Soft spreadable cheese is tasty and it is very widespread among the cooks and housewives as an ingredient for various sauces and garnish. Nevertheless, a frequent inquiry that always occurs is whether it is possible to freeze cream cheese and how this process can influence the quality and the structure of this product
In this article, you will find the most useful and helpful information regarding freezing cream cheese specifics.
Related: Fresh Cheese. Useful Tips About Cheese
Can Cream Chevre get Preserved at All?
Honestly speaking, any cream chevre can be preserved, for example goat cheese. Can you freeze light cream cheese, too? Yes, you can! What matters most is what you will get in the end as a aftermath of this freezing. And of course, whether it will be what you want to have.
Cream cheese has a very delicate and even structure and, when being put into the freezer, it is being affected very low thermal conditions compared to the one it should be stored at. As a result, the texture of the frosted cream cheese changes from being even to more crumbly and it becomes more complicated to smear it evenly when it is out of the freezer.
Is It OK to Freeze Cream Cheese Frosting?
Can you Freeze cream cheese frosting along with the cakes, cupcakes or any other bakery yummies? This is probably one of the most common inquiries from those who don’t use cream cheese often enough for cooking and preparing different dishes or desserts.
Unfortunately, the answer will hardly satisfy you, guys and ladies! All because of the spreadable chevre, no matter of what producer and trademark it is, can not get chilled when situated on top of the cake, muffin, etc.
If you are still headed to freezing cream cheese frosting, what you will get in the end will be the ruined structure of your cake in the place where the cream cheese topping is touching it. So, if you freeze your bakery yummies and their cream cheese covers together, the thawing will spoil all the beauty and taste.
The best way to choose is to freeze cream cheese frosting separately from the cakes of muffins, or whatever you have baked.
Related: Can You Freeze Ricotta Cheese?
Can You Freeze Cream Chevre Dunks?
When we are talking about the dunks that contain cream cheese inside, everything hangs upon on the particular recipe, the duration of freezing, and other ingredients used in the dish.
It is important to keep in mind that, when being chilled, cream cheese loses its even structure and becomes more crumbly, also, the water that the cheese contains will more likely separate out.
As a result, the dunk that is made with using cream cheese will be harder to smear and it will look more like some grainy sour cream.
Does Cream Cheese Freeze Well?
Yes, cream cheese is very easy to freeze yourself in the freezer, nevertheless, you need to keep in mind that it will anyway change its texture. After being thawed, a block of cream cheese will become much more crumbly and will lose much of its even creamy structure which makes it so delicious and useful in the kitchen.
For this reason, we would advise you to use chilled cream cheese as an ingredient in baked hot dishes or casseroles as it will melt there.
Related: Can You Freeze Mozzarella Cheese and How to Do It Right?
Tips for How to Make Chilled Spreadable Chevre Spreadable Again
Imagine that you have solidified your cream cheese and after you took it out of the freezer and left at room conditions for a while, you found out that this delicious yummy turned into something uncertain that doesn’t look much appetizing anymore!
The naturally appearing inquiry would be whether it is real to make chilled cream cheese emollient and even again without spoiling it.
As a matter of fact, there are two methods how you can do that. Anyway, first of all, it is required to remove your cream cheese from the freezer and keep it in the refrigerator for twenty-four hours to let it unfreeze slowly. It will help to skip any harsh changes in the cheese texture.
Afterward, choose one of the options offered.
- Use your microwave as a variant. Put the fully unfrozen cream cheese into any microwave-proof bowl and warm it for ten seconds. Then stir and reiterate everything once again. In the end, you need to get a even creamy texture of your cheese.
Be careful and don’t overheat it, also, stir the cheese very well to prevent the withered rims.
- A stovetop method will give you more control over the process of thawing, besides, it allows to skip your cream cheese getting dry on its edges or being over melted.
Simply take a large glass bowl, put your cream cheese into it and place the bowl over a medium-size saucepan with slightly boiling water.
During the unfreezing, stir the cheese gently until it is emollient and smooth again.
These ways of how to thaw cream cheese are the most harmless and take relatively little time.
How to Thaw Cream Cheese Hints
Sometimes it is badly needed to get your chilled creamy cheese emollient again and do it fast. For such urgent cases, use these two easy and quick ways to defrost cream cheese at household conditions.
- If you have enough time and you are ok with waiting a little, put your cream cheese to the refrigerator and let it thaw there for twenty-four hours. Like this, the cheese will defrost slowly and its texture will not get ruined or deformed.
- For faster defrosting, put the cream cheese into the zip plastic bag, close it tightly and immerse into the warm water. Try to keep it underwater instead of floating – then the process will go faster. You may also need to change the water several times, too.
Freezing Different Kinds of Cream Cheese
Can You Freeze Whipped Cream and Cream Cheese?
Cream cheese makes whipped cream thicker and enriches it with its taste when being added to it making the blend more creamy.
Such a mixture can be perfectly chilled, however, pay attention to the issue that, if you unfreeze it, its texture can change a little because of the crumbly cream cheese presence.
Can You Freeze Philadelphia Cream Cheese?
Philadelphia cream cheese is one of the most popular brands of this product. Like any other cream cheese, Philadelphia cheese can be also preserved in a freezer. Also, like other kinds of cream cheese, after you defrost it, you may pay attention that its liquid and solids are separated from the main mass of the cheese. However, it is still ok to use in baking or any other hot dishes where the cheese will melt.
How to Store Cream Cheese in the Refrigerator Right?
The shelf life of a cream cheese depends on how properly you follow the storage instructions provided on the container of the product. Conditions, humidity, lighting – any factor can cause the spoilage of this delicious cheesy yummy.
As for the duration of storage, unopened cream cheese can last up to two months if being kept under proper conditions and in the freezer. Low-cal cream cheese can be kept for two or three weeks in the fridge, whilst an opened container won’t last more than two weeks.
Can Cream Cheese Absorb Odors?
With some other groceries, you could often discover that some of the foodstuffs you buy start absorbing the flavors from around when being put to the fridge. Is there the same problem with the cream cheese?
In fact, if you keep it in its original container of a foil pack (in case it was originally being sold in foil cover), then your cream cheese will stay away from any external savors and will not get any extra odor.
What Heat Regime Is the Best For Storing a Cream Cheese?
No matter what kind of cream cheese we are talking about – an ordinary cheese, a flavored cream cheese, a fatless cream cheese or a whipped cream cheese – the best heat regime for keeping it in your fridge alive and delicious for as long as possible is forty degrees Fahrenheit or around 4.4 degrees Celsius. A lower temperature will also work well.
How to Define That Your Cream Cheese Is Not Doing Well?
To avoid food poisoning, check your cream cheese if it has been kept in the fridge for quite a long time by now.
Fresh cream cheese has white color, soft and smooth texture, and delicate creamy flavor. It is also easy to spread.
On the contrary, when it is spoiled, it has a acidic odor and the same acidic taste, besides, its color will be slightly yellowish and there may also be cracks on its surface.
Great Cooking Suggestions With Cream Cheese For the Whole Family
Quite few people can be found who don’t love cream cheese! This versatile foodstuff fits almost all the recipes great, from cookies to cheesecake.
But do we know any other recipes that ask for this component? Today we will learn several easy and super delicious recipes with cream cheese that won’t take you much money and time, and can be made even by those who are not professionals in baking! All of them can be easily found online so we’ll just give you several handy suggestions.
Pick your favorite recipes to enjoy with your close ones!
- Carrot cake with thawed cream cheese frosting
- Garlic shrimp dip. Perfect with crackers or toast! Your family and friends will love it!
- Strawberry shortcake cookies. One of the simplest recipes for any occasion
- Lime cheesecake, a new and lighter version of the traditional cheesecake will become your new favorite!
- Blueberry cream cheese cookies – a good idea for a weekend treat!
- Jalapeno zucchini boats. These spicy snacks will be a good choice for a family BBQ
- Dried beef cheesy balls. Making them is super easy to learn!
- Bacon-wrapped pickles, one of the world’s simplest recipes ever!
Of course, these are not all the ideas on what to do with cream cheese, but even these few suggestions are very affordable since they don’t require much money, and they’re very fast to prepare.
Frequently Asked Questions About Cream Cheese. Facts You Didn’t Know
Many of us eat cream cheese in the morning or use it for cooking, but how many of us have ever wondered where this delicious product came from and how it was invented?
To introduce a cream cheese to you a bit better, let’s check out some most frequent questions consumers ask about it!
Where Was Cream Cheese Invented?
They say that the cream cheese as we know it today was invented by accident by the American dairyman William Lawrence in 1872. Nevertheless, there are facts proving that the earliest mentions about this milky foodstuff can be found as long ago as in 1769 in Pennsylvania!
How Is Cream Cheese Made?
As a base of cream cheese, pasteurized cream or a mix of milk and cream is used. Adding lactic bacteria allows making its pH level lower so that the cheese could take its thick structure. Then the whey is drained and the curds heated to keep the structure last longer.
Where Can This Cheese Be Used?
Cream cheese is very popular in almost any kitchen. It can be spread on your sandwich, but it will taste much better if added to different icings and toppings, moussaka, pasta sauces, pancakes filling, pastry dough and pastry filling, and even creamy soups!
It will also fit the eating at a party as a topping for crackers or being added to the ice cream to make it more creamy and rich.
Is Cream Cheese Harmless for Allergic Consumers?
Cream cheese is a milky foodstuff which means that is can cause allergic reactions but only to those who have an allergy to milk or any other milky goods. On the other hand, nowadays there are sorts of lactose-free cream cheese that can be used by allergic people, too.
For others, it is absolutely safe.
How Fatty Is Cream Cheese?
Probably, the main point of concern for any lady! Normally, the amount of lard in cream cheese is around 34 grams of lipid per 100 grams of the product. However, if you are worried about your shape and figure, choose low-fat kinds of cream cheese.
How to save cream cheese from freezer burn?
Whenever we decide to preserve this foodstuff, there is always the risk for it to get freezer burn. To save the product, choose proper protection for it. It is great if the cheese was initially sold in a resealable bag or box. LIke this, it will protect the content from the contact with the cold air.
If the bag as not like this, you’d better find a heavy-duty freezer-friendly bag or box that has a tight lid on top and will save the foodstuff from the direct contact with the icy air.
Can I refreeze thawed cream cheese?
By no means! If we thaw frozen cream cheese, it has to be consumed straight away. Thawed cream cheese must never be repeatedly chilled, otherwise, it will lead to faster spoilage of the foodstuff.
If I thaw frozen cream cheese, how fast shall I make use of it?
Well, the best would be to consume the thawed cream cheese within three days after it was thawed.
In what kind of wrapping shall thawed cream cheese be kept?
To keep it fine until the expiry date, place thawed foodstuff in a tightly closed bag with a zip-lock, or into the plastic tank with the lid.
In which part of the refrigerator is it best to leave cream cheese?
When keeping it, feel free to choose any part of the refrigerator, only double-check that you leave the foodstuff away from the strongly smelling foods. Also, it’s ok to keep the original bag of the foil-wrapped product chilled if still unopened until you’re ready to make use of it. When following these instructions, the foodstuff will effortlessly last until its expiry date (sometimes even for a month).
Cream cheese is a very healthy and nutritious milky foodstuff with a delicate creamy smell and soft texture. Today there are many different sorts of it, both plain and flavored, so you can experiment with it in your kitchen and create culinary hand-made masterpieces that will delight your family and friends!
Read next: How Long Does Tofu Last?
