if you are wondering weather you can freeze ricotta cheese or not then you have come to the right place as here we will discuss all about freezing, preservation and storage of ricotta cheese in best possible way to make use of it later when need arises without spoiling the whole ricotta cheese quantity we have.
Ricotta cheese changes texture after freezing it for long time as the whey from the cheese separates the curd like cheese and makes it somewhat drier and grainy in texture after loosing its smooth texture which gives your dishes less moisture from frozen cheese than what you get from smooth fresh ricotta cheese.
if you are adding it to fatty dishes which involves cheese, eggs, cream and other similar items and texture is important then it works great without any issues but don’t use thawed cheese in items like cheese cakes, cannoli filling mixture etc. where texture and firmness is important part of the perfect looking recipe.
How to freeze ricotta cheese
if you got the cheese bought from market and is unopened then you keep in freezer like this but if its open and used then make sure you seal it from all sides before keeping in the freezer. generally it is not recommend to freeze ricotta cheese for more than 3 months to get best taste from the cheese.
if you intent to freeze the cheese for 1-3 months then keep the package in freezer bag to avoid the cheese getting very hard with texture change.
if you like to ease out your work while taking out the cheese again for use then you can make small portions of the cheese and store in some kind of plastic bags and then keep the bags in freezer bag or air tight freezer containers with date labeling so when you need the cheese, take out some packets and use it fast without worrying about packing all the leftover cheese again.
defrosting the cheese for use
when you need to use the cheese after freezing you can directly add the cheese in recipes you are cooking without any issues and it will blend it easily. if you don’t need hard cheese and require to thaw it then keep it in fridge for couple of hours before using and it will be good to go but don’t think of thawing the ricotta cheese at room temperature in kitchen as it would get spoiled due to its dense formation after freezing which will increase the bacteria growth in it thus ruining your cheese and making it unusable .
Tips
After freezing and thawing the ricotta cheese it tends to release water which can be reduced if you mix it with spoon or spatula but cant become like earlier before freezing so you can add the cheese water in the dish if you are preparing is watery as it would give extra blended flavor of ifs its dry like ricotta in salad, pasta etc. then you can the throw the water or use it in kneading the dough for some bread recipe later or in curry recipe later.
if you have small quantity of cheese left then you can just make the dish which requires cheese and then freeze for later serving as it might give better texture and flavor then watery ricotta cheese which you will use later making the recipe
if you find your ricotta cheese turning pink after a while then that is happening due to the growth of thermus thermophilus on the surface of cheese which releases lycopene that’s gives pink color. although its safe to eat but it is indication that spoilage bacteria has started to invade the cheese so it should be consumed fast or else it would good bad soon.
if you long for drinking tasty soup at home then checkout our broccoli cheese soup recipe as its healthy and tasty beyond expectations.
Uses
ricotta cheese after getting defrosted would be best used in recipes which involved heating them a bit as the watery content would mix in perfectly while making the recipes like pasta, cookies, pancakes, cakes, pizza, casseroles etc. but avoid using thawed ricotta cheese in making cheese cakes, ice creams and similar items as you wont get good taste and texture from it.
Frequently asked questions related to ricotta cheese
Can you freeze unopened ricotta cheese
yes unopened ricotta cheese can frozen easily in the freezer. if it comes in good quality packaging then you can store it right away in freezer but if the packaging is of low quality which is most often the case then you need to scoop out all the cheese in freezer safe container and cover it with cling wrap for extra protection against freezer burns and crystallization. then cover it with lid with tight seal and label the cover with date and keep in freeze safely to increase its shelf life.
Can you freeze ricotta cheese with egg in it
Eggs can somewhat messy to freeze it in first place as they might go bad but when mixed with cheese i think they can be easily frozen. they mixture of cheese with eggs should be consumed with 30-50 days maximum after freezing to get the best taste and prevent it from going bad.
The egg would bind the cheese and let it stay together without releasing much water. make sure to store this egg cheese mixture in air tight container to prevent from freezer burns and similar issues.
Can you freeze ricotta cheese lasagna
yes it can be done but the original texture of lasagna would be lost as ricotta cheese release water after freezing and thawing, so texture of ricotta cheese lasagna may become somewhat soft and soupy little bit.
can you freeze the ricotta cheese mixture
freezing the ricotta cheese mixture might alter the final taste and texture of the mixture when you thaw it, if you are fine with this fact that some aspects of cheese mixture would change after freezing then you can easily freeze the extra mixture you made with ricotta cheese for pies, pasta, salads etc.
while strong ad freezing ricotta cheese mixture, make use of air tight container to prevent the mixture from freezer burns and frost issues which could crystalize the mixture adding unwanted water in it when thawed.
you can divide the mixture in small quantities and store in different small boxes to use it as required in small quantity without making whole leftover batch go bad if some unwanted issue arises at last moment.
checkout our post on queso fresco substitutes to use different cheese when its not in your fridge.
Conclusion
Now that you have learned about freezing the ricotta cheese, go and freeze the extra left over cheese to prevent any food wastage but do know that using frozen ricotta cheese in dish which has ricotta cheese as main component would alter its texture and flavor but in dish in which its just an addition besides lot of other ingredients like pierogi, calzones etc. the thawed ricotta cheese would work perfectly fine to make the dish good.
let us know your experience of using frozen ricotta cheese in various dishes like panini grilled bread sandwiches in comments below and do share this with friends who love cheese and all things cheesy in their meals.
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