices as you go.
- You can also dust a little bit of flour on each slice to keep down the risk of clumping, but parchment paper alone should work.
- Place the stacked cheese slices in a freezer bag and remove the excess air.
- Seal the bag, then label and date it.
- Alternatively, place the cheese in a freezer-safe container with a secure lid.
Use frozen cheese slices within 4-6 months for best results.
How to Keep Cheese Slices for Longer?
If you want to make sure that your cheese slices are good for a longer time in the freezer, you could use a food saver. These appliances can help take out all the air in the bags and give them a perfect seal.
Our favorite is the FoodSaver V4840 2-in-1 Vacuum Sealer Machine which works with both freezer bags and containers, allowing you to keep all sorts of food safe for longer.
How to Defrost Cheese Slices?
When you want to use your cheese slices, you can go ahead and follow the instructions below:
- Remove the desired amount of cheese slices from the freezer
- Place them in the fridge until thawed. Allow them a few hours to soften.
Do not refreeze thawed cheese slices.