How to freeze curd

Of all the fermented milk products, cottage cheese is especially popular. It is used both as an independent dish and as a component for preparing other dishes. Unfortunately, cottage cheese, like other milk products, cannot be stored for a long time. Therefore, the question arises of freezing it.

Is it possible to freeze cottage cheese

You can store cottage cheese in the refrigerator for just a few days. This is especially true for homemade cottage cheese. Commercial cottage cheese has a slightly longer shelf life. This is due to the use of pasteurized milk for its base or the use of preservatives. Such cottage cheese can be stored for up to a week in the refrigerator.

Subject to all the rules, cottage cheese can be frozen and stored in this form for up to 2 months. At the same time, it will not lose either its nutritional properties or appearance. In addition, having preserved homemade cottage cheese in this way, you can eat a delicious natural product at any time of the year.

How to freeze cottage cheese

So that the cottage cheese does not lose its nutritional value even after defrosting, it is important to follow all the rules for its high-quality freezing:

1. Only cottage cheese is suitable for keeping frozen. Use only high quality and fresh product.
2. Store frozen curd only in ceramic or glass containers with a tight-fitting lid. This will eliminate moisture or air ingress.
3. Use small containers to use a portion of cottage cheese at a time.
4. Do not fill the containers to the very top, as the whey expands when frozen.
5. Use a quick freeze at -30 degrees. In this case, the curd will completely freeze within 4 hours.
6. In the future, store the frozen product at a temperature of -18 degrees.

You can prepare for freezing not only the cottage cheese itself, but also semi-finished products from it - dumplings stuffed with cottage cheese pancakes, casseroles or cheesecakes. Such dishes perfectly retain all their taste properties and are suitable for quick preparation.

How to defrost cottage cheese

The process of defrosting curd can be carried out in different ways. It is best to defrost food gradually. For this, a container with a portion of frozen cottage cheese is moved from the freezer to the lower shelf of the refrigerator. There, the curd will defrost gradually over 12 hours. The liquid that forms as a result of this process must be drained. Cottage cheese thawed in this way will completely retain its structure and taste. It can be eaten naturally. This method has only one drawback - it takes a lot of time.

If you want to use curd to cook some dishes for example for sirnikov or cottage cheese casserole, the process can be accelerated. For this, the container with the frozen food is immediately left at room temperature. In this case, the curd will defrost after 3 hours.

In case of emergency, you can use microwave defrosting. The microwave oven must be set to defrost fish, seafood or bread.