Can You Freeze Queso Fresco? (And Can It Go Bad?)
Queso fresco is a compact, fresh cheese that melts readily and can be eaten over tacos, sandwiches, or nachos. Due to its low or complete lack of lactose content, it’s an excellent choice for persons with lactose allergies. When you make Queso fresco, it has a creamy texture like Monterey Jack, in which you can top it with herbs, spices, or chiles to make it tastier.
Whether or not you cook this cheese, Queso fresco can be frozen. But it is not advisable. The reason is the high moisture content. You can store fresh, handmade Queso fresco in the freezer for eight weeks (2 months). It is best to freeze it in an airtight container or a freezer bag.
However, If you want to keep it for later, you must cook it first. Culinary experts recommend serving the Queso fresco as an appetizer by mixing in the chopped cilantro and the diced chilies.
Does Queso Fresco Freeze Well?
Queso fresco freezes quite well but might not retain its taste, texture and flavor due to high moisture content. If you’re going to cook using Queso fresco, it’s essential to freeze it beforehand. You can defrost the cheese before cooking it in the oven or on a hot pan to avoid overcooking.
Even if your recipe calls for a lengthy baking time, it’s best to use frozen cheese. When cheese is firm, ice crystals are less likely to develop, which might impact the texture and taste of your cheese dish.
What is Queso fresco?
In Spanish, Queso fresco means “fresh cheese,” and that’s precisely what it is. Due to its unaged nature, it has a very mild, milky taste. So when sliced, it crumbles rather than cuts neatly because of the softness and firmness.
It has a salty or sour taste, like most fresh cheeses, and despite its creamy texture, it doesn’t taste too rich. Queso fresco is a versatile cheese that may be served fresh or cooked in various ways. Even with heavier dishes, it works well.
Many Mexican dishes include beans or eggs, and this light, fresh cheese helps balance out the richness. If you’ve never had this sort of cheese before, the simplest way to describe it is to compare it to other popular dairies.
Queso fresco is typically regarded as a healthy option for cheese selection. Because it’s made with fresh ingredients and minimum processing, it’s a delightful low-carb snack option.
More often than not, different people ask if Queso fresco can be melted and pasteurized. Even though most Queso fresco sold in North America is prepared from pasteurized milk, it is not rare to find unpasteurized Queso fresco in other parts of the world, particularly Mexico and Central American nations.
Handy Tip: If you’re pregnant or have any other reason to be worried about pasteurization, the label should make it obvious whether it has been pasteurized. If it doesn’t specify, it’s best to avoid it to be on the safe side of things.
And as for melting Queso fresco, when heated, Queso fresco does become soft, albeit it does not dissolve readily as cheeses such as cheddar or mozzarella. Its high melting point makes it ideal for deep frying. Fresh Queso fresco is much more frequent than shredded, although it may also be used when a filling is required.
It will most likely remain too firm for a traditional American-style pizza, but it is ideal for a quesadilla. Given that Queso fresco is the most extensively used cheese in Mexico, any savory Mexican-style recipe is likely to be enhanced by adding this cheese.
Why Shouldn’t You Freeze Queso Fresco?
Because Queso fresco is so fresh, it has a higher moisture percentage than older cheeses such as cheddar. Sadly, this means Queso fresco is a poor option for freezing.
When you freeze Queso fresco, the moisture in the cheese forms small ice crystals which break through the proteins that keep the cheese together. The ice melts, and the fresh cheese loses its hardness as the cheese thaws. The resulting Queso fresco will be separated and gritty.
How to Use Frozen Queso Fresco?
Unless you have a good reason to freeze your Queso fresco, be prepared to have a different experience with the defrosted cheese than you had with the fresh cheese.
Using Queso fresco that has been crushed before it is frozen will provide the finest possible results. It will freeze more rapidly in this manner, resulting in smaller ice crystals and preserving some of the roughness in the process. Once everything has thawed, recombining the ingredients will be much simpler.
Even though the Queso fresco does not melt, the texture of the cheese will be less obvious if you mix it with other bite-sized ingredients, such as in a quesadilla or folded into a hot bowl of chili to make it more palatable.
Warning: Freezing Queso fresco isn’t a great storage method, and there is a significant probability that you will be unhappy with the results if you attempt to do so.
How to Store Queso Fresco?
It’s understandable if you are unwilling to take a risk on the freezer route. As an alternative, keeping Queso fresco in your refrigerator is a fantastic idea.
While cheese is properly packed and stored, it may last for months or even years. However, eating cheese when it is still fresh has always been the most delicious.
How Long Does Queso Fresco Last in the Fridge?
If you purchased it from the market, it’s possible to keep Queso fresco fresh in your refrigerator for up to 2 months. Provided you store it properly in its packaging. Usually, there isn’t any purpose in keeping it frozen for such a long time.
The quality of your cheese will be determined if it is commercially manufactured or prepared at home and when you open the packaging. Store-bought Queso fresco that has not been opened will stay in your fridge longer, and it has been commercially vacuum-sealed to prevent any exposure to microbes that might impair the quality of the product.
Unless otherwise stated, it should last for at least two months. You’ll want to put it in the main body of your refrigerator, if not in the middle rack that is often used for cheese and deli meats.
Handy Tip: It is best to keep Queso fresco away from the door since it is the area where the largest temperature change occurs, affecting your cheese’s shelf-life.
On the other hand, Homemade Queso fresco will not survive nearly as long as commercially manufactured cheese purchased at a grocery store. Making your own requires you to be certain that you can or will consume it within two to three days, and there is a good chance you will notice a substantial improvement in the overall quality.
How to Tell if Queso Fresco Has Gone Bad?
When the cheese has gone bad, it will have white or green mold patches, depending on the kind. This may not be easy to detect on a fresh, crumbly cheese like Queso fresco. If you see noticeable mold on the cheese, it is a hint that you should discard it immediately.
A sour or musty smell might also be detected on occasion. Alternatively, if none of these sensations indicates anything is wrong, a brief tasting test should reveal any soured or rotten cheese.
In contrast to hard cheeses, it is not a good idea to chop off the afflicted portion and eat around it while eating soft cheese. Soft cheese is more prone to bacterial growth, such as listeria, which you should try to avoid at all costs.
As a wet cheese, Queso fresco is susceptible to drying out if exposed to a large amount of circulating air. If you want your cheese to breathe while still preventing it from drying out, keep it covered loosely in cloth or plastic wrap for the best results.
Handy Tip: A clear indication that your Queso fresco is on the path of going bad is after it is opened. You want to keep your queso fresco wrapped and covered until you’re ready to use it. After opening the package, the freshness and texture will deteriorate quickly, although this should not be too evident for around two weeks, after which you may find that you do not love it as much.
Conclusion
To conclude, Queso fresco is a creamy, tasty, and fresh Mexican cheese that can be used for culinary and snacking purposes. As a bonus, it’s quite versatile, so you can include it into practically any meal by incorporating fresh tastes into your Queso fresco.
Using the freezer to store food helps you reduce food waste while also saving money. Keep in mind that appropriate storage is essential to preserving fresh Queso fresco. It makes no difference whether the cheese is fresh or frozen when stored since it will taste just as good after it has been defrosted.
