Can You Freeze String Cheese?

Can You Freeze String Cheese?

Suppose you were in a hurry to go to the office and pack the child’s lunchbox. What would you do? You can toss in a packet of string cheese. While it is nutritious, it saves a lot of time preparing a regular breakfast snack. Besides, children love string cheese. Even adults do. So, it is normal to have adequate stock of string cheese stacked up at home. However, stocking up on cheese can be irritating because of its expiry dates. Secondly, you do not like to waste delicious food items like string cheese. So, is there any option? Can you freeze string cheese and make them available whenever you need them?

Can You Freeze String Cheese?

Yes, you can freeze string cheese.

Freezing food having high water content can be challenging. Fortunately, string cheese does not have much water. So, it remains chewy and stretchy even after freezing. It is not that string cheese does not have moisture. You can try keeping uncovered cheese in the freezer to know better. Exposed cheese can dry out and experience a change in its texture and taste. So, it becomes essential to follow the guidelines for freezing string cheese.

How Do You Freeze String Cheese?

String cheese is available in different types of packaging. Generally, you purchase individually wrapped packets. However, blocks of string cheese are also available. The best aspect is that you can freeze both.

Freezing Individually Packaged String Cheese

Not much preparation is required for freezing individually packaged string cheese. Since they already come packed, you can toss them directly into the freezer. However, a better option is to wrap the string cheese packets in a freezer bag.

  1. If you feel so, you can separate the string cheese sticks.
  2. Place the string cheese packets inside a ziplock freezer bag.
  3. Stick a label on the bag indicating the freezer date.
  4. Place it inside the freezer.

Why do you need a freezer bag when you can freeze packaged cheese directly?

The idea behind using freezer bags is to prevent cold air from neutralizing the moisture present in the string cheese. There can be flaws in the packaging leading to the string cheese losing its texture and flavor. It can also cause freezer burn. The freezer bag provides adequate protection. Besides, it helps locate the small cheese packets later on.

Freezing String Cheese Blocks

String cheese blocks do not have any packaging. Therefore, it can be time-consuming to separate the strings, especially if you make string cheese from solid cheese blocks at home.

  1. Wrap the string cheese in plastic wraps or use small bags for packaging them.
  2. Take a large-sized ziplock bag and place these packets in it.
  3. Label the bag and place it inside the freezer.

As preparing individual string cheese can consume time, you can split a few chunks of cheese. However, it is essential to wrap the cheese in plastic wraps or aluminum foil before freezing them in ziplock bags.

How Do You Melt Frozen Cheese?

You can defrost frozen cheese in the refrigerator. However, this process can take time. So, please start the defrosting process overnight if you plan to use the cheese the following day. However, the ideal melting mode is heating it in the microwave oven.

String cheese melts differently than block cheese. So, it takes longer and does not melt as quickly as block cheese. So, while melting string cheese in the microwave, you can reduce the power and melt over a long time. Besides, the extended period can soften the string cheese evenly.

Under no circumstances should you thaw frozen string cheese at room temperature.

How Long Does Frozen String Cheese Last In The Freezer?

Frozen string cheese stays fresh for two months in the freezer. Therefore, it is advisable to wrap the cheese before freezing it. Exposed cheese does not last as long.

How Long Does String Cheese Remain Fresh In The Fridge?

Generally, string cheese can remain fresh for around seven days in the fridge.

Can You Consume Expired String Cheese?

The expiry date on processed food packers is a guideline. It indicates that the food tastes best if consumed within that date. However, it does not make it inedible immediately after that. So, you can consume expired string cheese if it tastes good. However, it is not recommended to consume spoiled string cheese?

How Do You Determine If The String Cheese Is Spoiled?

Sour cheese has many indicators. Like all dairy products, foul cheese smells awful. However, cheese absorbs odors. So, it can absorb odors from other foods placed inside the freezer. Therefore, wrapping the cheese with plastic wraps is essential to minimize odor absorption.

Mold is another indicator that the sting cheese has gone bad. If you observe green or grey specks in the string cheese, it is a case of mold invasion.

Can You Cut The Mold Invaded Portion And Eat The Rest Of The Cheese?

Though it seems a plausible idea, we do not recommend it. It is risky to consume any part of the cheese block that molds have invaded. However, if the mold formation is in the initial stages, you can remove that portion and have the rest after confirming there is no mold. But, if you are not sure, it is not worth the risk.

Can We Eat Dry String Cheese?

It is safe to eat dry cheese, but it will not be as stringy. Dry string cheese does not have the same flavor as fresh cheese. Though you might not prefer eating it directly as a snack, you can mince it for other uses.

Can You Refreeze String Cheese?

Technically, you can refreeze string cheese that has been thawed in the refrigerator. However, it is not good to refreeze cheese melted in the microwave oven. Refrozen string cheese can lose its taste and flavor if you defrost and refreeze it repeatedly.

We do not recommend refreezing cheese, but you can do it if it prevents your food from becoming bad.

Final Thoughts

String cheese is an excellent snack because you can have it directly. Besides, you can add it to your sandwiches or pizzas to improve their taste. Hence, it is natural to purchase more string cheese than you can consume immediately. Therefore, the question arises, can you freeze string cheese? Fortunately, the answer is YES.

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