Of all dairy products, cottage cheese is especially popular. It is used both as an independent dish and as a component for the preparation of other dishes. Unfortunately, cottage cheese, like other milk products, cannot be stored for a long time. Therefore, the question arises of its freezing.

Is it possible to freeze cottage cheese

You can store cottage cheese in the refrigerator for only a few days. This is especially true for homemade cottage cheese. Cottage cheese prepared in industrial conditions is stored a little longer. This is due to the use of pasteurized milk for its basis or the use of preservatives. This cottage cheese can be stored for up to a week in the refrigerator.

Subject to all the rules, cottage cheese can be frozen and stored in this form for up to 2 months. At the same time, it will not lose any of its nutritional properties or appearance. In addition, by preserving homemade cottage cheese in this way, you can eat a delicious natural product at any time of the year.

How to freeze cottage cheese

So that the cottage cheese does not lose its nutritional value even after defrosting, it is important to follow all the rules for its high-quality freezing:

1. Only granular cottage cheese is suitable for preservation in a frozen form. Use exclusively high-quality and fresh product.
2. Store frozen cottage cheese only in a ceramic or glass container with a tight-fitting lid. So you can eliminate the ingress of moisture or air.
3. Take small containers to use a serving of cottage cheese at a time.
4. Do not fill containers all the way to the top, as whey expands when frozen.
5. Use quick freeze at -30 degrees. In this case, the cottage cheese will completely freeze within 4 hours.
6. In the future, store the frozen product at a temperature of -18 degrees.

You can cook for freezing not only the cottage cheese itself, but also semi-finished products from it - dumplings stuffed with cottage cheese, or cheesecakes. Such dishes perfectly retain all their taste properties and are suitable for quick preparation.

How to defrost cottage cheese

The process of defrosting cottage cheese can be carried out in different ways. It is best to defrost the product gradually. To do this, a container with a portion of frozen cottage cheese is moved from the freezer to the bottom shelf of the refrigerator. There, the cottage cheese will defrost gradually over 12 hours. The liquid that is formed as a result of this process must be drained. The cottage cheese defrosted in this way will completely retain its structure and taste. It can be eaten in its natural form. The disadvantage of this method is only one - it takes a very long time.

If you want to use cottage cheese to prepare some kind of, for example, or cottage cheese casserole, then the process can be accelerated. To do this, the container with the frozen product is immediately left at room temperature. In this case, the cottage cheese will defrost after 3 hours.

In case of emergency, you can use the defrosting with a microwave. The microwave oven must be set to defrost fish, seafood or bread.

Fresh farm cottage cheese - what could be tastier? A head or a scattering - it doesn’t matter, in any case, such a product exudes a delicate smell of cream. Cottage cheese can be eaten raw. Someone loves it with honey, others - with sour cream or berries. And how many dishes exist, the main ingredient of which is cottage cheese! And hot cheesecakes, and cheesecakes, and casseroles ... But what if you bought a kilogram of cottage cheese, and it took quite a bit of product to cook the dish? Or did they not get their hands on culinary exploits at all? The question arises: "Is it possible to freeze cottage cheese for storage?" We will try to clarify this in our article. First of all, readers will be interested in the question of whether the taste of cottage cheese will deteriorate. After all, a fermented milk product at sub-zero temperatures is split into fats and water. Let's approach the study of the problem from a scientific point of view.

Shelf life of cottage cheese

First of all, you should understand the difference between a fresh farm product, made with your own hands or bought in the market, and store-bought. On an industrial scale, preservatives are added to cottage cheese, which makes it possible to extend the shelf life of the product to a week. But a fresh product can be stored in the refrigerator for only two to three days. If you put cottage cheese in a ceramic bowl, cover with a lid and put it on the shelf closest to the freezer, you can extend the freshness period by another day. But after that, it can still go bad - it starts to taste bitter, exude an unpleasant odor. And if we still have a surplus of the product, we face an urgent question: "Is it possible to freeze cottage cheese?" We answer without concealment: yes, you can, only you need to do it correctly. How? This is the next question.

How to avoid negative experiences

Some inexperienced cooks think that it is enough to put the product in the freezer - and it will be stored there for many months. But it is not so. You should rephrase the question and make a little clarification to it: is it possible to freeze cottage cheese at home? The industrial capacities of food processing plants make it possible to do this without difficulty. Moreover, in some countries, for example, in Belarus and Poland, excess cottage cheese is specially frozen in summer, since milk yields are reduced in winter, and the price of sour-milk products rises. But food plants use the so-called shock freezing. If, however, it is carried out at the usual temperature of the chamber (-6 or -10 degrees), then the quality of the cottage cheese will noticeably deteriorate. In the same way, you can spoil the product by defrosting it incorrectly.

How to keep cottage cheese fresh for a long time

We take an example from industrial plants. Having wondered whether it is possible to freeze cottage cheese, you need to immediately get down to business. The product must be fresh, not stale. When choosing cottage cheese for freezing, you need to give preference to a granular look, rather than a pasty one. We immediately pack it in small portions, so that one can be used at a time. Thawed cottage cheese can not be re-frozen. Packages or containers for packaging must be tight so that the product does not wind up. We put on them for memory the date of freezing. Now the most important thing is the temperature regime. If cottage cheese is frozen slowly, then its structure changes. Water is released, which crystallizes into ice. So that the cottage cheese does not exfoliate, you must immediately set the temperature to the maximum. In industrial freezers, -35 degrees can be reached. But even at home it is possible to set the temperature to -18 ° C.

Proper defrosting

If you want to cook something from cottage cheese, that is, subject it to heat treatment, you don’t have to ask this question. Just leave the closed bag at room temperature for two to three hours, and then drain the resulting liquid. But do not forget: to the question of whether it is possible to freeze thawed cottage cheese, we answered in the negative. If you can’t wait to start cooking cheesecakes or pancakes, you can even defrost the product in the microwave. This will take two minutes. Another thing is if you want to eat fresh cottage cheese. Then the night before, transfer the bag from the freezer to the bottom shelf of the refrigerator. And for breakfast you will have a product that is not inferior in quality to fresh homemade.

Surprisingly, but true: if you make a filling for pancakes, then semi-finished products can be stored longer in this form. When defrosting, the minced meat will not flow, since lactic acid bacteria will not begin their fermentation activity. Pasty cottage cheese must be subjected to heat treatment. In it, fermentation processes are especially strong. We suggest you make cheesecakes from frozen cottage cheese. To do this, mix 250 grams of the thawed product with one egg and add a soup spoon of sugar and sour cream. After stirring, add half a glass of flour and a pinch of baking soda. Knead the dough, roll it into a tourniquet, cut it into pieces and deep-fry. Throw the cottage cheese bars in a colander to drain excess oil, and roll in powdered sugar. Bon Appetit!

Alexander Gushchin

I can't vouch for the taste, but it will be hot :)

Content

Protein fermented milk product, which is obtained by heating sour milk or kefir, followed by the separation of whey - cottage cheese. It is divided according to the fat content into fatty (17%) bold (7-9%) and low-fat cottage cheese (no more than 2.5%). It is used as an independent product, or as an ingredient for cooking dishes - pancakes, cheesecakes, casseroles, cheesecakes. There are situations when there is an extra fermented milk product. Is it possible to freeze cottage cheese for storage, will its taste and nutritional qualities deteriorate?

Does cottage cheese lose its properties after freezing

Cottage cheese is rich in slowly digestible protein (casein), contains more than 15 g of protein per 100 g. It contains a high concentration of calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, vitamins of group B, A, C, PP. Experts say that you can store cottage cheese in the freezer - after proper freezing and thawing, all the useful qualities of the product are preserved. It is frozen at temperatures up to -20 degrees, so it can be stored for up to two months.

The industrial capacities of dairy plants make it possible to produce the so-called shock freezing, in which the product freezes in an extremely short time at a very low temperature, approximately -35 degrees. If you freeze the cottage cheese in the freezer at home at a temperature of a conventional chamber from -5 to -10 degrees, then the taste of the cottage cheese will deteriorate significantly.

Under the influence of sub-zero temperatures, the structure of the fermented milk product changes. The liquid in it undergoes a process of crystallization. When defrosting, stratification begins, the taste of the resulting curd changes due to the fact that the microorganisms in it are activated, the fermentation process begins, due to improper harvesting.

The benefits and harms of frozen cottage cheese

This type of product is obtained by straining the whey from the milk base, leaving a clean, tasty protein mass and a small amount of carbohydrates, so it is extremely saturated with nutrients, vitamins and trace elements, see photo. Proteins are broken down by lactic acid bacteria into useful amino acids:

• lysine, which is indispensable for the normal functioning of the liver;
• methionine, which prevents the development of atherosclerosis, helps to eliminate cholesterol, normalize the emotional background;
• choline, which is necessary for the normal functioning of the human nervous system.

Cottage cheese should be consumed by people with pathologies of the cardiovascular system, gastrointestinal tract, abdominal organs, obesity, atherosclerosis, hypertension, cholecystitis, fractures, joint problems. Due to the high calcium content, a fermented milk product is mandatory for pregnant and lactating women, children, adolescents, and pensioners. Athletes use cottage cheese to replenish protein stores and build muscle mass.

The benefit of dietary cottage cheese lies in the minimum fat content, the manufacturing technology of which consists in lactic acid fermentation of skimmed milk, by making a special starter culture, see photo. Such a product contains the maximum amount of calcium phosphorus and vitamin PP, which strengthen the skeletal system, improve vascular elasticity, and heal the intestinal microflora. All the beneficial properties of cottage cheese are preserved in a frozen product, subject to the rules for its preparation and thawing.

The ratio of benefits and harms of cottage cheese depends on the method of its production and the quality of the product. A large concentration of biologically active components is contained in a product prepared at home by fermenting natural milk. It is not recommended to use expired cottage cheese, because. pathogenic microflora actively reproduces in it.

Is it possible to freeze sweet cottage cheese and how to store it correctly? It is not recommended to use fresh, as well as freeze, store-bought sweet curds and masses. They contain a large amount of sugar and its substitutes, preservatives, stabilizers, synthetic flavors and emulsifiers. Such additives are harmful to health in fresh and thawed form, even if all the rules for harvesting and thawing the product are observed. It should be stored on the top shelf of the refrigerator, within the expiration date indicated on the package.

Is it possible to store cottage cheese in the freezer

Homemade cottage cheese can be stored in the refrigerator for 2-4 days at low humidity (up to 50%), if you transfer it from a plastic bag to a ceramic or enamel bowl. The shelf life of the store analogue is up to a week, because. manufacturers add preservatives to increase the shelf life. A freshly prepared product is subjected to deep freezing, which after defrosting can be consumed without heat treatment. As for the store-bought pasty product, it is not recommended to freeze it, preference should be given to grainy.

To freeze cottage cheese for storage, the temperature of the freezer must be set to at least -18 degrees (3 or 4 divisions of the scale on the regulator knob). Substantial freezing extends its shelf life to 1-2 months. Such a frozen product retains its valuable and useful properties, but it must be thawed before direct use.

How to freeze

In order to always have fresh tasty cottage cheese on the table, it must be properly frozen and stored:

1. For freezing, you need to take only a fresh product of industrial or home production.
2. The use of plastic bags is not recommended. Preference should be given to glass or enameled containers, which can already be wrapped in cellophane and signed with a marker (product name and date).
3. Containers need to be filled not to the top, because. when freezing, the liquid in the product will begin to expand and occupy the entire volume provided.
4. Freezing cottage cheese is recommended in portions, because. thawed product cannot be re-harvested.
5. You can freeze ready-made semi-finished products - cottage cheese is used to make pancakes, dumplings, cheesecakes, which are prepared according to the classic recipe, then they are packaged and frozen. So the curd does not change its taste, but is stored longer.

How to defrost cottage cheese

After the thawing process, the fermented milk product should be squeezed out to remove excess whey, as it no longer has useful properties. It should be borne in mind that the cottage cheese after defrosting should fully correspond to the fresh product: have a white color, a pleasant taste and aroma. Depending on the method of use, there are several ways to thaw this fermented milk product:

1. For fresh consumption, it is thawed on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator for about 12 hours.
2. For cooking with subsequent heat treatment - at room temperature for about 3-4 hours.
3. In the microwave oven with defrost function for cooking dishes with cottage cheese.
4. For defrosting, followed by baking, you can use a slow cooker, for this it is recommended to set the device to a temperature of +20 degrees.

Is it possible to freeze cottage cheese? This question is relevant for many housewives. This fermented milk product is very popular in many families, as it is tasty, contains many useful substances, and is easy to digest. But it has a short shelf life, which is why questions arise about how to store this product.

How long does cottage cheese keep?

The home-made product does not lose its taste in the refrigerator for 2 days. This refers to the cottage cheese that the hostess bought, for example, in the market or cooked herself from sour milk and kefir.

Manufacturers add preservatives to the store product, therefore, its shelf life increases by another 3-4 days.

If too much of this fermented milk product is bought, then freezing the cottage cheese will be required.

If it has lain for more than a day in the refrigerator, then it is better to use it in a processed form: cook a casserole, cook dumplings, bake cheesecakes or make other dishes.

In a number of countries (for example, in Belarus), they try to freeze cottage cheese on purpose, counting on the fact that in the winter months cows give little milk, and prices for dairy products rise.

For storage, industrial freezers are used, in which the shelf life is about six months. First, the product is frozen at a temperature of -35 ºС, and then stored at -18 ºС.

The fermented milk product can also be stored in the freezer of a household refrigerator at a temperature of -18 ºС. But more than 2 months this will not be possible. Otherwise, after defrosting, its taste will deteriorate.

In the freezer, semi-finished products with this fermented milk product, such as stuffed pancakes or dumplings, are also perfectly preserved. But it is better not to keep them there for more than a month, otherwise all taste qualities will be lost. Useful properties are also saved, so you don't have to worry about that either.

How to freeze cottage cheese and how to defrost it?

If you use the tips and do everything right, then frozen cottage cheese can be safely stored in the freezer for 2 months. He does not lose useful and taste qualities, and at any moment the hostess can please herself and her loved ones with tasty and healthy dishes.

Defrost cottage cheese at room temperature

Freezing cottage cheese and defrosting it properly is easy if you follow the following recommendations:

1. A product that has just been prepared at home can be sent to a deep freeze. This is good because after defrosting it can be consumed fresh, without heat treatment. For the freezer, the temperature must be set from -18 to -35 ºС. Depending on the brand of the refrigerator, this is 2 or 3 divisions of the freezing scale. So it is better to store a granular product, and not a pasty one.
2. If freezing is required for another type of cottage cheese, then it must be borne in mind that its structure will change under the influence of sub-zero temperatures. Its taste can be lost, so it is better to eat it as part of cooked dishes, such as dumplings.
3. To preserve the full usefulness of the product, it is necessary to defrost it correctly. If it will be used for cooking casseroles and other dishes that require heat treatment, then the cottage cheese can be thawed quickly at room temperature. This will take about 3 hours. As soon as it thaws, it is necessary to drain the water. Slow defrosting is necessary if the use of a fermented milk product without heat treatment is expected. In this case, it should be moved from the freezer to the shelf of the refrigerator. It will take up to 12 hours to defrost. You will have to be patient, but the curd product can be eaten fresh. The liquid should also be removed.

To preserve this fermented milk product, you can do without a refrigerator. To do this, just wrap it in a cotton towel soaked in ice water and put it in a cool place where the temperature does not exceed +15 ºС. But it is best to prepare semi-finished products and store them in the freezer.

Cottage cheese is known for its popularity among fermented milk products. Today it is a favorite product in the diet of many families. It can be used both in its pure form and in addition to the preparation of various dishes.

A source of calcium and protein, it can serve as both a dietary breakfast and a healthy lunch. The fermented milk product contains all the vitamins and microelements necessary for a person. These qualities of an easily digestible product allow it to take a significant place in the nutrition of the elderly, pregnant women, and children.

Possessing many useful properties, cottage cheese products can become dangerous for consumption. After the expiration date and improper storage, pathogenic flora develops very quickly in them. If there are no preservatives in fermented milk products, it should be consumed within three days. In this regard, many are wondering whether it is possible to freeze cottage cheese?

If you follow all the rules and features of storing a fermented milk product in a freezer, it can be frozen for up to 2 months. At the same time, the curd does not lose its useful qualities. Freezing a dairy product will provide an opportunity to treat yourself to delicious curd dishes at any time.

Basic freezing rules:

• For freezing, use fresh homemade cottage cheese. It should exude a pleasant smell. It is advisable to use granular cottage cheese. Pasta, bought in a store, is not suitable for this method.
• Cottage cheese will be tastier after defrosting if you use a glass or ceramic storage container. The dishes must have an airtight lid to prevent air ingress and moisture loss.
• Fill containers for dairy products not to the very top, leave 2 cm to the top. Curd whey will increase in volume when frozen.
• It is not recommended to store the product in plastic bags. It will acquire a musty smell and a gray unappetizing color.
• To freeze fermented milk products for long-term storage, it is necessary to use the fast freezing function - 30°C. Send only fresh cottage cheese for deep freezing. It should be completely frozen within 4-6 hours.

The temperature of further storage should not exceed -18°C.

It is impossible to freeze and defrost a dairy product several times. Divide it into small portions first. Use for food should be within 48 hours. Place the containers in the freezer so that it is convenient to take them out for further defrosting.

Freezing semi-finished products with cottage cheese (cheesecakes, dumplings, casseroles, pancakes) will be an excellent option. In this case, you can easily and quickly prepare an express dinner after a working day, as well as please unexpected guests. Dishes from semi-finished products retain their useful qualities and aroma.

What to do to properly defrost cottage cheese?

It is not necessary to quickly defrost cottage cheese. In order to defrost the product, it should be placed overnight in the lower section of the refrigerator. The source of calcium is ready for use after it has been completely defrosted.

If cottage cheese baking will be cooked in a slow cooker, then it is allowed to defrost the product at + 20 ° C.

After the thawing process, the fermented milk product should be squeezed out to remove excess curd liquid, since it no longer has useful properties.

The snow-white color of the cottage cheese and the pleasant milky smell indicate that all the rules for freezing such a valuable nutritious product were followed. The use of high-quality protein products will significantly improve the condition of the body, in particular the skin, and also increase vitality.