Is it possible to freeze mozzarella: why and is it worth it?

Is it possible to freeze mozzarella in the freezer without damaging the taste and shape? We’ll answer right away that yes, you can freeze cheese, but you need to follow a few simple rules.

What is mozzarella

Traditionally, mozzarella is made from black buffalo milk; this cheese is called mozzarella di bufala and has a rich, salty taste. It is very difficult to find it outside of Italy, since it is produced only in its historical homeland. This cheese is awarded the highest category DOP mark, which indicates compliance with all traditional technologies and product quality.

Mozzarella made from regular cow's milk - fior di latte (milk flower) has become much more widespread; it has a less rich, but still very pleasant taste.

Mozzarella is a young cheese, and the fresher it is, the better, it does not last long. To get more pleasure, it is better to eat the delicacy on the day of purchase, if the cheese was purchased by weight, or immediately after opening the package.

Deli's view
Mozzarella goes well with tomatoes, basil and balsamic vinegar and is one of the main ingredients of Italian cuisine. It is often used in all kinds of appetizers, salads, and hot dishes.

How to store in the refrigerator

Soft cheeses such as ricotta, mozzarella and mascarpone are recommended to be kept in the refrigerator in an airtight glass container.Moreover, the mozzarella should be completely immersed in its own brine; it will protect the cheese from chapping and rapid souring.

At an average temperature of +3° C, the shelf life of opened mozzarella does not exceed three days. After this, it begins to turn yellow, and bitterness appears in the taste. These are clear signs of spoiled cheese. Under no circumstances should such a product be consumed, even after heat treatment.

Advice from the magazine purity-en.htgetrid.com: The original brine can be completely replaced with 100 ml of water with 1 tablespoon of regular salt.

How to freeze

For longer storage, mozzarella can be frozen. Here are simple recommendations on how to do this in the most gentle way:

It is imperative to remove the cheese from the packaging. Freezing pickled cheeses in packaging is unacceptable.
Place the mozzarella in a glass container that can be frozen (the container should be marked accordingly).
Pour the brine from the package over the cheese so that the cheese is completely immersed in it. When frozen, liquid expands, so you need to leave enough space to avoid damaging the cookware.
Seal tightly and freeze.

Mozzarella frozen this way can be stored for about 1 month. If you freeze cheese by simply throwing it in the freezer, the result will be a shapeless curd mass that will lose all its flavor characteristics.

Mozzarella should be defrosted in the refrigerator; if you put it in a warm place immediately after the freezer, it will spoil, and very quickly.

All these recommendations are relevant for fresh and high-quality mozzarella. Unfortunately, finding one is becoming increasingly difficult.

Soft cheeses on store shelves are often filled with preservatives and other “technologies”. Such a product is less useful, and there is no point in freezing it.It won’t go sour for a long time and just sit in the refrigerator, although the benefits or appetizing in it are several times less than in real mozzarella.