Freezing Cheese Keeps It Fresh for Months

If you went hog-wild at your favorite fromagerie — or just got a really good deal on extra sharp cheddar at the supermarket — freezing is a great way to save some of it for later. This is especially helpful for shredded cheese, because all that exposed surface area makes it especially vulnerable to mold spores.

The preservation process is simple. Unopened, factory-sealed cheese can go straight into the freezer in its original packaging. If you’re dealing with opened cheese, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap or — better yet, especially for shredded varieties — store it inside a vacuum-sealed bag. Label and date your package, then place the plastic-wrapped cheese into a sturdy freezer bag or an airtight, freezer-safe container. Keeping all of your frozen cheeses in a single bag or container will ensure nothing gets lost in the back of the freezer.

It’s Not Forever, and Not All Cheeses Freeze Well

Freezing cheese will technically keep it edible indefinitely, but “edible” and “enjoyable” aren’t the same thing. In practice, it’s best used within two to three months, and six months is about the outside limit — though you’ll get a bit more time with vacuum-sealed cheese. Its texture will change slightly, turning a bit crumblier, but it will taste just fine. 

Another key detail is that some cheeses freeze much better than others. Moisture content is your surest guide here. Hard and semihard cheeses have a relatively low moisture content, so freezing doesn’t affect them too badly. Soft and fresh cheeses are wetter and freeze poorly.

Good options: Parmesan and other hard grating cheeses, cheddar, low-moisture mozzarella, Monterey Jack, feta, and most blue cheeses.

Bad options: Cream cheese, brie, Camembert, burrata, mascarpone, ricotta, cottage cheese, queso fresco, and fresh goat cheese.

You may find it useful to freeze cheese in single-use portions, so you can pull out just as much as you need at a time. For the best results, thaw your portion overnight in the fridge before using.

Making Fat and Water Play Nice

Oil and water proverbially don’t mix, but cooks often get them to play nicely together — at least temporarily. In this case, the “oil” is butterfat, but the scientific principle is the same. Because butter already contains roughly 15% water, creating a sauce with it is just a matter of persuading those fat molecules to welcome a bit more liquid.

To make the sauce, start by warming water (3 tablespoons per stick of butter) to a gentle simmer, either in a small saucepan over direct heat or in a heatproof bowl set over a skillet of simmering water (more on that below). Next, keeping the sauce over that same gentle heat, add 1 tablespoon of cold butter straight from the refrigerator and whisk it thoroughly into the water. It should take about 15 to 20 seconds to incorporate, and the mixture should look creamy, not oily.

If the sauce begins to separate, whisk in a few drops of cold water until it comes together. Then you can start adding the remaining butter 1 tablespoon at a time. Keep going until you have a smooth, pale, creamy mixture thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.

A Few More Things To Know

Small batches are easiest to handle in a bowl over hot water, since you’re working with so little liquid. But as long as you maintain the ratio of 3 tablespoons of water per stick of butter, you can scale up to whatever batch size you like. (Larger batches are actually easier in a saucepan.) Once it’s made, you can keep the sauce in a warm spot (between 135 and 180 degrees Fahrenheit) for a couple of hours before serving. Storing it in a prewarmed, insulated thermos is a good way to maintain the proper temperature.

Once you have the hang of the technique, you can take the sauce in several directions. Try adding herbs or spices, or swapping the water for broth, fruit juice, or wine. (Beurre blanc, another classically simple sauce, relies on a white wine reduction.) Or you can deglaze your pan and whisk butter into that hot water to create an elegant pan sauce.

The Paper Towel Method

Start by chopping and washing your lettuce. Dry it well using a salad spinner — any excess surface moisture will significantly shorten its shelf life. Next, line the bottom of an airtight container with a paper towel. Place your lettuce on top, add a second paper towel over it, put the lid back on the container, and store it in the fridge.

This trick can keep your lettuce fresh for up to a week, though exactly how long depends on your refrigerator’s temperature and humidity settings. Store your container in the crisper drawer, which maintains higher humidity than the rest of the fridge. While this might sound contradictory, lettuce needs a humid environment to prevent the water inside its cells from evaporating — the primary cause of wilting. The paper towels are simply there to wick away condensation, which can lead to rot.

Other Tips for Keeping Salad Greens Crisp

When you first bring your greens home, remove any wilted leaves immediately, as contact with them can cause the rest of the batch to spoil more quickly. As the week goes on, keep an eye on moisture levels. Because excess surface moisture causes rot, removing it is key to maintaining freshness. You may need to change out the paper towels every day or two if they become damp. Additionally, avoid storing other ingredients in the same container, as they often introduce more moisture.