Goat cheese is a culinary delight, and it’s a staple food of Greece and Mediterranean countries. The cheese is used to add flavor to dishes such as Greek salad, pizza, and ravioli. If you enjoy using goat cheese in your cooking, you will probably end up with leftovers. Since you need to store them for later, would freezing goat cheese be one of the options?
So, can you freeze goat cheese? Yes, you can freeze goat cheese. You can either freeze spreadable goat cheese or goat cheese log. It’s important to wrap them in foil and place them into a freezer bag. This will help prevent air from leaking in and damaging the cheese. Properly stored, goat cheese can last for up to 6 months in the freezer.
What Is Goat Cheese?
As the name suggests, goat cheese is made with the milk of goats. If you dig deep, you will find a wide variety of goat cheese, starting from soft fresh cheese to hard aged cheese. But when we look at the price of goat cheese, it can be a little more expensive than cow cheese.
Unlike cows, goats do not produce milk all over the year. This has to be the reason for the price hike. As you expected, goat cheese has more nutrition than cow cheese.
Is Goat Cheese Healthy To Eat?
Yes, goat cheese is healthy for you. It has an element called selenium that helps your body to break down DNA altering peroxides. Because of this, you have a low risk of cancer, thyroid disease, and cardiovascular diseases.
There is a common misconception, goat cheese tastes the same as feta cheese. This is not true at all. Both are made with different ingredients, and they contain different nutrition as well. If you taste goat cheese, you will find it saltier compared to feta cheese.
There are many ways you can add goat cheese to your diet. Because it contains less fat and good nutrients, it will be healthier for you as well. Spread on toast or bagels, substitute for cream cheese in dips, salad toppings, lasagna, and pasta sauce are a few options you have with goat cheese.
You can find many recipes that use goat cheese as ingredients online. Try them as well to add some variety to your meals.
Does Goat Cheese Freeze Well?
Goat cheese freezes extremely well. But for that, you have to follow certain steps to preserve its best quality.
They are not anything complicated or time-consuming. At the end of the day, all the frozen goat cheese will taste like the first day you tasted them.
It is common to see some discoloration in frozen goat cheese sometimes. I think that depends a lot on the type of goat cheese, too.
How To Freeze Goat Cheese
When it comes to freezing goat cheese, it’s pretty much straightforward and doesn’t require a lot of time. Also, you can either freeze spreadable goat cheese and goat cheese blocks. This will depend on what you’ll be using the cheese for later.
Below are the steps to freezing goat cheese:
Freezing Spreadable Goat Cheese
Step 1: Wrapping
If the spreadable goat cheese is still in its original container, you can leave it as is. Use plastic wrap and cover the spread.
Step 2: Sealing
After the spread is wrapped, check to make sure there are no tears in the wrap.
If there are none, secure the lid back onto the container. This will prevent odor from contaminating the cheese while it’s frozen.
Step 3: Label and Freeze
Write the date on the container, so you’ll know when to use them by. Then place the goat cheese into the freezer.
Freezing Goat Cheese Block
Step 1: Slicing
I recommend that you cut the block into smaller chunks or cubes. This will save you space in the freezer and will be easier to defrost them.
Step 2: Wrapping
With cling film, wrap each piece of goat cheese individually. You can double wrap the cheese for extra protection.
Step 3: Place in Freezer Bags
Once the goat cheese is wrapped, place them into the freezer bag. You can place a couple of individually wrapped cheese in one bag. Make sure the bag is large enough to accommodate all of them. If not, use several freezer bags to store them.
Then press on the freezer bag to remove excess air and seal it tight.
Step 4: Label and Freeze
With a marker, write the date of freezing and content on the freezer bag. Then place them into the freezer.
How Long Can You Freeze Goat Cheese?
You can freeze goat cheese for six months. The quality or taste of the goat cheese will not change during this time. But there can be instances of discoloration on the cheese surface. You can peel that off to make it presentable again.
After 6 months, goat cheese will still be safe to eat, but you may not enjoy the taste of it that much. The quality of the cheese will deteriorate, which will cause the cheese to become harder and lose some of its flavors.
I advise you to consume goat cheese within the first three months of freezing to avoid any unforeseeable circumstances.
How Do You Defrost Goat Cheese?
The best way to defrost goat cheese is to let it sit in the fridge after leaving the freezer. After an hour or so, you can use it in your cooking or to top off your salad.
This slow defrosting method is the ideal way for defrosting goat cheese to ensure the taste and texture are not affected.
Avoid using the microwave because it can melt the goat cheese unevenly. After a couple of minutes, the outside will be thawed, while the inside is still frozen.
Can You Refreeze Goat Cheese?
It is best to avoid refreezing goat cheese. The quality of the goat cheese will deteriorate once it’s frozen more than once. You may find that the cheese will be harder and lose most of its flavor when it’s frozen and thawed for the second time.
To prevent having to refreeze goat cheese, you should store them in portions. This way, you’ll only need to remove what you need from the freezer. This will avoid you having to refreeze any leftovers.
Related Questions
Can you freeze goat cheese logs?
Goat cheese logs can be frozen. However, freezing will affect the texture of the logs. After it’s frozen and thawed, the outside part of the log will become a little mushy, while the inside will be a bit crumbly.
As for the flavors, freezing will not affect them.
Can you freeze shredded goat cheese?
Yes, you can. After the goat cheese is shredded, place it into an airtight container or freezer bag. Then seal it tightly and place it into the freezer. You can store shredded goat cheese in the freezer for up to 3 months.