This Is the Worst Thing You Can Do to Cheese, According to Tillamook

Besides not eating it.

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If I had to rank every item in the fridge in terms of fussiness, raspberries, buttermilk, and thawed meat would be up near the top. Wait just a half day too long to make use of these grocery staples and they grow curdled, moldy, rotten, or worse.

A good block of cheddar cheese, meanwhile, is pretty low maintenance and can sit around for quite a while without diminishing in flavor or quality. But there are a few tricks to keeping it as fresh as possible—and there’s one thing you should never do with cheese: “You don’t want to freeze a cheese you intend to eat as a solid piece,” says Steve Marko, Senior Director of R&D at Tillamook County Creamery Association.

Why You Shouldn't Freeze Cheese

“When you freeze it, the moisture in the cheese can turn to ice crystals, which can break and poke into the fat and protein structures,” Marko explains. Then, as it thaws, those punctured structures can leak oil, making the cheese more prone to oxidation, which can lead to more “off” flavor.

The texture of a frozen-then-thawed cheese can also suffer. Marko explains that during the aging process, the protein structures in cheddar cheese relax, creating its creamy mouthfeel. The extreme cold can separate and misalign those protein structures, resulting in a pasty and grainy cheese.

The more moisture content in a particular cheese, Marko adds, the more that freezing will alter its taste and texture because there’s more water that can turn into ice crystals and throw everything off balance. Tillamook’s core product is long-aged cheddar, which has a relatively low moisture content. That’s why it can hang out so long with minimal threat of spoilage—no freezing necessary.

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More Cheese Tips, According to Tillamook

“Consumers are nervous to pick up a great cheese and not stick it straight in a cooler,” Marko says. It’s a common worry for travelers shopping at the Tillamook brick-and-mortar store in Tillamook, Oregon, since many wish to purchase a brick of cheese and travel home with it. But Marko says that in normal conditions, you shouldn’t have any trouble: “The truth is, it’s perfectly fine if it’s in the original package and hasn’t been opened."

The date stamped on the package isn’t necessarily the date by which you have to use it, either. “Once it’s home to consumers, as long as it appears clean and doesn’t have any mold, your cheese can continue to last and last in your fridge,” he says. “I have cheeses in their original package that I’ve had in there for a year.”

Granted, there are ways to set your cheese up for success. Marko recommends keeping it in its original packaging right up until the moment you decide to use it, and storing it in the darkest, coolest part of your fridge. Once you’re ready to use it, slice off only the portion you need with a clean knife and clean hands before returning the rest to the fridge, preferably in natural beeswax wrapping to keep out the air. Stored properly, the remaining cheese will still have weeks of life left in it.

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Before serving a long-aged sharp cheddar, Marko recommends letting it sit out at room temperature for about 20 minutes. Not only will the flavors be much more pronounced at room temperature, but the crystallized texture will be, too.

For those who froze some cheese before reading this, take heart: You can still make great use of it, even if it’s not ideal for snacking on anymore. “If you’re only using the cheese in a melting situation, you probably wouldn’t notice the freezing that much,” Marko explains. “If it’s only going into a lasagna, let’s say, that’s no problem.”

Hear, hear! When could lasagna ever be a problem?

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