Can You Freeze Havarti Cheese?

Havarti is a semi-soft cow’s milk cheese, suitable for slicing, grilling, or melting. But it can be quite hard to get hold of. So when you can, you might buy it in bulk. So what do you do with the leftovers?

How to Freeze Havarti Cheese

To maximize the shelf life of a chunk of Havarti cheese after opening, wrap the original packaging tightly in plastic wrap or aluminum foil.

1. Cut Into Blocks
   Freezing havarti in one big block is not a good idea, so cut your cheese into individual blocks, no larger than ½ lb each.
2. Wrap
   Wrap the blocks of cheese tightly in aluminum foil and cling film, creating an airtight seal around each block. You do not want there to be any part of the cheese exposed.   
3. Bag
   Now place the wrapped pieces of havarti cheese into freezer safe bags, or silicone bags. 
4. Label
   As always, label and date the freezer bag to help you refer to the best before date when it comes to using the cheese at a later date. 
5. Freeze
   Place the bags inside the freezer and you can freeze these pieces of cheese for up to 2-3 months. 

The freezer time shown is for best quality only – Havarti cheese that has been kept constantly frozen at -18C will actually keep safe indefinitely.

3 Tips for Freezing Havarti Cheese

Now you know how to freeze it, we’ve got our 3 top tips which we strongly recommend following when freezing Havarti cheese to have the best results:

Try Wax Paper
For even better results, wrap the cheese first in wax or parchment paper and then cover with plastic wrap and/or foil before freezing.

Cut Away Mould
Sometimes cheese can develop mould, but it is still okay to eat if this has happened. Just cut away at least 1 inch around and below the mouldy area (do not touch mould with the knife) and re-cover the cheese in fresh wrap.

Use High-Quality Freezer Bags
The last thing you want is to open your frozen Havarti in a month only to find freezer burn and frost buildup. Normal ziplock bags will work, but they will allow more air particles through to your cheese over time. Consider using silicone freezer bags to ensure zero freezer burn.

How Long Can You Freeze Havarti Cheese?

Properly stored, Havarti cheese will maintain the best quality for about 2 months, but will remain safe beyond that time.

Havarti cheese that is going bad typically will develop a very hard texture, will darken in colour, will develop a strong smell and mould may appear.

You Can Freeze Havarti Cheese for up to 2 Months

How Do You Defrost Havarti Cheese?

You can defrost Havarti cheese in a number of different ways, some more effective than others.

Firstly, you can take your piece of frozen cheese out of the freezer, place it on a plate and leave it in the fridge to thaw. It is best to do this overnight. When thawed in the fridge, it will keep for an additional 3 to 4 days so no need to use it immediately. 

If you need to defrost your cheese quickly, you can either whack it in the microwave for a few seconds at a time or you can submerge the wrapped piece of frozen Havarti cheese in some water.

This will thaw the cheese within a few hours. However, if you choose either of these methods for defrosting, you must use the cheese immediately and not keep it long as this may cause it to go bad or you may get sick.

Can You Refreeze Havarti Cheese?

No, do not refreeze Havarti cheese. This is not only dangerous in terms of potential bacteria growth, but it will also degrade the texture of the cheese to the point where it is not enjoyable or possible to cook with.

Even freezing just the one time will make the cheese slightly crumblier than usual, so multiple freezes would just take this too far. 

Does Havarti Cheese Freeze Well?

Yes, Havarti cheese is a great cheese to freeze! Make sure to follow the instructions and tips above for optimal freezing and then you will have great cheese to add into sauces, soups and casseroles whenever you need it. 

Related FAQs

If you’ve still got questions about freezing Havarti or Havarti in general, then these may help: