Can You Freeze Vegan Cheese: Till about a few years ago, the concept of veganism was not very popular. However, today, the vegan diet is all the rage when it comes to sustainable living and healthy eating. That means, if you follow the vegan diet, you are going to be eating dairy-free alternatives of cheese in your grilled sandwiches.
Now, while we know that cheese can be frozen for a really long time, it’s only fair to wonder whether you can freeze vegan cheese. So, in this blog, we have talked about everything you need to know about freezing vegan cheese. So, without wasting any further time, let’s just get right into it!
- Can You Freeze Vegan Cheese?
- How to Freeze Vegan Cheese?
- How Long Can You Freeze Vegan Cheese?
- How to Thaw or Defrost Frozen Vegan Cheese?
- Can You Refreeze Thawed Vegan Cheese?
- Does Vegan Cheese Freeze Well?
- Tips and Tricks to Freeze Vegan Cheese
- Can you freeze every type of vegan cheese?
- How to identify whether vegan cheese has spoiled?
- Can you freeze vegan cheese sauce?
Can You Freeze Vegan Cheese?
Yes, you can certainly freeze vegan cheese but you can do that with a caveat. The thing is that you can freeze vegan cheese for long periods of time when you buy them from your local supermarket. This is admittedly because of the presence of preservatives and better manufacturing processes. However, if you make vegan cheese at home itself, its shelf life drops by almost half the time!
So, while you can freeze vegan cheese for about 6 months if you follow the steps we have outlined below, you can expect your homemade vegan cheese to last only about 3 months in your freezer. That said, below we have given you comprehensive instructions on what you need to know in order to freeze your vegan cheese!
How to Freeze Vegan Cheese?
2 principles of freezing cheese remain identical even when it comes to freezing vegan cheese. For instance, you will not be able to freeze all types of vegan cheese. Soft vegan cheeses like vegan brie simply do not freeze well, much like their dairy counterparts. However, hard vegan cheeses do freeze well. Moreover, regardless of whether it is dairy cheese or vegan cheese, you would be better off freezing it in portions. Now, let’s get to the actual freezing.
- The first step is to cut the cheese into the shape you want to store it in. So, you can either dice the entire block of cheese, or slice it, or grate it. We find that grating the vegan cheese gives us the most versatile use. But, each one to his own. Now, remember that you can freeze the entire block of vegan cheese too. It just makes for an inconvenient thawing and actually eating process. This is why we advise that you divide it up into portions before you move on to the next step.
- Now, after you have prepared the vegan cheese as per your own preference, you need to portion it out into different containers. This will make it easier for you when you finally want to thaw the cheese and eat it or use it. You will not have to thaw and refreeze the entire block of cheese! Do make sure that you put the cheese in freezer-safe and airtight containers. We do not want freezer burn to kill the taste and flavor of the vegan cheese!
- If you do decide to freeze the entire block of vegan cheese rather than in portions, make sure that you end up using the entire block of cheese in one go. But, before you move on to the next step, make sure that you wrap the entire block of cheese in aluminum foil. Try and ensure that the wrapping is completely airtight. This should help in staving off freezer burn.
- Now, place the containers or the block of cheese in your freezer with clear labels on which you have written the type of cheese and the date of freezing that cheese! This habit is particularly helpful if you enjoy freezing different types of vegan cheeses.
How Long Can You Freeze Vegan Cheese?
The answer to this question depends on a couple of factors. Typically, we find that vegan cheeses that have been bought from the market or store and are yet to be opened will easily last about 6 months in your freezer.
However, the situation changes drastically when you make your own vegan cheese rather than buy it from your local supermarket. If you do make your own vegan cheese at home, depending on the type of cheese you have made, it will last about 3 months in your freezer.
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How to Thaw or Defrost Frozen Vegan Cheese?
Your vegan cheese can only be frozen if you can also defrost it and actually enjoy it. Therefore, you do need to take a few painstaking measures to ensure that your vegan frozen cheese thaws properly, without spoiling. Given that it is a dairy-free alternative to cheese, you have some leeway when it comes to thawing the frozen block of vegan cheese.
The first method that you can use is, of course, the overnight refrigeration method. To begin with, you first need to make sure that your vegan cheese’s packaging is secure. Then you have to let the cheese thaw in your refrigerator overnight first. Just transfer the container from your freezer into your refrigerator and leave it while you sleep the day off.
If you need your block of vegan cheese to be edible or usable sooner than 8 hours, you can always opt to thaw it by placing it on your kitchen counter or even use the microwave. While letting it thaw on your kitchen counter would still take 2 hours, with a microwave, you could be good to go in about 5 minutes!
Can You Refreeze Thawed Vegan Cheese?
No, you cannot refreeze vegan cheese that has already been thawed once. The simple fact is that if you do try and refreeze it, the cheese will lose everything that makes it cheese. That includes taste, texture, and smell. That is why we advocated for the use of different portions in different containers right at the beginning! That way, you will not have to refreeze thawed vegan cheese ever!
Does Vegan Cheese Freeze Well?
Yes, vegan cheese does freeze well. However, that is only the case as far as hard vegan cheeses are concerned. If you try to freeze soft vegan cheeses, you will quickly be disappointed!
Tips and Tricks to Freeze Vegan Cheese
Here are a few tips and tricks to freeze vegan cheese and then use it in the best possible manner! Give them a shot and see how they work out for you!
- As far as using frozen vegan cheese is concerned, you would be much better off if you used the cheese in foods that have already been prepared. Therefore, frozen vegan cheese is a delicious ingredient in dishes like lasagna and casseroles where the change in their texture will not make any difference to the overall preparation.
- You would probably derive more benefit from simply refrigerating the vegan cheese rather than freezing it. Vegan cheese, in general, has a longer shelf life. Therefore, by default, a packaged version of vegan cheese will last about 4 months anyway. Storing them in the refrigerator instead of in your freezer will ensure that your cheese remains fresh!
- Jack of all trades is master of none but is still better than one. This aphorism is of particular importance over here because our next tip to you would be to freeze a little of all types of cheese preparations. So, make sure you slice them, dice them, grate them, and then divide them into separate containers.
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FAQs About Freezing Vegan Cheeses
1. Can you freeze every type of vegan cheese?
No, not all vegan cheeses hold their shape well in the freezer. Vegan cheeses like ricotta and cream cheese have a high water content and may not freeze well, becoming gritty or mushy when thawed. Vegan cheeses that are similar in texture to cheddar or mozzarella freeze well.
2. How to identify whether vegan cheese has spoiled?
There are, of course, different ways to identify the spoilage in vegan cheese. Some vegan cheeses lose their form when frozen. Due to their high water content, vegan cheeses like ricotta and cream cheese may not freeze well and end up gritty or mushy after defrosting. Vegan cheeses that mimic the consistency of cheddar or mozzarella may be stored in the freezer.
3. Can you freeze vegan cheese sauce?
Yes, you can freeze vegan cheese sauce. You only need to make sure that your vegan cheese sauce remains in an airtight container and that you add a little water and warm the sauce when you are ready to finally eat!
Key Takeaways
Hope that the article we have provided on can you freeze Vegan cheese might be very useful to you. The fact that it lacks dairy actually plays to its advantage since dairy has the tendency to spoil quickly. That said, even if you do manage to ruin the texture, you can use it in a vegan cheese sauce! Happy freezing!
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