Mozzarella is a delicious and surprisingly healthy cheese.
It contains good bacteria that act as probiotics, improving gut health. Mozzarella is also rich in Vitamin B2 and riboflavin, which help with fatigue.
But mozzarella is expensive, and you bought a whole bunch on offer.
Or maybe you’ve just opened a big packet of mozzarella, only to realize there’s no way you’ll finish it before it goes out of date.
The natural question: can you freeze mozzarella?
The answer is yes!
We’ll explain exactly how to freeze mozzarella cheese, whether you have blocks of mozzarella or fresh mozzarella. Plus, we’ll detail the changes you need to be aware of, so you can choose the right storage method for you.
Here’s the lowdown if you’re in a hurry: Frozen mozzarella lasts eight months. With fresh mozzarella, you need to drain the water or brine beforehand. For blocks of mozzarella, make sure you wrap them well to avoid drying out from freezer burn.
Should You Freeze Mozzarella Cheese?
Freezing fresh mozzarella definitely works.
The only change you have to look out for is in the texture. Your mozzarella is likely to dry out after you’ve frozen and thawed it.
This will happen more with fresh mozzarella than hard mozzarella, as the former has a higher water content.
How To Freeze Your Mozzarella
Below, we’ll talk you through how to freeze mozzarella, whether fresh mozzarella or hard blocks.
How To Freeze Fresh Mozzarella
You’re likely to have fresh mozzarella, the kind that comes in a bag and is submerged in brine or water.
- The first step is to drain out your mozzarella. Whether you’ve been storing it in homemade brine or water, or it’s straight out of the bag, get rid of the water.
- Slice your fresh mozzarella.
- Use a paper towel to pat down the mozzarella. Don’t dry it completely, but getting rid of excess water will limit texture changes.
- Lay your mozzarella slices out on a baking tray lined with baking paper. Then, wrap the whole thing in cling film or aluminum foil. Flash freeze for 2 hours.
- Now your mozzarella has been flash-frozen, the slices won’t stick together. Transfer all your mozzarella into a freezer bag or airtight container and pop that back in the freezer.
How To Freeze Blocks Of Mozzarella Cheese
You may also have a hard block of mozzarella cheese. This kind of mozzarella includes a lot less water, so the texture change won’t be as extreme.
If you’re short on time now, here’s the easy way to freeze hard blocks of mozzarella cheese:
- Slice your cheese out into portion-sized blocks.
- Wrap each chunk of mozzarella in cling film, then double-wrap in an airtight freezer-proof container or a freezer bag.
- Label your container with the best-before date. More on that in a bit.
Even though the texture of your hard mozzarella won’t change a huge deal, it will be dryer and harder to grate.
Therefore, if you’re planning to grate your mozzarella for serving, it’s a good idea to do it beforehand. Just follow these step-by-step instructions:
- Put your block of mozzarella in a freezer bag or airtight container in the freezer for 20 minutes. This will make it harder and easier to grate.
- Grate your block of mozzarella.
- Line a baking sheet with baking paper. Spread your grated mozzarella over it evenly.
- Wrap the baking sheet in cling film or aluminum foil.
- Flash freeze. Pop that baking sheet in the freezer for 2 hours.
- Now that you’re grated mozzarella is frozen, you can transfer it all to an airtight container or freezer bag, and it won’t stick together!
- Label your container with the use-by date.
Even though this method of grating, then flash freezing your grated mozzarella may take a little more time, it saves you tons of time when it comes to serving and cooking!
How To Thaw Mozzarella
Ready to use your mozzarella?
If you’ve sliced your fresh or hard mozzarella, leave it to thaw overnight in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Or, if you’re in a rush, you can leave a small portion on the counter for up to 2 hours.
If you’re making a cheese sauce, feel free to add your chunks of cheese straight into the cooking and let them thaw in the pot.
With grated mozzarella, you can add the pieces straight onto a hot dish.
How Long Can You Expect Your Frozen Mozzarella To Last?
Whether you have fresh or hard mozzarella, you can expect it to last in your freezer for up to 8 months.
Other Mozzarella Cheese Storage Methods
Let’s cover other storage methods, so you can be sure you’re picking the right one.
Fresh mozzarella that’s unopen will last about five days past its use-by date, so long as you store it in your refrigerator as soon as you get home.
Now: the refrigerator door is not the best place for your mozzarella. It’s the part of your fridge that is the warmest and most prone to temperature fluctuations.
If you’ve opened your fresh mozzarella and wrapped it in plastic, it should last for 2-3 days in your refrigerator.
As for fresh mozzarella you’ve kept in brine or water, it will last for up to a week in your fridge. Therefore, if you think you’ll finish your fresh mozzarella within a week, it may not be worth freezing it!
Hard mozzarella lasts a lot longer in the refrigerator: 2-3 weeks past the use-by date if unopen, and 2-3 weeks once it’s been opened.
The Round-Up On Freezing Mozzarella Cheese
Now you know how to freeze mozzarella – both fresh mozzarella and hard blocks. Here’s the summary if you need it:
- Freezing mozzarella will extend its storage life up to 8 months.
- If you have hard mozzarella, it’s a good idea to grate and flash freeze beforehand for easy portioning afterward.
- With fresh mozzarella, drain the water, portion out, and double wrap in the freezer.
- Unopened hard mozzarella lasts for 2-3 weeks past the use-by date if unopened, so it may not be worth freezing it.
