When it comes to delectable smelly cheeses, brie is perhaps one of the favourites. With a soft and creamy texture, this cheese is a luscious treat originating in the French region of, unsurprisingly, brie. But how do you store it?
Can You Freeze Brie?
Yes, you can freeze brie for up to 6 months. When freezing brie, it’s vital that you ensure it is airtight before freezing it to prevent it from spoiling rapidly in the freezer.
Do Does Brie freeze well? No
Can you refreeze Brie? No
How to Freeze Brie
Whether you’re freezing blocks, wedges or slices of brie, you must ensure the brie is safely packaged to a point where it will not be affected by any potential moisture in the freezer.
For the best results, follow these steps:
- Prepare Brie: Cut your brie wheel or wedge into smaller portions, ideally no larger than 450 grams, and consider how you plan to eat it. You won’t want to defrost more than you’re likely to eat as it will then go to waste.
- Flash Freeze: Place a freezer-safe bag onto a baking sheet. Insert your brie slices into the freezer-safe bag and make sure they are not touching one another. Squeeze out as much air as possible. Place into the freezer and freeze until solid.
- Final Freeze: Remove from the sheet and place in a freezer-safe container. Label and store. You want to store the bag in a container as you don’t want the brie to absorb other flavours from the freezer.
How to Freeze Large Brie Wedges
An alternative option for larger wedges or slices is to do the following:
- Prepare Brie: Tightly wrap each wedge or block in wax or parchment paper, followed by heavy-duty aluminium foil or plastic wrap.
- Store in a Bag: Place the wrapped pieces of brie into a thick freezer bag. Remove as much air as possible as you seal it up.
- Freeze : Label clearly the type of cheese and the date. Store in the freezer.
3 Tips for Freezing Brie
Now you know how to freeze it, we’ve got our 3 top tips which we strongly recommend following when freezing brie to have the best results:
Wrap Wrap Wrap
The key to freezing brie with any level of success is to ensure it is airtight. Wrapping it in multiple layers of cling film is the best way to achieve this.
Cook It
Unfortunately, frozen brie is not something you will want to serve on a cheeseboard. Instead, try to only use it in cooked dishes.
Try Other Cheeses
Creamy, soft cheese like brie will not freeze that well, unfortunately. The texture will change rapidly in the freezer. Perhaps try freezing harder cheeses such as cheddar instead?
How Long Can You Freeze Brie?
Once you have correctly sealed your brie for freezing, it can stay frozen for a maximum of 6 months and still maintain a high quality.
If you are okay with a slight decrease in quality, brie can actually be frozen indefinitely when consistently frozen at a temperature of -18Ā°C, which helps those who need to store their brie for longer than 6 months.
Once opened, brie will last in the fridge for 1 or 2 weeks when wrapped well in a sheet of cling film.
How Do You Defrost Brie?
There are three options when it comes to defrosting your brie, and they are as follows:
- Fridge Overnight
While this is the slowest method, it tends to yield the best results. Place your brie in a bowl and then into the fridge to defrost slowly overnight.
Please note, the thicker the cheese, the longer thawing will take. It can take anywhere from 18 hours for small wedges to 36 hours for larger pieces. - Cold Water Bath
Depending on the size of your cheese, place it into a water-proof bag and let it rest in a bowl or pot of cold water. This method will give you defrosted brie within 2 to 3 hours.
Do not use warm water as this can thaw your cheese too quickly on the outside while the centre remains frozen solid. - Use It Frozen
This is a viable option for brie to be used in recipes such as baked goods, stews and soups. Other than taking a few more minutes to cook, this is a great option.
Can You Refreeze Brie?
Like many dairy and cheese products, brie is not something you will want to refreeze, ever. You will degrade the flavour and completely ruin the texture rendering it thoroughly unenjoyable.
Instead, as discussed above, we would highly recommend freezing brie in suitable portions so you can easily defrost a portion at a time.
Does Brie Freeze Well?
When it comes to freezing and defrosting brie, weād have to say it does not freeze particularly well. The reason is that brie is a soft cheese and loses some of its texture once defrosted.
The upside, though, is that frozen and defrosted brie is an excellent ingredient for cooked or baked foods. While you can still eat brie on bread, you may be disappointed with the texture and taste.
Related FAQs
If you’ve still got questions about freezing brie or brie in general, then these may help:
Do not freeze brie in puff pastry. Although puff pastry freezes well, the brie inside will not freeze well at all. The texture will be off, and it will no longer be soft and gooey.
No, you cannot freeze a wheel of brie cheese. Although it may be possible and it may freeze, when it comes to defrosting and eating it, you’ll notice drastic textural changes which will make the eating experience unenjoyable.
