Can you freeze cottage cheese?
Cottage cheese is a soft, lumpy white cheese made from the curds of skimmed milk. Can you freeze cottage cheese is a question with no straightforward answer and one that is mostly dependent on it’s usage after thawing. This is because, cottage cheese is a cheese that is typically perfect for freezing, however, soft cheese are often more difficult to freeze than harder cheese (like Cheddar and Gouda).
Cottage cheese is a very soft cheese and while it can be frozen, it doesn’t come out tasty and good looking after thawing, as freezing and thawing changes the consistency of the cheese and further affects its taste. This is the reason most brands don’t recommend the freezing of cottage cheese. While freezing cottage cheese does not affect its nutritional value, it alters its texture and taste to a large extent.
Meanwhile, freezing cottage cheese may be a big deal if you plan on eating it by itself, as the cheese tends to lose its taste due to its high moisture content. But when you plan to include your cottage cheese in your cooking recipe, the texture isn’t that important as its taste will still be altered during cooking.
Frozen cottage cheese is best when used in dishes such as soups, dips, pies, or anything you prepare on stove. Furthermore, cottage cheese after it has been opened generally lasts about 3-4 months in the freezer and 5-7 days in the refrigerator, just like other cheese. To answer the question, yes cottage cheese can be frozen to extend its shelf life and to make it last longer.
HOW CAN YOU FREEZE COTTAGE CHEESE
Cottage cheese is a type of soft cheese known for it’s soft and creamy consistency. However, because cottage cheese has a short shelf life, many people wonder how best to freeze it to help it last longer. Below is a simple but effective way to freeze your cottage cheese.
1. Purchase the whole fat cottage cheese as it freezes better than the low fat cottage cheese
2. Simply place the cottage cheese in a freezer-safe bag with the container you purchased it in and seal to squeeze out excess air.
3. Afterwards store in your freezer. When opened, cottage cheese can be frozen for up to 2-3 months but unopened cottage cheese can last about 2-6 months in the freezer.
CAN YOU FREEZE COTTAGE CHEESE WITH LASAGNA
This question is best answered in the affirmative because cottage cheese and lasagna can be frozen.
Lasagna is a type of pasta that can be served either hot or cold. The dish has its origins in Italy but has become a popular dish all over the world. Lasagna is prepared from layers of lasagna noodles, altered with layers of sauce, cottage cheese and other ingredients. However any leftover lasagna can be put into small or large airtight containers and stored in the freezer.
Cottage cheese and lasagna can be frozen exceptionally well if cooked and stored properly. Frozen lasagna dishes can stay fresh for about 3-4 months, after that time, the lasagna will start to deteriorate in it’s quality. However, it will still be safe to eat but, it will not taste as good as it should as the cottage cheese tends to separate when thawed.
CAN YOU FREEZE COTTAGE CHEESE AND YOGURT
The answer to this question is yes; you can freeze just about anything and cottage cheese and yoghurt isn’t an exception to this. As documented by ”The united states department of agriculture, food, safety and inspection service”.
Cottage cheese and yoghurt can be successfully frozen by putting the entire cup or container into the freezer. However, when yoghurt is frozen, then thawed, it can separate and become grainy and watery. But if you seem to have a problem with thawed yoghurt then you can use it either in your cooking recipe or eat it while it is still frozen.
CAN YOU FREEZE COTTAGE CHEESE AND SOUR CREAM
Cottage cheese is a type of cheese that is typically meant to be frozen. But, freezing cottage cheese and sour cream isn’t generally advisable as it can extremely affect the creamy texture and all-natural flavour of the product.
CAN YOU FREEZE COTTAGE CHEESE FOR SMOOTHIES
Freezing your cottage cheese demands that you know the different recipes you’d be using it for and as well as the right method to defrost the cheese. What’s particularly great about frozen cottage cheese is that you don’t have to spend any time waiting for your cheese to thaw, but go ahead and toss it into any recipe such as; smoothies, dips and casserole. It is very possible to use your frozen cottage cheese for smoothie but that is when you have a blender that is strong enough to handle ice.
When you blend cottage cheese into a smoothie pureed consistency, it transforms into a light mixture that works amazingly well for smoothies and frostings. Frozen cottage cheese when combined with fruits especially berries, makes really delicious smoothies which lends creaminess without adding a ton of calories plus its chock full of essential proteins that keeps you full and energized.
CAN YOU FREEZE COTTAGE CHEESE CAKE
Yes, cottage cheese cake can be frozen as it freezes very well. But the down side of this is that, just like other dairy products, the texture of the cottage cheese changes after defrosting and becomes chunkier. This may also affect the taste and flavour of the cake. To freeze your cottage cheese cake, wrap the cake properly with a plastic wrap or foil and freeze for up to 1 or 2 months maximum. The frozen cake can either be thawed in the fridge, on the counter top or in the microwave.
CONCLUSION
Cottage cheese is not only yummy but also packed with numerous healthy benefits. Freezing cottage cheese is an easy way to preserve and extend the shelf life of your cheese. However, because of its high moisture content, cottage cheese tends to lose its taste, flavor and consistency when thawed. Cottage cheese can be frozen but its best usage would be as part of a recipe such as; deserts, soups, casserole, smoothies and cakes.