Can You Freeze Farmer’s Cheese?
Different types of cheeses are available on the market. Many types of cheeses are freezable, while some are not. Farmer’s cheese belongs to the former category of freezable cheese. Before we learn how to freeze farmer’s cheese, let us understand what it is.
Farmer’s cheese is pressed cottage cheese. It is an unripened cheese prepared by adding rennet and bacterial starters to coagulate and acidify milk. Different varieties of farmer cheese are available, depending on the milk you use for its preparation. Generally, you use the milk from cows, sheep, and goats for preparing farmer’s cheese. Therefore, you refer to farmer’s cheese as farmer cheese or farmers’ cheese in the US.
Can You Freeze Farmer’s Cheese?
Yes, you can freeze farmer’s cheese by wrapping it properly and storing it in the freezer.
How Do You Freeze Farmer’s Cheese?
You can freeze the farmer’s cheese in its entire block or slice it like all other cheese. You can also shred it or grate it before freezing. However, it is generally frozen in large blocks because cutting farmer’s cheese can make it crumble.
Freezing Entire Blocks Of Farmer Cheese
- Wrap the entire block in cling wrap or aluminum foil to prevent exposure to air and moisture. You can also use its original packaging to wrap the cheese if you have purchased it from the store.
- Place the wrapped cheese inside a resealable freezer-safe ziplock bag or an airtight container.
- Ensure expelling all the air from the containers before sealing them.
- We advise you to label the bags with the contents and the freezing date for convenience. Then, push the bags into the freezer allowing the farmer’s cheese to freeze.
Freezing Farmer Cheese Slices
The freezing method is generally the same. However, you slice the farmer’s cheese block into consumable portions. Since farmer’s cheese can crumble, we suggest cutting it into larger slices.
- Slice the farmer’s cheese according to convenience levels.
- Wrap each slice with cling film, plastic wrap, or aluminum foil.
- Place the individual wrapped slices in a resealable freezer bag or airtight container.
- Seal the bags after removing all air from them.
- Stick the date labels and push the freezer bags into the freezer.
Freezing Shredded Or Grated Farmer’s Cheese
The freezing method for shredded, grated, or crumbled farmer’s cheese is the same as described above. The objective is to prevent exposure to air and moisture. So, please pack them in resealable bags, remove air, seal them, and label the bags before freezing them.
How Long Can The Frozen Farmer’s Cheese Remain In The Freezer?
Farmer’s cheese freezes well. Hence, you can keep them in the freezer for three months without losing flavor or taste. However, please ensure no exposure to air or moisture as it can damage the cheese’s taste and flavor.
Can You Refrigerate Farmer’s Cheese?
We do not recommend refrigerating farmer’s cheese. However, you can do so if you need to store them for a short time after opening the cheese. Unopened cheese can remain fine for four months. If refrigerated, the opened cheese can stay fresh for one week. You can freeze farmer’s cheese if you have opened the box and require storing it for extended periods.
How Do You Defrost The Frozen Farmer’s Cheese?
Defrosting the frozen farmer’s cheese depends on how you plan to use the cheese in your recipes. For example, if you wish to use them in soups, stews, and curries, you need not defrost the frozen farmer’s cheese. Instead, you can pop the cheese pieces directly from the freezer into the recipe during preparation. The heat generated during the process is sufficient to defrost the cheese. However, it is better to note that adding the frozen cheese to the recipe extends its cooking time. This method works for shredded or grated farmer’s cheese.
However, if you have frozen the entire blocks or large slices of farmer’s cheese, you can defrost them in the fridge. Then, transfer the frozen cheese in an unwrapped condition to another refrigerator container. The cheese will take time to defrost, but the process will be thorough.
Though it can be tempting to defrost a farmer’s cheese at room temperature or in the microwave, we suggest you desist because it can hamper its taste, flavor, and structure.
The best aspect of farmer’s cheese is that it has less moisture content. So, there is no question of the liquids separating from the solid cheese and forming a superficial layer.
Can You Refreeze Farmer’s Cheese?
We do not advise refreezing farmer’s cheese as it can cause textural changes.
Can You Freeze Homemade Farmer’s Cheese?
Yes, you can freeze homemade farmer’s cheese in the way described here.
Can You Freeze Store-Bought Farmer’s Cheese?
Store-bought farmer’s cheese has added preservatives. Hence, they have a better shelf life. They can remain fresh for four weeks in unopened condition. However, we advise freezing them after opening the box. The advantage is that you can freeze store-bought cheese in its original packaging.
Can You Freeze Hickory Farms Cheese?
Hickory Farms cheese is store-bought cheese. You can freeze it using the method described above.
Can You Freeze Leftover Farmer’s Cheese?
You can freeze leftover farmer’s cheese if they have not been kept at room temperature for more than four hours. The cheese can spoil. So, it is better to discard it.
Can You Freeze Farmer’s Cheese Sauce?
Yes, it is possible to freeze farmer’s cheese sauce. However, we recommend stirring it during the reheating process.
Can You Freeze Farmer’s Cheese Curds?
You can consume farmer’s cheese curds fresh. You can also freeze them in the freezer.
Can You Freeze Farmer’s Cheese Frosting?
It is possible to freeze farmer’s cheese frosting.
Can You Freeze Farmer’s Cheese Soup?
Farmer’s cheese freezes well. So, you can freeze farmer’s cheese soup.
Can You Freeze Farmer’s Cheesecake?
Yes, freezing farmer’s cheesecake is possible. It helps retain its nutritional value and remains fresh for extended periods.
Final Thoughts
Farmer’s cheese is different from other cheese because of its crumbly nature. As a result, it contains less moisture and can be challenging to eat because it dries the mouth of its saliva. But, less water allows you to freeze farmer’s cheese more comfortably than other cheese. So, if anyone asks you, can you freeze farmer’s cheese? What will you reply? Yes, you can definitely freeze farmer’s cheese.
