It is impossible to get the mouth-watering flavor of lasagna without high-quality cheese. So, most of you might be willing to use some fresh cottage cheese when making lasagna. However, sometimes you may face problems when you want to preserve the leftovers in the fridge. Can you freeze cottage cheese in lasagna? Dairy products like cottage cheese are extremely sensitive to its surrounding, so it will be tricky to preserve a lasagna with cottage cheese. But today, we are here to explain to you how to freeze cottage cheese in lasagna properly.
Can you Freeze Cottage Cheese in Lasagna?
Cottage cheese is a kind of soft cheese, so it is creamier and tenderer than other types of cheese. The good quality of cottage cheese when you freeze it depends on some factors, such as the time you freeze it. But after you freeze your cottage cheese, you will not get the taste of its original form, and you will notice that its appearance has changed a bit.
The reason why, the temperature in your freezer affects the flavor as well as the texture of the cheese. However, you do not need to worry about its nutrients; they remain the same, although you freeze. Thus, you will have to use it for cooking without thawing.
One of the best recipes you can try with frozen cottage cheese is lasagna. Since it combines with a few layers of beef, and sauce, the flavor of the cheese does not affect the meal, although it has lost its original taste. Apart from lasagna, you can use frozen cottage cheese for soups, pasta, sauces, etc. And also, some cheesecake recipes go with frozen cottage cheese if you use the right quantity following the right method.
Can Frozen Cottage Cheese Change the Taste of My Lasagna?
This will be the biggest doubt in your mind before you use frozen cottage cheese. Unfortunately, there is no direct answer to this question. Because the quality of your frozen cheese depends on the time and the way you freeze it. Usually, opened cottage cheese lasts in the fridge for 5 to 7 days in good condition.
If it has not been opened, you can keep it in the fridge for two months. If you use the freezer, you can preserve it up to three months. And you should follow a proper method when you place it in the freezer; you can refer to our guidelines later in this article for it. Accordingly, the well-preserved cottage cheese will not change the taste of your lasagna.
What Happens When you Freeze Cottage Cheese?
The texture of cottage cheese is more tender than other cheese, such as mozzarella, cheddar, etc. So, the thermal shock of the freezer might affect differently on cottage cheese than other types of cheese. Here what happens is the milk fat of the cottage cheese separates from the other ingredients.
Therefore, after you thaw it, you might notice that the cheese has become lumpier. And its creamy texture has turned rough. As a result, the liquid can unloose from the curds of the cheese. So, some of you may think that the cheese has spoilt, but you can still consume it; the only thing is the change of its texture.
What Type of Cottage Cheese is the Best for Freezing?
Freezing is not something new to you, but there are some key points you should follow when freezing cottage cheese since its moisture content is higher. You may have come across the manufacturers’ labels that say you should not freeze cottage cheese. But if you follow the below-mentioned steps in the article correctly, you can preserve it without any issues. But remember to choose cottage cheese with a higher percentage of fat because you will have a better result even after freezing.
As you guessed, there is not a high percentage of liquid since there is plenty of fat. So, there will only be a less amount of liquid drained out from the curd.
How to Freeze Cottage Cheese?
Follow these instructions to preserve the cottage cheese without losing its taste much.
- First, if you have bought a large chunk of cottage cheese, you will need to cut them into small portions. This step is necessary to freeze the cheese evenly. But if you have an unopened package of cottage cheese, skip this step.
- After that, use a freezer bag or an airtight container to preserve the portions. If you are going to use a freezer bag, make sure to vacuum it before you keep it in the fridge because the excessive moisture inside the bag can harm the cheese. Unopened ones can be placed in the fridge as it is.
- Then let the cheese freeze. Depending on the recipe you are going to try later, the freezing time can vary; make sure to adhere to the instructions of the recipe. And it is better to note down the date you put the cheese in the fridge, so you will be able to avoid unnecessary waste.
How to Tell If Cottage Cheese has Gone Bad?
If you can notice the signs mentioned below, your cottage cheese has probably gone bad. Remember that it is not safe to consume spoilt cheese. So do not use those cheese for any recipe.
- The Color – The most prominent symptom of spoilt cottage cheese is discoloration. Usually, cottage cheese is white than other types of cheese, but it slightly turns into a yellow color when it has gone bad.
- The Texture – The soft texture of the cottage cheese will lose when it is spoilt. You will feel the dryness of its texture.
- The Smell – The smell is terribly unpleasant of spoilt cottage cheese. If you do not take it out immediately from the fridge, the bad smell will spread to the other meals as well.
- The Taste – If you get a sour taste from the frozen cottage cheese, it has spoilt.
- The Molds – Sometimes, you will notice that there are molds on the surface of the cheese.
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