Can Cheese Be Frozen?

Can cheese be frozen? What cheeses can you freeze? It may not be surprising to learn that freezing will affect different cheeses differently

What cheeses can you freeze?

We get lots of questions about cheese here at CG towers and pride ourselves in sharing our knowledge with the masses. One we keep coming across is the age-old question; Can cheese be frozen?

How freezing affects cheese

It may not be surprising to learn that freezing will affect different cheeses differently. The texture of a creamy goat’s cheese is in no way comparable to say an extra mature cheddar so clearly freezing will affect them in different ways.

At the cheese geek we’d always recommend eating before the need to freeze but we also understand over ordering on the cheese front.

When you freeze cheese, small ice crystals form on the inside which affects its internal infrastructure. As such, when it thaws, water is released which can cause the cheese to dry out and potentially cause a mealy structure.

If you consider more ripened cheeses like blue cheese or camembert, live moulds are deliberately added during the production of the cheese which produces the distinctive flavours that we know and love. The freezing process damages the microbes in the mould and can prevent these cheeses ripening properly when thawed. Yeesh.

Another negative for freezing cheese is that it can affect the way that cheese will melt. As an example, a frozen mozzarella will melt considerably less oozily than a fresh one (but still good to use).

Cheeses That Can Stand Up to Freezing

While all cheese can technically be frozen, there are some that stand up to the test far greater than others.

Here’s a handy list for you;

Best cheeses to freeze

  • Mozzarella
  • Cheddar
  • Colby
  • Edam
  • Gouda
  • Monterrey Jack
  • Limburger
  • Provolone
  • Swiss

Worst cheeses to freeze

As a rule, we wouldn’t recommend freezing a cheese that you intend to eat fresh. Rather, you should freeze cheeses that you intend to use in cooking.

Generally, harder cheeses like cheddar, swiss and some harder blues can work frozen however, their texture will become much harder and more difficult to cut. It may be an idea to grate it before freezing.

Cream cheeses can be frozen however they will separate after thawing. If you whip them up it’ll return somewhat to normal.

What not to Freeze

Under absolutely no circumstances will freezing parmesan end well for you or the parmesan. It’s a bad idea. Don’t do it. But DO refrigerate it, this can make parmesan live a long healthy life of up to twelve months. 

Artisan cheeses (the majority that we sell) don’t deal massively well with freezing. Without the chemicals contained in mass produced cheeses they tend to more dramatically lose their structure and are much harder to resuscitate once thawed.

If you have an artisan cheese overload (personally I’d just go for three meals a day but for those less cheese hardened than myself) there are tonnes of amazing recipes that can use up your excess cheese. Think rich blue cheese sauces (drool).

How to…

If you really must freeze your cheese, we suggest you do so in smaller chunks (or grated) in freezer bags. This way when it comes out of the freezer it’s ready to use.

Freezing in smaller chunks will also result in it becoming less crumbly so it’s just better all round.

Summary – small chunks, freezer bag.

FYI you should also use your frozen cheese within three months.

That’s it from us for now. As cheesegeeks, we’re priding ourselves not just on selling the very best UK cheeses, but also having great cheese knowledge. If you have any questions about your cheese, get in touch with us on our social channels.

Happy Cheesing!

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October's seasonal cheese selection

Each month we curate 5 of the finest cheeses the UK has to offer. They highlight quality craftmanship, complex flavour profiles and form the backbone of our gifts and subscriptions.

1 of ProductListDrop
cheesegeek Bibury
Bibury
Semi hard

A sheep's milk cheese made with milk from the flock at Sheaf House Farm just up the road in Gloucestershire. Made only seasonally from late March, Bibury comes to life in Autumn. Classic notes of meadow flowers and hay along with white chocolate and a fondant texture that is very appealing.

 

cheesegeek Swift Reserve
Swift Reserve

3 total reviews

HARD

A scintillating 9-month aged gouda style cheese. 

If there was ever a Goldilocks gouda, then this is it. Just young enough to be supple, buttery, nutty sweet and unbelievably moreish, yet old enough to have developed a slightly weathered earthiness and rich complexity. We reckon this tastes like liberally buttered jacket potato skins. Oh, and finish is a joy to behold, long, sweet and delightful.

To top it off Swift Reserve pairs perfectly with coffee (yes, coffee). Transport yourself to the Med and enjoy a wedge of cheese with your morning caffeine. Keeping you fuller for longer and tasting shockingly good, it'll soon become part of your breakfast routine. Exclusive to cheesegeek.

Look out for the Swift Black coming soon to one of London's most exciting coffee specialists!

cheesegeek Quicke's Mature Cheddar
Quicke's Mature Cheddar
HARD

Mature, and not in a dull, doesn't like to leave the house way. Quicke's Mature is just fully developed. Quicke's the makers date back to 1540s so they know how to make goooood cheese. Handcrafted using grass-fed cow milk, this well rounded cheddar is typically matured for 12-18 months (hence the name) and brings you a variety of flavours from brothy to buttery to freshly mown grass and baked potato flavours. Always with the characteristic cheddar tang.

cheesegeek Washington
Washington

2 total reviews

SOFT

British cider-washed soft cheese

An unforgettable soft cheese, washed in cider. 

A testament to British cheesemaking, and a nod to continental cheesemaking. Washington is a washed rind cheese destined for great things. When slightly younger, the flavours are fresher and crisper, with just a hint of fruitiness. Ripened on, it develops deep, savoury, meaty flavour, a bit like those famous continental pongers like Epoisses. However, the cider wash brings an astonishing fermented fruity funk, balancing the savoury flavours perfectly, all playing out amidst the most tantalising creamy, decadent, luxurious texture. A modern take on history, and a cheese for the ages.

cheesegeek Perl Las
Cornish Blue
BLUE

Designed to be eaten as a young cheese, Cornish Blue is a very different product from traditional English blue cheeses. Its flavour is mild and creamy, with a dense texture and buttery richness, instead of the ‘salty tang’ common of other traditional blue cheeses it has a gentle sweetness.

November's seasonal cheese selection

Each month we curate 5 of the finest cheeses the UK has to offer. They highlight quality craftsmanship, complex flavour profiles and form the backbone of our gifts and subscriptions.

1 of ProductListDrop
cheesegeek 200g Rutland Red
Rutland Red
HARD

**Just voted 8th best cheese in World** One of the few remaining Red Leicester cheeses made in Leicestershire, Rutland Red is made in a special dedicated cheese room at Long Clawson Stilton makers. This beaut is so buttery and nutty sweet with a finish reminiscent of a creme brulee and a striking deep red colour that is unmistakable on a cheeseboard making it a firm favourite at cheesegeek. We're not the only ones to think so as Rutland Red just won 8th best cheese in the world (over 5,200 entries!) at the most prestigious 2025 World Cheese Awards. Red Leicester is a classic on any cheeseboard and is also one of our top picks to cook with, Cauliflower Cheese we're looking at you!!

cheesegeek Cornish Kern
Cornish Kern

6 total reviews

HARD

From Lynher Dairies, the makers of Cornish Yarg and Garlic Yarg, we welcome Cornish Kern—a stonker of a cheese. This beaut is off the chart with flavour. Encased in black wax, it is made in the style of a Gouda, however, the utilisation of Alpine starter cultures gives the cheese multiple dimensions. It has a real fruity twang, something like from an old sweet shop, except cheesy. Think exotic dried fruits, salted caramel, toasted hazelnuts and almonds, and although savoury, it simply tempts and teases you with a little bit of nutty buttery sweetness. All the flavours just linger beautifully in your mouth for the perfect amount of time. Its crumbly, crisp and slate-like texture simply arouses one's senses to another planet. An absolute worldy cheese....literally.

cheesegeek Burford
Burford
Semi hard

King Stone Dairy's longest aged, largest cheese. Originally conceived as a way to capture the sweet complexity of Summer pastures, Burford is now made year round and reflects the seasonality of the milk at Manor Farm. Flavours of charcuterie, hazelnut and hints of tropical fruit.

 

The Cheese Geek 250g Tunworth
Dozmary
SOFT

A bold soft cheese inspired by the wild beauty and legend of Bodmin Moor. Named after the mystical Dozmary Pool said to be the resting place of King Arthur’s Excalibur, it carries the same sense of drama and heritage.

It has been developed as a richer, more flavourful evolution of the Cornish Camembert, Dozmary is oozy, buttery, and bursting with character.

The Cheese Geek Cashel Blue
Crozier Blue
BLUE

Crozier Blue is an Irish sheep's milk cheese modelled loosely on a Roquefort, that has a rich, full and well-rounded flavour. It is gently salty with a distinctly rich creamy texture, offset by a touch of spice.

December's seasonal cheese selection

Each month we curate 5 of the finest cheeses the UK has to offer. They highlight quality craftsmanship, complex flavour profiles and form the backbone of our gifts and subscriptions.

1 of ProductListDrop
The Cheese Geek Old Roan Wensleydale
Yoredale

4 total reviews

Made at Curlew Dairy by husband and wife Ben & Sam, Yoredale (formerly Old Roan) represents one of the only truly traditional, raw milk Wensleydale cheeses still made in the UK. As well as being a stonker of a Wensleydale, we were rather captured by the Yoredale's journey. The milk travels a whole 5 metres (or 500cm) from milking parlour to processing room. Then, having been matured for 3-4 months it makes its way to you...via us! Unlike block Wensleydale, the manual, handmade, small batch nature of this traditional clothbound Wensleydale results in so much more complexity. It has the tell tale bite in the centre, but carries an incredible stoney, mineral earthiness closer to the rind, where you also start getting the most wonderful breakdown in the cheese. There are more hidden themes here than The Matrix, and it is a great nod to traditional cheesemaking

cheesegeek Lincolnshire Red
Lincolnshire Red
This beaut gives you everything a great Cheddar should, but on top of that, another layer of deep burnt butter, nutty happiness. It has an intense moist yet creamy texture, with a delicate and elegant buttery flavour that matches with a lingering clean flavour. Theres no denying that this Lincolnshire Red is a promising winner on any cheese board.
The Cheese Geek Pitchfork Cheddar
Pitchfork Cheddar

7 total reviews

The newest of only 4 traditional, raw milk Somerset cheddars, Pitchfork joins great company alongside Keens, Montgomerys and Westcombe. In our view, it more than holds its own. It has incredible complexity and balance, one of the trademarks of a great cheddar. You'll find a farmy-like tang, a buttery undercoat with the hallmark of a proper, Clothbound cheddar- a crumbly, earthy breakdown in the mouth. There really is none of that supple rubbery chewiness you get with a supermarket cheddar. No wonder Pitchfork won 4th best cheese in the World in 2020, and Best British cheese!

The Cheese Geek 250g Rollright
Rollright

26 total reviews

Rollright - never ever ever Rollwrong. Simply put, it's a better, British alternative to Reblochon, yet so much more. It's luxurious, it's buttery, it's rich...but with an immensely satisfying crunch. Let's not forget the woodiness thanks to the spruce bark wrap. This guy comes as a 250g whole (it's a good whack of cheese but won't last more than a sitting). Whilst the guys at King Stone Dairy in Gloucestershire took inspiration from the washed rind soft cheeses of France and Switzerland, they have taken it to another level here. Keep on rollin.

n.b. our good friend Rollright is susceptible to seasonality and batches may vary, one thing is for sure though, he always tastes good!

cheesegeek Long Clawson Stilton
Long Clawson Stilton

5 total reviews

The heavyweight of all cheeses, Santa's favourite cheese, and Christmas on a plate... it's Stilton.

After months of blind-taste tests, we settled on Long Clawson as our Stilton of choice. But don't just take our word for it, Long Clawson won Super Gold at the 2021 World Cheese Awards, effectively crowning it the World's Best Stilton.
With it's beautiful blue veins (yes we're calling them beautiful) and bold flavour, we're so glad there's Stil-tons of this cheese in our fridge.

January's seasonal cheese selection

Each month we curate 5 of the finest cheeses the UK has to offer. They highlight quality craftsmanship, complex flavour profiles and form the backbone of our gifts and subscriptions.

1 of ProductListDrop
The Cheese Geek St Helena
St Helena

4 total reviews

Blake Bowden (cheesemaker extraordinaire) at St Jude has developed the divine St Helena, using raw Montbeliarde milk from the herd at Fen Farm. St Helena has an inviting, supple texture so reminiscent of a classic St Nectaire/Tomme. It is unmistakably rich, with milky and nutty sweet vibes that just keep you coming back for more. But, the washed rind, and the raw milk bring another dimension beyond that. It has those farmy, tangy notes that catch your attention, earning respect as well as delectation. Take a Bow-den, Blake (yikes).

The Cheese Geek Devonshire Red
Devonshire Red

3 total reviews

This mild Devonshire Delight is bursting with flavours. There's hints of lemony, zesty freshness as well as nutty and savoury notes. This clothbound process gives Devonshire Red a rich crumbly texture, resulting in a divine hard cheese.
The Cheese Geek Etivaz
Jura Mountain Cheese

A classic hard cheese with aromatic spiciness and a strong flavour - a true mountain cheese which is also well suited to a creamy fondue.

cheesegeek Maida Vale
Maida Vale

9 total reviews

Village Maid are cheesemakers that just know what they are doing... they make the wonderful Wigmore, Waterloo and Spenwood. Winner of best cows milk cheese at the recent Artisan Cheese Awards, Maida Vale is made in a similar style to Waterloo, except it is washed during maturation in IPA. So whilst the cheese is inherently buttery, creamy and rich on account of using Guernsey cows (notoriously creamy milk), the IPA brings into the mix a nice little tangy punchy kick that just keeps you thinking. As with all cheeses like this, the majority of that kick will come from the rind, so you can compare the taste of the centre cheese vs the rind...quite a difference!

cheesegeek Cashel Blue
Cashel Blue

5 total reviews

BLUE

This is the perfect blue cheese for those who want complexity but not the sharp saltiness, minerality or general strength of a Stilton or bolder blue cheese. Cashel Blue is more soft-honey than nutty, and has little salty sharpness with almost no minerality to speak of compared to a Barkham Blue for example. The finish is super clean with just a hint of saltiness at the end. What it all adds up to, is a scenario where some of the more subtle flavours aren't scared to come out and say hi... honey, some hazelnut and straight up creamy goodness.