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Of all 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 about freezing it.

Is it possible to freeze cottage cheese?

You can store cottage cheese in the refrigerator for just a few days. This especially applies to homemade cottage cheese. Cottage cheese prepared industrially lasts a little longer. This is due to the use of pasteurized milk for its base or the use of preservatives. This cottage cheese can be stored for up to a week in the refrigerator.

If you follow 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, by preserving homemade cottage cheese in this way, you can eat a delicious natural product at any time of the year.

How to freeze cottage cheese

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

1. Only grainy cottage cheese is suitable for frozen storage. Use only high-quality and fresh product.
2. Store frozen cottage cheese only in ceramic or glass containers with a tight-fitting lid. This way you can eliminate moisture or air from entering.
3. Take small containers to use a portion of cottage cheese at a time.
4. Do not fill containers to the very top, as whey expands when frozen.
5. Use quick freezing at -30 degrees. In this case, the cottage cheese will freeze completely 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 cottage cheese can be carried out in different ways. It is best to defrost the product gradually. To do this, move the container with a portion of frozen cottage cheese from the freezer to the bottom shelf of the refrigerator. There the cottage cheese will defrost gradually over 12 hours. The liquid that is formed 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 in its natural form. This method has only one drawback - it takes a lot of time.

If you want to use cottage cheese to prepare some kind of dishes, for example, for cheesecakes or cottage cheese casserole, the process can be speeded up. To do this, the container with the frozen product is immediately left at room temperature. In this case, the cottage cheese will defrost within 3 hours.

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