Mascarpone cheese goes great in pasta sauces, cheesecake and as an accompaniment to fresh fruit, but you often only need a spoonful or two of the stuff. So what can you do with leftover mascarpone?
Can You Freeze Mascarpone?
Yes, you can freeze mascarpone for up to 4 months. Thanks to the water and fat levels in mascarpone, it will freeze better than most other cheeses.
Do Does Mascarpone freeze well? Sometimes
Can you refreeze Mascarpone? No
How to Freeze Mascarpone Cheese
The last thing you want to do is ruin the texture of your mascarpone. Ultimately, one of the reasons you use it is for its creamy velvet texture:
- Stir It: The first thing you want to do is give your mascarpone a good stir. If it sits in the fridge for only a few days, there will be some slight natural separation. You want to make sure that they are fully mixed before freezing.
- Portion Out: Next, grab an airtight container. You could use a freezer bag, but there is a risk that the cheese will get crushed. Spoon the mascarpone into your container.
- Seal: Place the lid on top. If you’re not convinced, it is a tight seal, then wrap the container in a layer of cling film. This will further prevent air from getting in, reduce the risk of freezer burn and stop odours from penetrating your mascarpone.
- Freeze: Place the container in the freezer, and you’re done.
How to Freeze Mascarpone Dishes
Freezing mascarpone cheese, on its own, is great. But one of the main advantages of a freezer is having ready-prepared dishes. So what mascarpone-based dishes can you freeze?
How to Freeze Mascarpone Cheesecake
You can freeze mascarpone cheese. However, unfortunately, the texture won’t be quite the same when you thaw it out, but if it avoids wasting it, you might as well give it a go.
You need to wrap the whole cheesecake in cling film followed by foil. If you have individual portions, then you can use the same technique. Once wrapped, you can bag it up to give it a final layer of protection.
Make sure you give it plenty of time to thaw in the fridge overnight.
How to Freeze Mascarpone Icing
Mascarpone icing can become very grainy when frozen, but it can be frozen.
All you need to do is spoon the icing into a bag and freeze. When you need your icing, thaw it out in the fridge overnight.
Once thawed, give it a vigorous beat. This will remove some of the grainy texture. It won’t be perfect, but it will be improved.
3 Tips for Freezing Mascarpone Cheese
Now you know how to freeze mascarpone, we’ve got our 3 top tips which we strongly recommend following when freezing it to have the best results:
Freeze in Portions
Mascarpone cheese does not refreeze well at all. The last thing you want to do is thaw too much and then refreeze the leftovers. Instead, freeze mascarpone in portion-sized batches to make it easier to thaw small amounts at a time.
Defrost Slowly
Speeding the defrosting process can lead to grainy, lump and split mascarpone. Instead, opt for thawing it slowly overnight in the fridge.
Vigorously Stir After Thawing
You will get some separation when freezing mascarpone, no matter how careful you are. Once it has thawed, give it a quick, vigorous stir to incorporate the liquid back in.
How Long Can You Freeze Mascarpone?
Even though the mascarpone is frozen, there is still a small chance it will separate. That’s why we recommend only freezing it for up to 4 months. The longer you leave it in the freezer, the more likely the liquids will separate.
Make sure you label your mascarpone when you freeze it with the date you need to use it.
Mascarpone will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for between 5 and 7 days.
How Do You Defrost Mascarpone Cheese?
You will want to give your mascarpone plenty of time to thaw slowly. Take your container and place it in the fridge overnight. This will take around 12 hours to thaw completely. Do not attempt to speed this up.
Consuming cheese that is thawed quickly can be unsafe, and you’ll ruin the texture.
Once it has thawed, tip it into a bowl and give it a good mix. You could beat it with a whisk or wooden spoon.
Can You Refreeze Mascarpone?
This is not something we would recommend at all. Mascarpone cheese, like most cheese, is very sensitive to being frozen. The texture can change, and it can separate.
When freezing once, you can usually rectify this with a vigorous stir. But this is not the case with refrozen mascarpone. You’ll find the texture is ruined.
Does Mascarpone Freeze Well?
It can freeze well. When you defrost it, make sure you give it a vigorous stir. This will reverse any separation effects that have taken place. As mascarpone is fairly flavourless, the flavour won’t be impacted by freezing.
It’s all about texture.
That’s why defrosting it slowly in the fridge is vital, to ensure you don’t break the texture down.
Related FAQs
If you’ve still got questions about freezing mascarpone cheese or mascarpone in general, then these may help:
Pasta sauce made with mascarpone cheese will freeze just fine. If you use a lot of mascarpone, it may split a little, but a quick stir should fix it.
Mascarpone frosting can be frozen in a Tupperware container. When defrosted, you may find it has become a little grainy so it will need a vigorous stir to fix.
Yes, mascarpone cheesecake can be frozen.
I froze half my mascarpone in its original plastic tub. I wrapped the top with cling film before placing the plastic lid on it. When I took it out of the freezer, the colour looked pinker than before, and not the usual white, but it smelled okay. I also needed to thaw it quickly, so I put it in the microwave on the Defrost cycle for only a few seconds, which probably was not a good idea. I used it for my usual Tiramisu recipe which I made the week before. However, the final result, when I mixed it with the whipped cream, seemed to be more watery than normal, and did not set. It tasted normal though. Next time, I will try beating it well after thawing it out, and I will thaw it in the refrigerator. However, the colour still baffles me.
That’s something new to us too! Sounds like you used your instinct though. You’ll often find high-fat dairy products become watery as the fats split from the liquid. A good beat before using should help somewhat.
I’ve made a pasta sauce using mascarpone tomatoes & basil, will that be ok to freeze?
It should be fine but you may notice the texture of the sauce becomes a little grainy and/or watery depending on the amount of mascarpone you have used.