Gruyere Cheese refers to a yellow-coloured hard Swiss cheese.
The origins of this cheese trace back to the cantons of Berne, Fribourg, Jura, Vaud, and Neuchatel in Switzerland.
Its name garners inspiration from the Gruyeres town present in Fribourg.
The classification of Gruyere falls under the Alpine cheese or Swiss-type.
It features a slightly salty but sweet taste.
The flavour of this cheese tends to widely vary with its age, and it is usually described as nutty and creaming during its early stage.
Gruyere Cheese tends to become more complex, assertive, and earthy as it matures.
This cheese is made by using the milk of cows and is cured for over six months or even longer.
This table cheese is also known for melting perfectly, which is why many people enjoy it.
You can also try to create some delicious recipes such as the “Gruyere Cheese Puffs,” “Creamy Gruyere Spaghetti,” “Classic Potato Gratin with Gruyere Cheese”, and the “Creamy Lemon Gruyere Pasta”.
Can you freeze gruyere cheese? Yes, it is easy and convenient to freeze your Gruyere cheese.
This cheese responds well to freezing temperatures, so you won’t have any trouble doing it.
Start freezing it to extend its shelf-life and for later use.
Does Freezing Affect Gruyere Cheese?
Freezing your Gruyere cheese won’t really affect its quality and taste.
Even if there are some effects, you can only expect it to be fairly minimal.
Why? Because hard cheeses such as Gruyere tends to fare better inside the freezer compared to the other ones.
For instance, there are many kinds of cheese, especially the sliced ones, that end up going brittle after you thaw it.
Sometimes, they stick together too hard to the point where it becomes impossible to separate them.
But with Gruyere cheese, you are on the safer side.
But for safety reasons, we would always require you to take certain measures in the way you store it.
You can choose to cut your Gruyere cheese into reasonable half-pound block sizes.
Plus, you can always go that extra mile and buy cheese papers for better storage.
How To Freeze Gruyere Cheese?
Freezing this cheese is a direct procedure and doesn’t involve technicalities.
For example, if you bought shredded gruyere cheese from the market, then you can store it directly into the freezer by resealing its original package.
But for full gruyere cheese, here are the steps that you need to follow:
Step 1 – Cutting It.
- Unwrap your cheese and start cutting it into multiple portions.
- By dividing your cheese block into several portions, you have an easy time thawing. You will also get better practical results with it.
Step 2 – First Wrapping.
- Take out parchment paper or plastic wrap.
- Start covering all the portions with it.
- You can do so by taking out a big section of the wrapper and ensuring that it covers the entire area of the cheese. Plus, you need to ensure that there aren’t any wrinkles present on the surface by smoothening it with your hands.
Step 3 – Sealing.
- Here, you need to start double-checking the wrap by ensuring that it is properly sealing in the cheese.
- You need to realise that the whole point of you having to wrap the cheese is to make sure that it doesn’t dry out.
- Proceed in applying some tape on its edges for strengthening the seal.
Step 4 – Second Wrapping.
- Here, you will need to refer back to the first wrapping process again. But you will require two extra layers at least this time prior to sealing everything.
- You need to make sure again that the tight seal is still there. You don’t want your Gruyere cheese drying out inside the freezer.
Step 5 – Using Freezer Bag.
- After you successfully wrap everything, proceed in putting them inside a freezer bag.
- Get rid of all the air before sealing the bag. You can do so by pressing it and rolling the bag for pushing out as much air as you can.
- Proceed in sealing the bag by ensuring that it’s fully airtight.
Step 6 – Labelling & Freezing.
- Lastly, you need to label your bag using a permanent marker.
- Write down the freezing date and the number of portions that you have put in.
- Now, you can put the cheese inside the freezer.
A gruyere cheese can go for over 6 months inside the freezer.
You can even freeze it for additional months if you know how to store and handle it.
A big part of its shelf-life also depends on the way you manage it.
How To Thaw Frozen Gruyere Cheese?
Here are the steps for defrosting your frozen gruyere cheese:
- Proceed in removing the desired portions of cheese from the bag.
- Now, you need to place your Gruyere on a plate without unwrapping the plastic wrap.
- Put it inside the fridge and let it thaw overnight. You might also end up thawing for longer, based on the cheese size.
- Remove the cheese from your refrigerator and use it at the earliest.
Caution.
- Defrosting any frozen cheese at room temperature is never a good option. They tend to dry out fast and develop a crumbly texture.
- When you are thawing it inside the fridge, ensure that the temperature is between 35-40⁰F. If it’s above 40, then you have a chance of getting foodborne poisoning.
- You should check after every 5-6 hours while it’s thawing. You never know when it fully thaws out.
- Microwaving your cheese is also not a great idea.
Conclusion
Gruyere Cheese is quite versatile and pairs well with many dishes.
It goes really well with mustard, wine, crackers, bread, fruits, beer, whiskey, and pecans as well.
This cheese also does a great job in adding that subtle sweetness and creamy texture to comfort meals that are cheese-infused, like gratins and quiches.
Gruyere also features interesting and unique nutritional attributes, possessing a rich source of menaquinone or Vitamin K2.
This probiotic cheese has a mild-strong strength, and its aging takes place from 5-24 months.
Many folks buy huge chunks of this cheese and prefer to freeze it for better storage.
Can You Freeze Gruyere Cheese? The Complete Guide
Ingredients
- Gruyere cheese
- Air-tight containers or Ziplock bags
- Labels and markers
Instructions
- Prepare all the mentioned equipment and ingredients in the article.
- Follow the steps for proper freezing.
- Label the container with the date and contents.
- Depending on the recipe, thawing time may vary.
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