Can you Freeze Feta Cheese? So you bought more Feta than you needed, and now you don’t know what to do with the leftover cheese? We hear you, but even if you are done with your Feta now, that doesn’t mean you won’t be using it for next week’s dishes or the week after that. So before you even think about throwing it away, learn how you can freeze feta cheese for months!
The Greek cheese, widely famous for being utilized in numerous dishes, can be quite expensive, so you probably want to get the most out of it. Well, the good news is you can absolutely keep Feta frozen for all your cheese needs. We are all guilty of allowing the cheese to dry out in the fridge, which ends up in the trash, but you can freeze feta for later consumption by following the right steps.
Now that you know you can preserve your Feta cheese for longer, it’s time to learn how to freeze feta cheese the right way. It may take you a bit of time to get used to it, but you’ll soon find out it is so worth it. Below you’ll find out everything you need to know to keep your Feta around for months efficiently.
Table of Contents
Method 1: Freezing Feta Blocks
- If the feta cheese you bought is packed in liquid, strain the liquid off.
- If it is sealed in a pack with brine or other liquid, open the package and drain.
- Dry the feta by patting it down with kitchen paper.
- Cut the feta into portions.
- Wrap each piece in cling film. It will help to prevent air from getting to it and will ward off freeze-burn.
- Put the wrapped pieces into a resealable plastic freezer bag and squeeze out as much air as you can.
- If you need to cut the feta into little cubes, you should put them straight into a resealable plastic freezer bag and extract as much air as possible.
- It is always a good idea to label your freezer bags with descriptions of the contents and the date you first froze them.
- Don’t forget to put it into an airtight container for extra protection.
Method 2: Freezing Feta Cheese Crumbles
- Divide the cheese into portions or freeze the whole bag. Whatever suits your future purpose better.
- You can pack feta in the packaging you bought it in when storing it in your freezer. However, if you do so, you should wrap it in a few layers of cling film.
- Don’t forget to label and date it.
Common Questions Can you Freeze Feta Cheese
Will feta’s texture change after being frozen?
Freezing is pretty much your only option for prolonging the shelf-life of lots of food products, including cheese. But some cheeses freeze better than others, and their qualities don’t deteriorate too much when defrosted, whereas others don’t fare so well.
Feta may not be the best cheese for freezing because it will change slightly in taste and texture. But it doesn’t do too badly. The key is in freezing and unfreezing properly. Do it right, and you will not have to waste any.
How long can you keep feta cheese in the freezer?
Feta cheese can absolutely be kept in your freezer for longer storage. It will extend its shelf life for months. When you do freeze it, provide you follow the correct procedure, and unfreeze it properly, neither taste nor texture will suffer too much.
If the cheese is still fresh and free of any mold growth, place it in an airtight freezer container, seal and label the container, then freeze for a maximum period of three months.
How do you defrost feta cheese?
While it may work with other food, as it is a pretty common way to defrost, never defrost feta cheese by leaving it on your kitchen working surface at room temperature.
What you want to do is to take it out of the freezer, put it into your fridge for a few hours before you will need it. Depending on the size of your feta cheese chunk, it will take somewhere between three and twelve hours to defrost all the way through.
The good idea is to place frozen feta in the fridge overnight, and the next day it will be ready to be used. You can try either of the options below to defrost your feta:
- In the fridge. Put the container or bag in the refrigerator for a couple of hours or overnight. The only downside of this method is that it requires quite some time and a bit of planning.
- Throw it in frozen. If you plan to melt that feta over pasta or add to a soup or stew, you might as well skip defrosting. Just add those cubes or crumbles straight from the freezer, and let the temperature do its job.
How long can you keep feta in the refrigerator?
Be aware that just like any other dairy product, the shelf life of feta cheese is quite limited. Properly stored, an opened package of feta cheese in brine will last for about 4 to 6 weeks in the refrigerator.
If you open your feta pack and store it in brine in your fridge, it will keep its best qualities for up to a month.
Olive oil is a natural preservative and can also be used to store feta. It will stay in good condition for the same duration as when stored in brine. If you store it in the freezer, it will prolong its shelf life even more.
Can you freeze Costco feta cheese?
Yes, you can freeze any feta cheese and thaw them without any major change to the texture.
How to consume feta cheese after being frozen?
Imagine you’ve kept feta cheese frozen for a month, and now you want to use it. After defrosting, a safe bet is to use your thawed feta in cooked meals.
- Add it to baked dishes like casseroles, frittatas, pizzas, and stews.
- Melt it on pasta in a skillet.
- Mix it into sauces. Thawed feta works well with any thick sauce recipe that calls for using feta.
- Salads. Make sure to strain thawed feta first, then test it in a small salad batch before possibly ruining a big batch.
Do you know the difference between Freeze Dried vs Dehydrated?
How to know feta cheese has gone bad?
It is always possible that even though you did everything in your power to preserve your cheese, it will still go bad. You’ll know your should throw away your feta cheese when:
- If it develops a sour smell
- If it turns moldy, feta is soft, and any mold penetrates quickly. So, if you spot mold, throw the whole piece of cheese away.
Can you Freeze Feta Cheese? Read these Additional Tips
- When cutting feta cheese for freezing storage, the pieces’ size will depend on the types of dishes you will be adding the cheese too, plus how many guests you will be cooking. If in doubt, go smaller rather than larger.
- To ensure that your feta remains in the best condition when frozen, you must take care with how you pack it.
- When you find you only need to freeze feta for two or three days, you don’t have to worry about how you pack it. Just place it into a plastic bag, freeze and take it when a need arises, but make sure that it is soon, or the quality will be impaired.
- When you buy feta cheese, it will have an expiration date printed on the packaging. If the cheese is packed in liquid and has not been opened, you can safely keep it a week past that date.
