Brie is one of the most popular cheeses worldwide. Its a beautifully soft cheese with an edible white rind that makes any dish extra decadent. Even though I love brie, I sometimes slice into one of those delicious rounds wondering if well get through it all before it spoils. If youre like me and you hate to see good food go to waste, a natural question to ask is: can you freeze brie cheese?
So lets find out how to do it to maximise flavour and minimise hassle while staying safe!
Soft cheeses such as camembert and brie, as well as ricotta and cottage cheese, that have a higher water and fat content can still be frozen, but just know that their texture will suffer. Cream cheese can be frozen, too!
Make sure your brie is safe to freeze
Brie should be stored in an airtight container in the fridge to reduce the risk of bacteria spreading. This is particularly important with soft cheese as they are more susceptible to bacteria and spoiling faster.
If you plan to freeze your brie, put it in the fridge as soon as you get home. Or try to freeze it within a day of purchase to ensure youre freezing it at its best. This isnt always possible, but at least make sure you get it into the freezer before the use by date.
If any mould has developed on the rind the brie is no longer safe to eat. In harder cheeses where you can potentially cut off the mould. However, in soft cheese, spores have a tendency to invisibly spread through the whole block.
Preparing your brie for the freezer
Before putting your brie in the freezer, think about what you might be using it for.
Can you freeze brie cheese whole? Well, it depends – do you want it for baked brie? Or can your freeze your brie cheese in slices?
Its generally better to freeze slices, so you can easily get out what you need. Bear in mind, once thawed you cant refreeze the brie. Just think about how you want to use it!
Brie has high water content, so freezing will change the texture and make it a little more crumbly.
If your freezer has a quick freeze or flash freeze mode, use that. It wont be as cold as an industrial flash freezer, but it will help to retain texture and taste. Thats because as the food cools ice crystals form. Smaller crystals are better, as larger ones will negatively impact the texture. The faster it cools, the more numerous and smaller the crystals.
I prefer to use frozen brie for cooking, rather than on a cheeseboard. Though the texture will change the distinctive taste remains.
Can Brie Cheese Be Frozen
FAQ
Does Brie go bad in freezer?
How do you thaw frozen brie cheese?
Can you cook brie from frozen?
How do you know if Brie has gone bad?
Can you freeze brie cheese?
It only requires a freezer bag and perhaps some aluminum foil, and a minute or so of work. (Optional) Wrap the Brie tightly. Use aluminum foil, plastic wrap, or even freezer wrap, and freeze the cheese tightly. Place the cheese in a freezer bag. Squeeze out the air before sealing it, and add a label if you like. Freeze the bag. That’s it.
Can Brie be frozen?
The soft and smooth texture of Brie is not great for freezing. However, when frozen, it still works well in many cooked dishes. The best way to enjoy Brie is when it is fresh and ripe. It is absolutely scrummy, but there is only so much of the stuff that you can eat before it deteriorates. But you can extend its shelf life by freezing it.
Can you eat thawed Brie if it is frozen?
Once the brie has thawed after being frozen and kept refrigerated, it’s best to eat it within a day or two. After three days, you should throw the thawed brie out. Much like with meat, it’s unsafe to refreeze cheese that has already been thawed and then refrozen. You can use three main methods when it comes to defrosting the frozen brine.
Can you eat defrosted Brie fresh?
Unlike hard cheeses like Parmesan, soft cheeses allow mold to spread quickly, even if it’s not particularly visible. If you plan on eating the defrosted brie fresh, a good practice is to let it warm up at room temperature for about 30 minutes first for optimum taste and texture.