Oh, Brie! Who can resist this delicious delicacy? Not me! And I bet you can’t keep it off your platter either!
The name is derived from the Brie region of France, and there is a good chance that this cheese was first manufactured there, so we have to thank the ingenuity of the folks there who first made this cheese.
Brie is a soft cow’s milk cheese that is just as creamy and tasty as its succulent appearance would suggest. You can identify this cheese by its pale color and white and yellow hue. Brie also has a white rind and most of the cheese that is sold today has wheel cuts.
Brie is delicious and extremely tempting but not that easy to acquire, so it is slightly pricey, and its availability is pretty limited.
Once you can get your hands on this cheese, you will immediately cherish it. Fortunately, there are a variety of ways to preserve it. But can you extend its shelf life by freezing it?
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Brie Cheese: Freezing & Defrosting
Can You Freeze Brie Cheese?
I have noticed that a good number of people are reluctant to freeze cheese even though they should know that many cheeses can be stored in the freezer. Brie, of course, is included on that list.
You don’t have to be a connoisseur to understand the process of freezing Brie. In fact, anyone can do this in the convenience of their own home. You don’t even need any special tools or preparations. As long as you have a working freezer, you can do it anytime.
First of all, you need some food-safe aluminum foil and plastic wrap. If your Brie doesn’t have its original wrapper, just cover it with the plastic wrap. In fact, it’s a good idea to put two layers of plastic wrap on the cheese to protect it from any harmful elements.
- Experts also recommend that you add a layer of aluminum foil as well on top of the plastic wrap. Ideally, you should also put the covered cheese in a freezer bag. Always make sure you squeeze out any trapped air inside the bag first before putting it in inside the freezer.
I recommend that you put a label on the cheese and write down the date you froze it, so you will know exactly when it expires. This is important as bad cheese can give you food poisoning.
Defrosting Brie Cheese: How It Is Done
If you are ready to eat the cheese or include it in a recipe, you must thaw it properly first. Just like the freezing process, thawing cheese is pretty simple, and the best part here is that you don’t have to do any work. Just let your refrigerator do all the work for you.
Remove the frozen Brie from the freezer and put it in the refrigerator for defrosting. You should defrost it in the fridge because you need to preserve its moisture. I don’t recommend that you thaw it on your kitchen counter or pantry, as you will be leaving your cheese exposed to the elements.
Thawing Brie in the fridge should take around a day. This isn’t surprising as Brie has a complex composition that is much more sophisticated than the conventional cheeses you buy in the market.
Defrosting slowly is also necessary because Brie has a soft texture that you can still retain if you take things gradually and defrost it slowly.
Shelf Life Of Brie In The Freezer
According to the experts, Brie can stay in the freezer for as long as three months. Food handlers tend to agree with this idea. That’s the safest answer that I can give to you right now. I don’t recommend that you leave the cheese until the expiration date, as there is a good chance that it will have started to go bad by then.
Other chefs will tell you that Brie cheese is still safe to consume after six months, as long as you freeze it, but I am quite doubtful about the cheese’s quality after this period, and so you should just follow the three-month rule.
Shelf Life Of Brie Cheese In The Fridge
Brie lasts around a week in the fridge, given that the food is way past its expiration date. Brie’s lifespan is short because it is a soft cheese, unlike block cheeses that can last longer than this. It is also important to remember that you cannot let soft cheeses stay out of the fridge for an extended period as they will rot quickly.
Brie changes color when it is going bad, from its natural color of white to a blue-green color. This is due to the growth of mold. The texture of the cheese will also change and become hard.
Of course, the smell is important too. Cheeses emit a foul and strong smell once they are near or past their expiration date. If the scent of your Brie is already offensive, throw it away immediately.
Conclusion
You can always freeze Brie cheese. This is one of the most effective methods of lengthening its lifespan. It is extremely safe, easy to do and well worth it because Brie is a delicious, versatile kitchen ingredient. You don’t want any of this delicacy to get wasted at all!
Let me give you a little side note here. I mentioned earlier that acquiring this cheese is not easy. Therefore, you should hoard it when you get the opportunity, and then preserve your stocks through the methods I have stated above to get the most out of the food!
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