Can You Freeze Grated Parmesan Cheese? Here’s How to Get It Right
Updated on March 2, 2023
We’ve all gone shopping a time or two and discovered that we actuallydid have some grated parmesan in the fridge at home and now we have too much. Unwilling to let anything spoil, it’s perhaps best to consider freezing the extra bag. But then the question came – can you freeze grated parmesan cheese?
Thankfully, that seems to be a possibility so you’ll want to buckle up for a few instructions if you want to get the best results.
Can You Freeze Grated Parmesan Cheese?
As you can probably assume already, we’re not the only ones who found we have too much grated parmesan cheese on our hands. In fact here’s the message one of our readers sent us:
Q:I took a drive out to a specialty cheese shop about 45 minutes out of town, and bought a large wedge of Parmesan cheese. They then grated the cheese for me on the spot, and placed the grated cheese in a plastic container. It wasn’t cheap, but it was the good stuff, not the processed cheese, so I don’t mind. I use grated Parmesan cheese sparingly, though. Although I know that it has a long shelf-life in the fridge, I’m wondering if I can extend the shelf life by freezing it. Can you freeze grated Parmesan cheese?
Luckily for our reader, that quality Parmesan cheese won’t be going to waste, because you can certainlyextend the shelf life of grated Parmesan cheese by freezing it. Parmesan cheese has a low moisture content, making it ideal for freezing. It doesn’t have a tendency to clump together, and is not very susceptible to freezer burn. Grated Parmesan cheese should stay soft even while frozen. It can be used directly out of the freezer, without any need to thaw ahead of time. It’s the ideal cheese for freezing!
How to Freeze Grated Parmesan Cheese?
To freeze, you may want to consider freezing the grated Parmesan cheese in the container given to you at the store, assuming it has an air-tight lid. Remove the quantity that you would like to keep in the fridge, and then seal the container tightly. Label and date it. Frozen grated Parmesan cheese should keep up to a year in the freezer.
Once the container is sealed and labeled, I recommend tying an elastic band around it for added spill protection. Then, I would slide the container into a freezer bag. Remove the excess air, then seal it. This provides extra protection in case the plastic container isn’t entirely air-tight or cracks in the freezer. It will also catch any of the cheese should the lid somehow open in the freezer, avoiding wasted cheese and a mess in your freezer.
How to Keep Grated Parmesan Cheese in the Freezer for Longer?
Something you can do to prolong the life of your frozen Parmesan cheese in your freezer is to use a Food Saver. The Food Saver will perfectly seal the bag for you while also drawing out all the air, so any food you seal this way will preserve its flavor and have a longer life span. Even in the freezer, food will lose its flavor and nutrients, so you don’t want to leave it there forever.
We are particularly fond of the Food Saver V840 2-in-1 Vacuum Sealer Machine which keeps our food perfectly sealed in the freezer, from meat to prepped meals. It works with vacuum seal rolls of 8 or 11 inches, so you can fit lots of food in them.
How to Use Frozen Grated Parmesan Cheese?
Using the grated Parmesan cheese isn’t too difficult to do the next time you want some. Here’s what to do:
- To use the frozen cheese, first give the container a little tap and a shake. This will break up any small clumps that may have formed.
- Open the package carefully, and use a clean utensil to scoop out the desired amount. Then, reseal the container and return to the freezer. It’s that simple!
Frozen grated parmesan cheese can be added directly to pasta, soups, stews, and more directly from the freezer, no thawing necessary. If you choose not to remove the Parmesan from the freezer indefinitely, it should be stored in the fridge. It should last up to a month or more in the fridge.
Here are a few great recipes we have that usegrated parmesan cheese: