Freezing cheese ?

watchdog56 · October 12, 2009, 03:25:34 PM

Is it ok to freeze cheese before I smoke it(waiting to make a cold smoke box and cool weather) and also after I smoke it and let it settle in frig for 2-3 weeks can I freeze it in vacuum bags then?

pensrock · October 12, 2009, 06:20:25 PM

I cannot speak for all cheeses but it has been my experience that cheese does not freeze well. It will keep for a long time vacuum packed and stored in the fridge. Whenever I tried to freeze cheese it always seemed to come out dry and/or crumbly.

KyNola · October 12, 2009, 06:23:56 PM

Pens,
I was waiting for you to respond as you have smoked tons more cheese than me but that was my same reaction. I don't think cheese freezes well.

KyNola

watchdog56 · October 12, 2009, 07:08:53 PM

ok thanks but how long do you think it will stay in a vacuum bag in frig?

KyNola · October 12, 2009, 07:17:41 PM

OK, this one I can answer. Months and months and months. I have eaten lots of cheese that has been vac sealed in the frig for well over 6 months after having been smoked. It just gets better. That is the least of your worries. Smoke it, vac seal it and put it away in the frig. I think I recently read that someone found some in the frig they had hidden last winter and opened it last week. Said it was just fine. When you cold smoke cheese in the Bradley, don't even think about eating it for a minimum of 10 days. It will taste like an ashtray coming out of the Bradley. The longer it is vac sealed the better the smoke penetrates and mellows out.

Enjoy!
KyNola

watchdog56 · October 12, 2009, 07:22:02 PM

thank you for the info

manxman · October 13, 2009, 12:02:51 AM

KN and pens have you sorted with the info they gave, just to add that I agree 100% with what they said. Smoked cheese is one of the best things to come out of the Bradley! :)

Hopefull Romantic · October 13, 2009, 12:07:01 AM

Quote from: manxman on October 13, 2009, 12:02:51 AM
Smoked cheese is one of the best things to come out of the Bradley! :)

Amen to that

HR

pensrock · October 14, 2009, 06:50:24 AM

One thing I would like to add. I cannot explain it, maybe habs or someone else knows why. But smoked cheese will not get moldy nearly as fast as unsmoked cheese. That smoke coating must seal it or something. ???

Hopefull Romantic · October 14, 2009, 06:55:38 AM

Quote from: pensrock on October 14, 2009, 06:50:24 AM
One thing I would like to add. I cannot explain it, maybe habs or someone else knows why. But smoked cheese will not get moldy nearly as fast as unsmoked cheese. That smoke coating must seal it or something. ???

I wish mine would last that long. It would be intersting to find out.

HR

La Quinta · October 14, 2009, 11:34:32 PM

I'll go with Ky on this...I have vac sealed cheese from 10 months ago...cracked it open and made some enchiladas...they were killer...followed up with a frittata the next morning....cheese was great!