Roquefort is a popular type of blue cheese that has an acquired taste. Ideal for festive cheese boards and suitable for use in various sauces and recipes, it’s handy to have some blue cheese on hand in the kitchen. But what’s the best way to store it?
Can You Freeze Roquefort?
Yes, you can freeze Roquefort for up to 4 months. While its consistency will change slightly, it will still be good for use in sauces; it just might be a little crumblier than usual. To freeze it, you will need to wrap the cheese and bag it up.
Do Does Roquefort freeze well? No
Can you refreeze Roquefort? Yes
How to Freeze Roquefort
When you freeze Roquefort, it will lose some of its moisture content. As a result, the cheese that you’re left with once it has been thawed will be a little crumblier than you may have liked.
If you’re happy with this, here are the steps that you need to follow before freezing Roquefort cheese:
- Wrap
Decide how much cheese you wish to freeze and wrap it in cling film. It’s probably best to double-wrap it, as freezer burn will cause your cheese to dry out even more than it already will. - Bag Up
Place your wrapped Roquefort in a freezer-safe bag (or airtight container) and push as much air out as possible before sealing it. - Label and Freeze
Write today’s date and the use-by date on the front of the bag and place the Roquefort cheese in the freezer. Remember, you can freeze Roquefort for around 3-4 months.
3 Tips for Freezing Roquefort
Now you know how to freeze it, we’ve got our 3 top tips which we strongly recommend following when freezing Roquefort to have the best results:
Check the Use-By Date
Most blue cheeses that you buy from the supermarket come with fairly long shelf lives, meaning you might not need to freeze them in the first place. As such, double-check the date on its original packaging and only prepare Roquefort for the freezer if it’s absolutely necessary.
Expect Textural Changes
People are often disappointed when they freeze and thaw cheese, as it is nearly always drier and crumblier than it was when they froze it in the first instance.
As such, Roquefort isn’t suitable for freezing if you want to enjoy the cheese on its own. However, if you’re planning to use it as the base for a soup or sauce, then you can freeze it without issue.
Freeze Once Only!
Because Roquefort doesn’t freeze particularly well the first time around, we certainly wouldn’t recommend freezing it more than once.
If you’re concerned about wasting this delicious blue cheese, consider splitting it into smaller portion sizes before freezing it, so you can remove what you need at any given time.
How Long Can You Freeze Roquefort?
You can freeze Roquefort for around 3-4 months. If you leave cheese in the freezer for any longer than this, it will dry out too much to be useful.
Once opened, your blue cheese should be good in the fridge for 3-4 weeks, giving you plenty of time to tuck in and enjoy it before freezing is necessary.
Unopened, most blue cheeses are good for around six months, but you should always check the date on the label before deciding on how best to preserve it.
You Can Freeze Roquefort for up to 4 Months
How Do You Defrost Roquefort?
When it’s time to enjoy your Roquefort in the future, you will need to defrost it by transferring it from the freezer to the fridge.
It can take several hours to thaw sufficiently, so make sure you do this long before you need to use it (ideally the night before).
You should never thaw Roquefort or any other type of cheese at room temperature or in the microwave, as doing so will cause it to spoil.
Can You Refreeze Roquefort?
No, you should only freeze Roquefort once. As mentioned, Roquefort and other blue cheeses will crumble when you freeze it, so it’s certainly not suitable for freezing more than once.
You will find that if you freeze and thaw Roquefort several times, the resulting cheese will be dry and far from appetising, so make sure you manage your portion sizes to ensure you don’t need to worry about refreezing Roquefort in the first place.
Does Roquefort Freeze Well?
Due to the fact that it goes crumbly and dries out in the freezer, Roquefort doesn’t freeze particularly well.
So, if you’re planning to enjoy Roquefort just as it is on crackers, we wouldn’t recommend freezing it. However, if you’re happy to use blue cheese in various soups, sauces, or recipes, then freezing it shouldn’t be a problem.
