Can You Freeze Soft Cheese? Here’s What You Must Do
Updated on March 2, 2023
Soft cheese is just as great to have as any other type of cheese and you can enjoy it in a million different ways. However, one of the things we wonder sometimes is whether or not you can freeze soft cheese.
In this way, if you can no longer have your soft cheese or simply want to keep some for later, you can take into consideration freezing it up.
Can You Freeze Soft Cheese?
When you find the best soft cheese in the world – whatever type you like best – you want to make sure you get to keep it for longer, especially if you got it on a deal. One of our readers sent us a message regarding whether or not freezing soft cheese is something you can do.
Whenever I visit my family down south I like to bring back some traditional soft cheese with me. I can buy soft cheese locally, but it’s not the same as the traditional kind I used to eat as a child.
I only visit once a year and find the cheese I bring back only holds me over for a week or two. I would like to try and bring back a pretty big supply to hold me over until the next visit.
The trouble is that the cheese won’t last forever in the fridge, so I have to find a way to keep it from spoiling over the long term. A friend of mine swears by freezing it, but I’m not convinced. Can you freeze soft cheese?
Yes, you can freeze soft cheese, although any soft cheese can sometimes lose some of its consistency during freezing, unlike harder cheeses which tend to freeze without any problem. The reason is both the high water and high-fat content of soft cheese, which will change consistency during the freezing process.
You may notice that while frozen, the cheese starts to take on a yellowish hue. This isn’t anything to worry about and will return to its original color when thawed. If you do not plan on eating an entire large piece of cheese at once, consider cutting the cheese into smaller serving-size portions before freezing.
How to Freeze Soft Cheese?
If you want to freeze your chosen soft cheese, you can go through a few steps:
- To freeze soft cheese, one of the keys is to keep the moisture intact.
- One way to do this is to wrap the cheese in some parchment paper first.
- Make sure that no part of the cheese is exposed to the air, or it will dry out and get hard.
- Then, wrap the parchment paper package in a double layer of plastic wrap.
- Finally, place the whole thing in a freezer bag or hard-sided freezer-safe container.
- Seal the bag or container, then label and date it.
- For best results, use within 2-3 months of freezing.
How to Keep Soft Cheese for Longer?
If you want to make sure that your soft cheese is good for longer and that the taste is not altered in any way, you can use a vacuum sealer. These appliances will take out all the air in the package and seal them off perfectly.
We have a great list of top-of-the-line vacuum sealers that you can check out, but we do love the FoodSaver V4840 2-in-1 Vacuum Sealer Machine the most as it works with both freezer bags and containers. You can seal individual servings or whole dishes and save time and money in the long run.
How to Thaw Soft Cheese?
Now that it’s time to thaw your soft cheese so you can have it again, let’s see what you need to be careful about.
- To thaw, remove the cheese from the freezer and place it in the refrigerator.
- Do not remove the cheese from the packaging while thawing so as to keep the moisture in the cheese.
- Allow the soft cheese to thaw for several hours or overnight.
- When ready to use, unwrap and serve.
- Consume previously frozen soft cheese within a week of opening.
- Never refreeze previously frozen soft cheese.
If you want to put the soft cheese to good use, you can try out a few of our recipes. Of course, it does depend on what type of cheese you have – feta, brie, ricotta, cream cheese, Camembert, Roquefort, gorgonzola, or cottage cheese, for instance.