Cottage cheese can be a really handy ingredient to have around the house, because it works with so many different dishes.
For example, cottage cheese is great for salads, topping toast or jacket potatoes in a low-fat way, or even as a milk-substitute for waffles. You can use it as a great dip too!
However, since cottage cheese is a dairy product, it can go off quickly and easily – before you’ve finished using it all. To make it last longer, can you freeze cottage cheese?
The short answer is that, thankfully, you can freeze cottage cheese! However, you need to seal it in the correct way. When frozen properly, the cottage cheese can last as long as 6 months.
With that being said, its texture will have changed dramatically, so you might prefer to use it fresh. On top of that, you can’t refreeze cottage cheese either.
There is so much more to learn about freezing cottage cheese, and we’ve got all the answers below! In our handy guide below, we’re going to explain how you can freeze cottage cheese, tips for storing it, advice on how to defrost it, and much more. Read on!
Can You Freeze Cottage Cheese?
Cottage cheese can be helpfully used in a variety of dishes, but an open tub of cottage cheese isn’t always going to last long enough to be used in everything you want.
This is because it’s a dairy product, and dairy products go off quickly. In fact, an opened cottage cheese will only last about 5 days, while an unopened one can last just over two weeks.
So what’s the solution? As we said in our introduction, freezing it!
Cottage cheese can be frozen, and it could last as long as 6 months when stored this way.
With that being said, it needs to be frozen in the correct way to ensure that it works, and you won’t be able to refreeze the cottage cheese once you defrost it for use.
Additionally, the texture and feel of the cottage cheese will have changed because of this change in state from fresh to frozen.
This means that you might not enjoy it as much as you did before, though you could use defrosted cottage cheese in dishes where its individual texture isn’t going to be as noticeable as others.
How Do You Freeze Cottage Cheese?
When it comes to freezing your cottage cheese, it’s going to be best to divide it into portions, and then defrost individual portions when you need them.
You Shouldn’t Freeze It All In Bulk
This is because of the fact that you can’t refreeze cottage cheese, so you wouldn’t be able to remove and defrost it all, then take the bit you want and freeze the rest again. And don’t even think about trying to remove portions when it’s frozen solid!
So, dividing the cottage cheese into freezable portions is your best bet.
Deciding Your Portion Sizes
Everybody’s portion sizes are going to be different, because everyone will be using the cottage cheese for different things.
For example, you might need a small portion when you’re just using it as a dip, but you may need more when you’re using it as a baked potato topper. As a result, determine the portion sizes you’re likely to need down the line.
Bagging The Portions Up
After you’ve divided out your portions, you’ll need some freezer bags. Put a portion in each bag, then seal the bag. As you seal it, leave a little gap of air and squeeze the bag, getting every last bit of air possible. With that done, fully seal the freezer bag.
You might also want to write on the bag what each portion is best for. For example, one portion might be the right size for dips. This will make it easy for you to know which one to defrost when the time comes.
Putting The Cottage Cheese In The Freezer
After that it’s simply a case of putting each individual bag away in your freezer!
How Can You Defrost Your Cottage Cheese?
Once you’ve frozen your individual portions of cottage cheese, you’ll want to know how you can then defrost them again when you want to use them.
Thankfully, it’s an easy process, though you should understand that you can’t then refreeze them again afterwards.
Removing The Portion
First, remove your specific portion bag of cottage cheese that you want to use. Put the bag into the bowl – don’t remove the frozen lump of cheese from the bag first!
Defrosting In The Fridge
After that, put the bowl of frozen cottage cheese into your fridge, where you should leave it overnight.
Using The Cottage Cheese
The next morning, you should find that the cottage cheese has defrosted and has the creamy texture that it has when fresh.
However, there’s going to be a load of liquid surrounding it, which is all the thawed ice. Drain this off before you use the cottage cheese!
Why Does My Defrosted Cottage Cheese Seem Different?
Unfortunately, you’ll notice right away that defrosted cottage cheese has a texture that’s distinctly different from when the cheese product hasn’t been frozen.
If you love cottage cheese for its creamy and soupy texture, then you’re not going to enjoy eating defrosted cottage cheese on its own, because the texture will have changed significantly.
However, not all is lost! For one, the cottage cheese should still have the same great taste, with its subtle cheesiness and edge of salt.
On top of that, the change in texture isn’t going to be noticeable when you use it in certain dishes.
If you’re using it as a dip or adding it straight to a dish, then it’s going to be a disappointment, but if you’re cooking with the defrosted cottage cheese then it’ll be great – since the cheese melts!
Final Thoughts
Cottage cheese can be frozen in portions, where it will last for as long as 6 months.
