Brie is one of the most loved cheeses in the world. It is a favored cheese for grilled brie sandwiches, and cheese boards, and is used as a cooking ingredient in many gourmet dishes. If you bought too much of this cheese, you might be wondering, can you freeze brie cheese?
Hard cheeses such as parmesan and cheddar can last up to five months in their original packages. Brie is from the soft cheeses family and does not last as long as a harder cheese. Because it has a shorter shelf life, you want to make sure you store it properly so it doesn’t get spoiled and if you can freeze Brie.
Brie is a soft cheese from France. It is creamy and buttery inside and has a smooth, edible white mold rind. You can easily recognize brie by its off-white or pale yellow color and white mold rind. It is available in grocery stores in slices and wheels.
Brie has a rich, buttery, smooth flavor made from raw cow’s milk. It becomes a bit more fruity and earthy with age. Some brie is made from pasteurized cow’s milk and goat’s milk and has a milder flavor.
Brie is rich in calcium and high in fat. It is also a good source of vitamins A and B 6.
Brie cheese can be a bit more expensive than other cheeses, so cheese lovers often question: if freezing Brie is a wise option?
Brie is a versatile cheese and has many uses in the kitchen:
You should take brie out of the refrigerator about an hour before using it. Brie needs to be at room temperature for it to become creamy.
Brie has a delicate yet luxurious flavor. The French typically accompany brie with food that enhances its qualities and does not compete with its flavors. Crackers, for example, will not distract you from the cheese.
Pairing brie with acidic fruits such as grapes, apples, or pears; something sweet such as honey or jam will bring out the velvety texture of the cheese.
Earthy nuts such as walnuts or unsalted pecans also pair well with brie.
You can serve brie cheese with wines, beers, and champagne.
Brie is unlike other cheese varieties. It has a soft interior under a white mold rind; thus, short shelf life. You cannot leave brie cheese at room temperature like hard cheese.
Unopened, brie cheese will last one to two months in the fridge. When opened, brie cheese can last for about one to two weeks with proper storage in the refrigerator. But it would be best to be mindful of its “best by” or “best before” date on the label.
Some manufacturers state that it is still safe to consume brie cheese within 14 days after its “best by” or “best before” date. Should you decide to eat brie after its expiration date, you should give it a thorough inspection for any signs that it has gone bad. Spoiled brie may have some health risks.
Brie cheese can be pretty expensive, and you certainly want to extend its shelf life.
Freezing is the best storage method to extend the shelf life of many food items. The same is true for brie cheese. If you want to extend the shelf life of brie – freeze it! You need to freeze brie properly to get excellent results.
Food handlers, experts, and chefs say you can freeze brie for three months. Some say you can freeze brie for up to six months. The proper way to freeze brie is in smaller portions.
While you can freeze brie, it will not look the same as before you froze it. Your brie cheese will still taste good, but not as good.
Freezing affects the flavor and texture of brie. Brie is a soft cheese with high water content making it more difficult to freeze than hard cheese.
The water content of Brie expands when it is frozen. When you thaw brie, it will contract and change the consistency of your cheese, making it softer and a little crumbly. Your cheese will not be as spongy as it was before freezing. Freezing also slightly deteriorates the flavor of brie.
You can best use frozen and thawed brie for your dishes where brie will melt, so the changes in texture will not matter. Frozen and thawed brie is best for your cooking and grilled sandwiches rather than on a cheeseboard.
However, when you use the correct freezing methods, the flavor of brie will remain almost unaffected, and there will only be minimal changes to its texture (a little watery).
It would be best if you decided on how to package the cheese before storing it in the freezer to any significant changes in flavor and texture.
You can freeze a whole brie wheel or slice it into smaller portions. Freezing a brie wheel is quick and straightforward while freezing brie in slices requires more time.
This freezing method works best if you intend to use brie cheese for baking and cooking. Remember that if you freeze and defrost your brie wheel, you need to use it all at once.
Refreezing your brie wheel is unsafe, but the flavor and texture will also be affected, and you will likely wind up not using it later.
That’s it! Your brie wheel will be frozen in a couple of hours, waiting until you are ready to use it in your cooking or baking.
Freezing brie slices is the best method to freeze brie if you have some leftover brie slices or freeze your cheese in pieces to easily pull out and thaw what you only need for your stews and soups.
If you freeze your brie slices properly, you may be able to eat them fresh. The thawed cheese may not look presentable on a cheeseboard for a party, but it will be good for a family breakfast.
Your cheese will sit in the freezer for a few months.
Most of the change in texture in frozen brie cheese happens during the thawing process. Therefore, you need to ensure that your defrosted brie retains as much of its original shape and texture as possible.
Slow defrosting is the key to helping brie retain its texture. Slow defrosting means moving the frozen brie slices from the freezer to the refrigerator and allowing it to slowly be at room temperature before serving or using it for your recipe.
You should not expose the brie to extreme temperature changes (from the freezer to the kitchen counter) because it will affect the texture of the cheese. You should also use the brie in the refrigerator within two days for the best results.
There are a few ways how you can thaw brie. But, thawing brie in the refrigerator is the best way to retain much of its texture as possible.
If you are thawing slices of brie, thaw the slices at least 12 hours before you need to use them. It may take longer if you are thawing a brie wheel.
You can use other thawing methods if you do not have the time to wait for your brie to thaw in the refrigerator.
While these are undoubtedly faster-thawing methods, they will significantly alter the texture of your brie. You need to use the brie immediately, too.
You do not have to thaw your brie if you use it in your stew or soup where it will melt. It is useless to spend time thawing it. Just add the brie frozen into the pot or place it on your toast. Remember to adjust the cooking time to allow the cheese to melt first.
All cheese will spoil though some, especially the softer cheese, will spoil more quickly than others.
Brie is a soft cheese. Therefore it has a short shelf life. You need to be aware of the signs brie has gone bad because eating spoiled cheese can cause food poisoning.
A thorough inspection of the brie is critical to avoid consuming brie that has gone bad.
Appearance
Take a close look at the rind of the brie. It should have a powdery and white appearance. If the rind appears flaky or gray, your Brie is starting to spoil and, therefore, you should no longer eat it.
The appearance of some dark spots with the cheese is fine. However, you should not consume the cheese if you notice any bluish-green mold, A slimy, pink mold is also a sign of spoilage, and you should discard the cheese.
Smell
Due to its aging process, Brie cheese will have a slight ammonia smell, which does not mean it has gone bad. You can allow the air out for a couple of minutes and smell it again. It is likely already spoiled if the whole cheese still has the strong ammonia smell.
You can still eat the cheese even if the rind has a slight smell as long as the inside of the cheese still smells creamy.
Yes. You can freeze unbaked or baked brie in a puff pastry. To freeze unbaked brie in pastry puff, wrap it with a few layers of cling wrap and put the wrapped pastry in a sealable plastic bag.
You do not need to thaw brie in puff pastry in the refrigerator when ready to serve it. Transfer it from the freezer directly to the oven. Then bake your pastry at 3500F for 50 minutes.
To freeze baked brie in pastry puff, wrap it with cling wrap and place it in a glass container with an airtight seal. Bake your frozen brie in pastry in your preheated oven (2000F) for 30 minutes.
Yes. You can freeze a brie wheel by wrapping it in aluminum foil or plastic wrap even if it is still in its original packaging. Place the brie wheel in a glass container with an airtight seal.
Yes. You can store slices of brie cheese or a whole brie wheel in the freezer. Make sure to wrap your brie in a plastic wrap and place it in a glass container with an airtight seal.
Brie cheese is creamy and soft. It is a soft cheese, so it has a short shelf life. However, by properly storing it in the freezer, you can extend its shelf life.
