Can feta cheese be frozen? - The complete guide

Feta cheese is a popular ingredient in Greek and Mediterranean cuisine. It is a creamy, salty and slightly spicy variety of cheese that many people like. Unfortunately, the shelf life of this cheese is not long enough.

Can feta cheese be frozen?

You can freeze feta to extend its shelf life up to 3 months. If it is frozen maintaining all the necessary conditions and thawed correctly, the texture and flavor of the cheese will not suffer much. Thawed feta becomes slightly grainy and less salty, but is still enjoyable in many dishes. 

Read this article to find out everything about freezing feta cheese and some tips to restore its flavor profile once thawed.

Freezing Feta: Does It Work?

Freezing is a popular and simple method of extending the shelf life of many products, including cheese. While some types of cheese freeze well and do not change their qualities when thawed, others are not suitable for refrigeration.

Feta is not the best cheese for freezing , as it undergoes some changes in terms of flavor profile and texture. However, it’s not the worst either.

If you prepare, freeze and thaw cheese properly , you can make good use of it.

If you are considering buying a large quantity of feta and stocking it up by freezing, you need to consider all aspects. We recommend that you find out about the changes that this variety of cheese undergoes in the freezer and decide if it is worth it or not.

How does freezing affect feta cheese?

Freezing affects feta in that it slightly changes its flavor. Also, when kept in the fridge, feta cheese changes its consistency, which reduces the circle of dishes in which you can use it.

Here’s how freezing affects feta. 

flavor changes

Feta cheese is a popular variety of Greek cheese with a pleasantly tart flavor. It’s also rich, slightly salty, and creamy all at once.

When you freeze feta and then thaw it, the flavor is not as intense and rich. Thawed feta is also less salty than it was before freezing.

Therefore, if you are paying good money for authentic Greek feta and want to enjoy its rich flavor, we recommend that you do not keep it in the freezer.

On the other hand, it is better to put the cheese in the freezer and save it for later use instead of throwing it away. 

texture changes

As for texture, frozen and thawed feta is usually more crumbly. If you use crumbled feta, you will notice less of a difference once the cheese is thawed.

Bricked feta is preserved in some sort of liquid, such as water, brine, milk, or olive oil.  The liquid keeps the cheese smooth and creamy. 

Freezing deprives the cheese of its liquid, causing it to dry out a bit. Also, feta cheese can contain up to 56% water.

Once the cheese is in the cold room , the water forms ice crystals, and a separation occurs between the cheese ingredients. This leaves the cheese more crumbly than usual.

How to freeze feta cheese

Feta cheese comes in different forms. You can buy it in blocks or buy crumbled feta.

Depending on the type you have on hand, the preparation process is only slightly different. However, it is the most important process for freezing feta cheese. If you do a bad job, your product will be spoiled.

Here’s a step-by-step guide on how you should freeze your feta, whether you have it in blocks or crumbles.

Freeze the feta in blocks

If you are fond of authentic feta cheese, you probably buy it in the Greek markets. In these markets, the cheese is sold in rather large bricks in salt water, that is, in brine.

Here’s how to keep feta cheese in the freezer if you have it in blocks. 

1. If your feta is in brine or some other liquid, strain it. Unopened feta must also be opened and removed from the liquid.
2. Pat the cheese dry with paper towels. Don’t bother removing all of the liquid, as it will dry out the cheese completely.
3. Divide the cheese into portions. Decide on serving sizes based on the dishes you’re cooking with feta and how many people you’re cooking for. If you don’t know what to do, it’s better to opt for smaller portions than larger ones.
4. It’s time to pack it up. To store feta in the fridge so that it keeps well, you have to pay attention to how you pack it.

You have to wrap each piece of feta cheese with a transparent film. This will ensure that no air gets into the cheese and that it doesn’t get freezer burn. Place the pieces in resealable plastic bags, removing as much air as possible.

You can also cut the cheese into small cubes if you need to . In this case, put the feta cubes in a plastic bag, making sure to remove all the air.

If for some reason you want to freeze the cheese for a couple of days , you don’t need to do such a painstaking job. Just put the cheese in a plastic bag and use it when you need it.

Label the bag with the date and place it in an airtight container for added protection.

Freeze the crumbled feta

Feta is also sold crumbled. Crumbled feta is more versatile and for this reason it is the favorite of many. It’s convenient for all kinds of uses, from topping salads to using it as a filling.

Here’s how you should prepare and package your crumbled feta for storage in the freezer. 

1. Divide the crumbled feta into portions or freeze it all as a single serving.
2. You can use the plastic container that the cheese comes in to store it in the fridge. If you do, be sure to wrap the container with a few layers of cling film.

You can also freeze the crumbled feta in an airtight container or resealable plastic bag. If you know the cheese is going to stay in the freezer for a few months, add another layer of protection in the form of plastic wrap.

Add a date and put the cheese in the freezer.

How long does feta cheese last in the freezer?

Feta cheese, like all other dairy products, does not have a very long shelf life.

It comes with a best before date that you can extend by a week if the cheese is in brine and hasn’t been opened yet.

Feta that has been opened and kept without liquid will not keep very long.  It will start to go bad in about a week.

On the other hand, the feta opened in brine will keep for about a month in the fridge, preserving its best qualities.  Olive oil also extends the shelf life of feta cheese by up to a month, as it is a natural preservative.

Storing feta in the freezer will further extend the life of the product.

Feta in the freezer will retain its best qualities for about a month. However, it can be used for 2 or 3 months.

Keep in mind that keeping cheese in the freezer depends on how good a job you’ve done preparing and packaging it for cold storage.

Signs that feta cheese has gone bad

Even if you think you’ve managed to provide all the right conditions for feta to keep well, it can go bad for any reason. Therefore, you should know how to detect the signs that indicate that the feta cheese has gone bad.

• sour smell Dairy products often have a sour, unpleasant odor when they go bad. Whether your feta is freshly opened or frozen and thawed, make sure it smells good before you eat it.
• mold . There are types of cheese that do not need to be thrown away when you find a moldy spot on them. You only have to cut that part and the rest can be eaten.

In the case of feta cheese, it is not so. It is a very soft cheese and mold spreads through it quite quickly. Therefore, if there is mold on the feta cheese, do not eat it.

How to defrost feta cheese

If there’s one thing you should know about thawing feta, it’s that you shouldn’t thaw it on your kitchen counter or anywhere at room temperature.

If you need to use feta in a recipe, transfer it from the freezer to the refrigerator a few hours before cooking. Cheese can take anywhere from 3 to 12 hours to thaw, depending on the size of the cheese chunks.

A good rule of thumb is to let the cheese thaw in the fridge overnight. 

If you need the cheese as soon as possible, there is a method to speed up the defrosting process.

Take the feta cheese out of the freezer and put it in a bowl with cold water. This way, the cheese will thaw in 1-2 hours.

How to use thawed feta cheese

Everyone loves a delicious Greek salad with cubes of creamy feta. However, thawed feta may not be best suited for this salad or any type of salad in general.

There is nothing wrong with using it in salads. But keep in mind that the cheese may be watery.

If you decide to use thawed feta to make a salad, strain the cheese well and try making a small amount first. 

Pre-frozen feta will work best in cooked foods. Here are some ideas on how to use frozen and thawed feta:

• Melt it over pasta or mashed potatoes.
• Top casseroles and casseroles with crumbled feta.
• Use it to make pizzas along with elastic and melted mozzarella cheese
• Add it to sauces to coat meat and roast vegetables
• Use it in pureed soups or just top it with a few chunks of cheese for added flavor.

Thawed feta is best used within 3 days. 

Do not attempt to refreeze feta in the hope of further extending its shelf life. Doing so carries serious health risks, such as food poisoning.

Tips for Freezing Feta Cheese

Freezing and thawing feta alters the texture and flavor of the cheese. However, there are ways to minimize these changes or to restore lost flavor properties once the cheese is thawed.

Here are some tips to enhance your feta freezing experience.

Tip #1: Use a vacuum sealer.

When freezing crumbled or cubed feta, getting the air out of the plastic bag is a relatively more difficult task. This way of freezing the feta is more preferable if you have a vacuum sealer.

The latter certainly does a better job of removing air from the plastic bag filled with crumbled feta or feta cubes. Cheese prepared this way is more exposed to air, which is difficult to remove by hand.

Tip #2: Keep the cheese in brine

As we have already mentioned, thawed feta loses some of its flavor properties, including saltiness. If you like feta that isn’t salty, it might taste good to you.

But if you want to restore the saltiness, keeping the thawed feta in brine for 1-2 hours will improve its flavor. 

In case you don’t know what brine is, it’s the salty solution that feta is preserved in when you buy it in stores. To make your own, mix 2 teaspoons of kosher salt in 2 cups of water.

Tip #3: Add olive oil for more flavor

If you don’t need the thawed cheese to be salty, another way to enhance its flavor is to put a little virgin olive oil on the cheese.

The oil will give the feta a spicy flavor.  You can add dried herbs to give it more flavor.

Tip #4: Soak in water to reduce salinity

If your feta cheese was initially very salty, it may still be salty even after being frozen and thawed. In this case, the solution is to immerse the cheese in water to balance the flavor.

Milk is also used to dip the feta to make the cheese a little less salty and much creamier. 

Related questions

Can feta sauce be frozen?

Leftover feta sauce can easily be saved for another time.

To do this, pour the bottom into an airtight container. Before closing it, cover the sauce with a layer of plastic wrap to prevent the surface of the sauce from forming a dry crust.

Wrap the container with cling film to make sure no air gets into it.

Can cooked feta be frozen?

You can safely freeze any dish that contains feta cheese. 

The instructions for freezing dishes that contain feta are the same as for freezing fresh feta. You should wrap it with a few layers of plastic wrap and put it in a resealable plastic bag.

Using aluminum foil as an extra layer of protection over plastic wrap is also a good option.