Mozzarella is one of the most versatile cheeses money can buy and you probably use it every week or so. But perhaps you only need to use half a ball of mozzarella? Or maybe you’ve overindulged and bought far too much? So, what can you do?
Can You Freeze Mozzarella?
Yes, you can freeze mozzarella for up to 8 months. Once drained from its brine, wrap tightly in cling film before placing them into a thick freezer bag.
Do Does Mozzarella Cheese freeze well? Yes
Can you refreeze Mozzarella Cheese? No
How to Freeze Mozzarella Balls
Whether you’ve bought bog-standard mozzarella, smaller bocconcini or flashy burrata, they all come in a soft round ball. Just follow these steps to get it frozen:
- Drain: The first step is to remove it from the bag and discard the liquid that it comes in. You don’t want to freeze it in the liquid.
- Wrap: The next step is to wrap the mozzarella in cling film. This is the first step to preventing air from getting to the mozzarella. If you’re not sure you’ve wrapped it properly then do so twice.
- Bag Up: Next, place your wrapped mozzarella into a plastic ziplock bag and seal the top around 90% of the way. Now you can squeeze out as much of the air as possible from the bag before sealing the final 10% of the bag.
- Freeze: You can now place the bag into the freezer and you’re done. Remember to label the bag with the content along with the date on which it was frozen.
You may find that multiple mozzarella cheese balls stick together when frozen in this method so, where possible, use small freezer bags and freeze one ball per bag.
How to Freeze Shredded Mozzarella
Perhaps you’ve bought a bag of ready-shredded or grated mozzarella but have only used half of the bag?
- Freeze on a Baking Tray: First, spread the mozzarella out onto a baking tray and place it in the freezer for 20 to 30 minutes. This is to get a quick frozen layer on the outside so that they don’t stick together when placed into a bag.
- Bag Up and Freeze: Once the grated cheese is hard, gently break it up and then place it into a plastic bag, seal and place it in the freezer.
You can then remove the amount you need straight from the freezer without wasting any. As always, make sure you label each of your bags so you know how long the bag has been in the freezer and when it needs to be used.
3 Tips for Freezing Mozzarella
Now you know how to freeze it, we’ve got our 3 top tips which we strongly recommend following when freezing mozzarella to have the best results:
Drain
There is no advantage to freezing mozzarella in the brine it came in. Instead, you’ll end up with a block of frozen brine that will take longer to defrost. Draining it beforehand will save you plenty of time in the future.
Grate from Frozen
If you’re going to use the mozzarella melted across a baked dish then you can actually grate it from frozen. Use a coarse grate while the mozzarella ball is still hard and it will grate easily.
Avoid Freezing Pricey Mozzarella
Expensive burrata or buffalo mozzarella is prized for its creamy texture. If you freeze it, you will lose this texture and you’ll have wasted your money. Instead, only freeze standard mozzarella that you want to use for melting predominantly.
How Long Can You Freeze Mozzarella?
Properly sealed mozzarella cheese can be frozen for between six to eight months, depending again on the freshness and quality of the cheese in the first place.
Remember, like most other dairy products, defrosted mozzarella can’t be frozen again, so we suggest freezing it in smaller batches.
When in brine, mozzarella will usually keep for several weeks in the fridge. However, once drained, it will need to be used with 3 days.
How Do You Defrost Mozzarella?
The best way to defrost mozzarella without impacting its texture is to thaw it in the fridge a day before using it. However, depending on how old your mozzarella was before you froze it – it may still lose some of its creaminess.
If you plan on cooking with your mozzarella or melting it, then it’s not a huge problem as you’re using it simply to add that gooeyness to your dish.
Can You Refreeze Mozzarella?
This comes down to how you plan on using it.
Some people like to grate a frozen mozzarella ball over pasta bakes and pizzas simply for texture. If this is what you’re doing then you can refreeze your mozzarella balls.
If, however, you want to use it in a salad and want to be able to taste the mozzarella then we would advise against refreezing which will negatively impact the flavour.
Does Mozzarella Freeze Well?
Freezing creamy cheese will affect the texture somewhat. If you like to use mozzarella slices for your sandwiches and salads then freezing, unfortunately, isn’t the solution.
You will always be able to detect the difference between fresh and frozen with fresh always winning this battle.
However, if your main use for mozzarella is to melt it in the oven then frozen is the way to go. It gives you a great supply of mozzarella without the risk of throwing any in the bin making it a win-win.
Related FAQs
If you’ve still got questions about freezing mozzarella or mozzarella in general, then these may help:
Yes, you can freeze bocconcini. They will retain their delicate flavour and texture when frozen. Drain the bocconcini from their liquid, then wrap them in 3 or 5. Once wrapped, bag them up before placing the bags into the freezer.
Perhaps you’ve used mozzarella as the topping to a pasta bake and want to know if you can freeze it? Well, it will freeze but when thawed and reheated it will go quite rubbery.
Yes, most brands of mozzarella, including Belgioioso and Galbani, can be frozen for around 3 months if they’re left in their unopened packaging.
Yes, if you have marinated your mozzarella in basil, olive oil and garlic, it can be frozen too. Place each marinated mozzarella ball into a freezer bag, seal it up tight and then place it into the freezer.
Sources
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Thank you for your feedback Barbara. We’ll certainly take it onboard.
Thanks for the information. I will definitely be freezing mozzarella balls. I often pick up extra when they are reduced at my local supermarket. Now I know that I can freeze mozzarella I will be cashing in on the reduced price.
That’s great to hear Dawn!