Can you freeze ricotta cheese? This is the question that many people grapple with. This article will give you all the answers you need. If you have leftover ricotta or just bought too much of it, it’s natural to look for a way to use it right away or store it for a longer period of time. When it comes to ricotta cheese, freezing is a pretty good way to store this dairy product for longer than it would normally be. Unfortunately, this isn’t a perfect method – sometimes freezing ricotta isn’t a good option. If you want to know more about freezing ricotta cheese, read on.
Freezing Ricotta Cheese – Important Info
The first thing you need to know is that freezing ricotta cheese changes its texture. This dairy will loosen up a bit and become watery after thawing, that’s for sure. Is that a big problem? As always, it depends. The first thing to know is that you can try to fix this with a blender or a larger spoon. This will help a little, but often you have to drain the product anyway because it’s still too watery.
As I mentioned before, the texture of thawed ricotta is changed (even after stirring and draining). This is something you need to consider when freezing ricotta. Because of this, you probably won’t find this cheese as flavorful and appealing as it was before it was frozen. For this reason, it is not recommended to use defrosted ricotta in dishes where it is the main ingredient of the dish. If ricotta is just one of many components, it will work fine and in many cases you won’t be able to tell the difference. The same goes for cooked or baked dishes (like lasagna) – if the ricotta is only part of such a dish, you can use thawed ricotta and the dish will be fine.
One more thing to know – many people suggest making the dish with ricotta cheese and freezing it instead of freezing the cheese itself. If you only have as much ricotta as you would use in a single dish, I suggest you really think about cooking and freezing this dish. The results you will get in many cases will definitely be better. If you have a larger batch of ricotta and can’t (or don’t want to) use it in a freezer dish, you can always freeze just the cheese. To do this, read the following guidelines.
How to freeze ricotta cheese
If the cheese is still in its original packaging, all you have to do is seal it tightly and place it in the freezer. If you plan to keep the cheese in the freezer for longer than a month, consider placing the sealed package in a freezer bag.
Instead of freezing ricotta in its original packaging, you can portion it and wrap it separately. This way you can easily thaw only as much ricotta as you need at one time. First, put each serving in its plastic bag and seal tightly (remember to squeeze out all the air), then you should put these plastic bags in freezer bags (you can put some plastic bags in a freezer bag) or airtight containers. This way the cheese is protected from the cold.
If you use ricotta in a cooked dish when defrosting, you can add it frozen. If not, thaw it in the fridge. If the texture isn’t right, you should follow my suggestions already mentioned. It is recommended not to freeze ricotta for more than 3 months for quality reasons.
FAQs: Freezing Ricotta Cheese
Can you freeze ricotta cheese mix?
Assuming you made more ricotta filling than you can handle, is it safe to freeze the ricotta mixture for later use? Ricotta cheese is difficult to freeze on its own, and certain additives could affect the cheese’s texture and appearance even more. For example, freezing ricotta cheese fillings for ravioli, pasta, cannoli, or pastries can be more difficult since some of the ingredients, like chopped greens, eggs, etc., can spoil faster than the cheese mix. But as long as you’re okay with the flavor, appearance, and texture of the ricotta cheese mix changing after it’s frozen, you can certainly store the cheese mix in the freezer to reduce waste.
We recommend using an airtight container when packaging the cheese for freezing. An airtight container provides adequate protection against frost and freezer burn. We also recommend dividing the ricotta cheese mixture into manageable portions so that you can quickly defrost the ricotta cheese mixture. The faster the ricotta cheese mixture thaws, the less chance there is of the mixture going bad.
Read Also: Can you freeze watermelon?
Can you freeze unopened ricotta cheese?
Do you have unopened ricotta cheese that is approaching its sell-by date? You can keep the cheese from spoiling by freezing it. However, you must first transfer the product to a freezer-safe container. The cheese’s original packaging may not provide the best protection from freezing temperatures, frost, and freezer burn.
To wrap the unopened ricotta cheese, simply gently spoon the cheese into an airtight container. Don’t overfill the container, leave an inch or two of space. For added protection, you can cover the container with cling film before sealing with the airtight lid. Write down the storage date and then stick the cheese in the freezer.
Can you freeze ricotta cheese with egg in it?
Eggs are difficult to freeze, especially when paired with ricotta cheese. That’s why we advise against freezing ricotta cheese with egg, because the risk that the cheese mixture will eventually go bad is too great. If you must freeze the cheese mixture, do so at your own risk.
summary
As you should know by now, ricotta cheese can be frozen, but freezing changes its texture. If you want to use it in a cooked dish, or in another dish where the ricotta cheese is just one of many components, it’s fine, and in most cases you won’t even realize the cheese was frozen. Freezing the cheese for dishes in which it is the main component is not a good idea – you will probably not be satisfied with the dish due to the aforementioned change in texture.