Can You Freeze Shredded Mozzarella Cheese? Here's How You Can Do This

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Mozzarella cheese may not be exactly the most flavorful cheese assortment, but it’s certainly one we turn to time and time again as it works its magic on pizza and other savory dishes. What happens when you have too much shredded mozzarella, however? Can you freeze it?

Of course, we don’t want to waste any of the delicious shredded mozzarella, so making sure we get to save it from throwing it in the trash bin would be awesome, especially since food waste is a big problem in the world.

Can You Freeze Shredded Mozzarella?

We’re not the only ones who have a penchant to buying too much shredded mozzarella. Here’s a message we received from one of our readers:

I bought a huge bag of shredded mozzarella cheese on sale at the local bulk foods store. The price was just too good to pass up, and I didn’t realize just how big the bag was until I got home.

I plan on making some pizzas with the cheese, but there will still be a considerable amount of shredded mozzarella left over. I know that cheese can be stored in the fridge for a bit, but I think that it will be a long time before I can actually get through the entire bag.

I would like to freeze it, but I don’t know if frozen shredded cheese will clump together and become unusable. Can you freeze shredded mozzarella cheese?

Yes, you can definitely freeze shredded mozzarella cheese! Mozzarella cheese is a good type of cheese for freezing, as it isn’t so soft that the consistency will completely change upon freezing.

However, you are right to be concerned about clumping. Thankfully there are a few simple tricks for avoiding clumping.

Can You Freeze Mozzarella Cheese?

If your mozzarella isn’t shredded, you can still store it in the freezer. Get all the details on how you can do this by reading our article on freezing mozzarella cheese.

How to Freeze Shredded Mozzarella Cheese?

When it comes to freezing shredded mozzarella cheese, there are a few ways you can go about things.

Prepare Shredded Mozzarella for Freezing

Add Flour

One way is to toss the mozzarella cheese with a tablespoon or two of plain flour or cornstarch.
It doesn’t affect the flavor of the cheese, but the flour will absorb the extra liquid that sometimes escapes during freezing, preventing the cheese from clumping.
Many commercially frozen cheese preparations use this trick to keep the shredded cheese separated when frozen.

No Flour

If you don’t want to add anything to your cheese, then spread out the cheese in a single layer on baking sheets.
Place the sheets in the freezer for about 20 minutes, or until the cheese is hard.
Then it can be frozen without clumping because the extra moisture has already frozen.

Freezing Shredded Mozzarella

Once you have completed one of the above two steps, you are ready to freeze your shredded mozzarella!

Choose freezer bags or hard-sided freezer-safe containers.
Since the cheese will no longer stick together, there’s no need to portion it out when freezing.
It can be frozen in large batches, and then the desired amount can simply be removed when needed.
Place the cheese in the bags or containers, seal, and then label and date the containers.

How Long Can You Keep Frozen Shredded Mozzarella?

Frozen mozzarella cheese will last several months in the freezer without losing taste or quality.

How to Keep Frozen Shredded Mozzarella for Longer?

If you want to make sure that mozzarella will last a long time in your freezer and will maintain its flavor, then you should consider a vacuum sealer. These appliances will take out all the air in the bag or container and give them all a perfect seal.

We have a list of great vacuum sealers we testes, but we do love the FoodSaver V4840 2-in-1 Vacuum Sealer Machine most, which occupies the top spot in the ranking. This one works with both freezer bags and containers and will save you time and money in the long run.

How to Use Frozen Shredded Mozzarella?

There’s no need to thaw frozen shredded mozzarella cheese before using it. Simply remove the desired amount from the freezer and add to your favorite recipe. Unused thawed cheese can be stored in the freezer for several days, but should not be refrozen.

Here are a few recipes to try out with your shredded mozzarella:

Can You Freeze Shredded Mozzarella Cheese? Here’s How You Can Do This