Can You Freeze Swiss Cheese? Here’s How You Can Do This Right
Updated on March 2, 2023
Swiss cheese is delicious and it works with so many different types of dishes, even if you’re just putting up a cheese platter. But the question is – can you freeze your Swiss cheese so it doesn’t go bad?
The downside of being a cheese enthusiast is that some assortments can be quite expensive so you don’t always have the money to splurge on them, but when you find them on sale – it’s time to act. So, if you have too much Swiss cheese, let’s see if you can freeze it.
Can You Freeze Swiss Cheese?
My roommate works in a deli and gets a discount on the food sold there. Usually she brings home enough food for the week, but yesterday she came home with a huge piece of Swiss cheese because the deli switched brands.
I love cheese as much as the next girl, but there’s no way the two of us are going to be able to go through that hunk of cheese before it starts going mouldy. Still, free food is free food and I would hate to see it go to waste. Can you freeze Swiss cheese?
Yes, you can freeze Swiss cheese. There’s no need for all that cheese to go to waste, even if it was free! While not a truly hard cheese like a Parmesan, Swiss cheese doesn’t fall into the soft category either like a Brie or a Camembert would.
So while it does need a bit of special care to keep its taste and texture intact, it’s not as difficult to freeze as a soft cheese would be, which is great news since it sounds like you’re going to be eating Swiss cheese on your sandwiches for a while to come!
How to Freeze Swiss Cheese?
Depending on how you plan to eat your cheese, you can freeze it in pieces or grated. Keep in mind that all harder cheeses will become a bit crumbly after being frozen, so using it in sandwiches or in soups is a better idea than using it on a cheese platter.
Freezing Swiss cheese in pieces:
- Cut the Swiss cheese into blocks that will be consumed within a few days of thawing.
- Then, wrap each block of cheese in a double layer of plastic wrap before placing it in a freezer bag.
- Squeeze out the excess air, then seal and label the bag.
Freezing grated Swiss cheese:
- Consider tossing the grated Swiss cheese in a small amount of cornstarch or flour before freezing to keep it from clumping together.
- Then, place the grated cheese into freezer bags and squeeze out the excess air.
- Seal and label the bags.
How Long Will Swiss Cheese Last in the Freezer?
Frozen cheese will keep well for a maximum of six months.
How to Keep Swiss Cheese for Longer?
If you want to keep your frozen Swiss cheese for longer, you may want to take into consideration getting a vacuum sealer. These appliances take out all the air in the freezer bags or containers and seal the food perfectly.
We have a long list of vacuum sealers that you may find interesting, but our favorite is the FoodSaver V4840 2-in-1 Vacuum Sealer Machine which works with both freezer bags and containers and will considerably lengthen the life of your frozen ingredients or dishes while saving you time and money.
How to Thaw Swiss Cheese?
When you next feel like having some of that delicious Swiss cheese, it’s time to take it out of the freezer.
- To thaw frozen Swiss cheese, remove the desired amount of cheese from the freezer and allow it to thaw in the fridge.
- Frozen grated Swiss cheese can be added directly to recipes that will be heated through.