In “The New Rules of Cheese,” Anne Saxelby is a hard no on whether you should freeze cheese, saying that freezing alters the “delicate matrix” of “fat, protein, water, vitamins, and minerals.”
If you want to freeze cheese, think about its moisture content and what you are making, says Isabelle Brosen, events and education coordinator at Murray’s Cheese in New York. When the water in cheese freezes, it turns to ice crystals that can adversely impact the texture. Harder cheeses with less moisture will fare better, but they can still turn grainy or crumbly. “Additionally, people sometimes forget that a lot of cheeses are living organisms,” Brosen says, meaning that soft-ripened cheeses with bloomy or washed rinds and blue cheeses can have their organic activity disrupted by freezing.
Frozen cheese — make sure it’s well-wrapped and stored airtight — may work fine melted in mac and cheese or in dishes where it’s playing more of a supporting role, Brosen says. “While the flavor may be slightly diminished, its role within a composed dish with many other flavors will still shine.” But freezing cheese to serve to guests on a cheese board? Pass.
