Is it possible to store cottage cheese in the freezer: tips

You should not eat cottage cheese that has expired, because poisoning occurs quite often, and it is also very difficult to recover. How to store cottage cheese, and can you keep it in the freezer?

Cottage cheese is a valuable edible dairy product. It is rich in calcium and protein. It is especially useful for children, so it is introduced very early as complementary foods. Cottage cheese is made from sour milk. It is an indispensable product when the body is weakened as a result of illness and is used for rapid recovery.

Thanks to the excellent ratio of proteins, fats, carbohydrates, it is absorbed in the body very quickly. Cottage cheese is recommended for children and pregnant women due to the large amount of vitamins, amino acids and mineral salts.

It has been noticed that the dairy product lowers cholesterol in the blood and reduces fat deposits. For this reason, it is recommended to use it for cardiovascular diseases, obesity, and diseases of the musculoskeletal system.

It is important to remember that this is a protein product, so you should not abuse it. Too much protein is bad for the kidneys. Cottage cheese with high fat content increases cholesterol and contributes to obesity.

Terms and conditions of storage

This wonderful product has been known since ancient times. Our grandmothers in the villages managed to store cottage cheese in a cold cellar for up to a week. In winter, when there was already little milk, the cottage cheese was frozen in the form of balls. But more often it was used to make cheeses that could be stored for a long time.

In order to determine the shelf life of cottage cheese, you need to know the characteristics of the product. Full-fat cottage cheese made from selected milk with a fat content of about 16-18%.

Half-fat cottage cheese – 9%; Low-fat cottage cheese is made from skim milk. This cottage cheese is considered the most useful and is easily digestible. The higher the fat content, the shorter the shelf life of the cottage cheese and the limited indications for consumption. At room temperature the shelf life is up to 4 hours.

You need to be clear that the shelf life is very short. This is a quickly perishable product that loses its taste. Externally, it becomes gray or yellow in color and acquires a bitter taste. An unpleasant odor appears. This product should not be eaten.

Specifics of defrosting cottage cheese

Housewives who prefer to freeze the composition should remember the important aspects of preparing it for further use. To defrost the mass correctly, you need to place it in the refrigerator on one of the shelves in the common chamber. The entire manipulation will take at least 10-12 hours, so you need to take care of the manipulation in advance. Any additional thermal effects are strictly prohibited.

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The composition cannot even be laid out at room temperature. The only thing that is allowed to additionally influence the process is a damp cloth, which needs to be wrapped around the lump after removing it from the freezer.

If you follow these rules, you can regularly consume nutritious foods with health benefits and without any risk. If there is any suspicion that the product has been damaged, you must immediately throw it away and not try to use it even as an additive to the filling of a pie, cheesecakes or dumplings.

Even under such conditions, it is not recommended to store cottage cheese for more than 3-4 days. In addition, there is a very old approach that, although it will not extend the shelf life of the product, will allow it to remain very fresh throughout its entire life. We take pottery covered with glaze, wash and dry. Pour a layer of coarse salt onto the bottom, place cottage cheese on top, spread on a linen rag, and press down. We soak a piece of cotton fabric in a low concentration saline solution, cover the structure, and tuck the edges. You can place a plate with a slight pressure on top.

Shelf life in the refrigerator

Fresh cottage cheese can be stored in the refrigerator for 2 days. The temperature should not be higher than +8 °C. Temperature changes should not be allowed. Optimum temperature for storage is +2…+5 °C.

With sufficiently good cooling to 0 °C, cottage cheese can be stored for 4 days. Before placing in the refrigerator, it is better to place the product in a clean porcelain or glass cup and cover with parchment or foil. Do not place in metal containers or plastic containers.

For more than 1 day of storage, it is better to make various casseroles, dumplings, and cookies from cottage cheese.

How to determine freshness?

Many people buy cottage cheese exclusively in the store, but there are also those who prefer only the product purchased at the market. In both cases, there is a risk of buying a product that is not of high quality. Let's figure out what you need to pay attention to in order to choose natural and high-quality cottage cheese from all the variety of products.

Package. It must be airtight, so the risk of pathogenic bacteria getting into the cottage cheese will be minimal.
Best before date. Real cottage cheese, according to GOST, can be stored for no more than 72 hours. If this number is higher, then you have a product with additives.
Name on the label. According to the law, a product containing starch and vegetable fats cannot be called cottage cheese (such products are called differently - cottage cheese, curd mass or curd product).
Ingredients on the label. The name “cottage cheese” must be indicated, as well as the number of lactic acid bacteria.
Color. Natural cottage cheese must be white or white-cream.
Price. It cannot be very low, since a lot of milk is used to make cottage cheese.

When buying loose cottage cheese, pay attention to its color, smell, taste and structure.

The smell is neither sweet nor sour.
Taste – without acid and bitterness.
The structure of the cottage cheese must be crumbly; it is this property that will help distinguish real cottage cheese from the curd mass.

At home, it is possible to check cottage cheese for the presence of the following additives:

Starch. If you drop a drop of an alcohol solution of iodine on the cottage cheese and it turns blue, it means that the product you purchased contains starch.
Vegetable fats. To check, place a small amount of cottage cheese on a plate and leave in a warm place for one day. If the product dries and becomes crusty, no sour smell appears and no yellow spots form on its surface, then the cottage cheese is natural. If everything is the other way around, it means this is a fake.

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Storing in the freezer: is it possible to store cottage cheese in the freezer?

You can store cottage cheese in the freezer for up to 1-2 months:

The cottage cheese is placed in a glass container. Can be frozen in special cellophane freezer bags.
Cottage cheese frozen to -35 °C retains its original properties for a long time, up to 2 months.
When stored below -18°C, freshness lasts only 2 weeks.
Be sure to mark the date on the packaging when you put it in the freezer. Be sure to consume within the above time limits.
Only fresh product is used for freezing.
You need to lay it out in portions of 100-200 g. You can make balls and wrap them in foil or take thick bags to prevent air from entering.
A prerequisite is the commercial proximity. For dairy products - cottage cheese, butter, ice cream - there must be either a separate shelf in the refrigerator or a drawer. Do not store together with frozen fish or meat. They must be stored separately from each other.
The fast freezing method is used. You can keep dumplings and cottage cheese pancakes in the freezer. These products are stored for 2 weeks, then the taste deteriorates.

How long can cottage cheese be stored?

In ancient times, cottage cheese was more natural, and there were not many methods for storing it. The simplest and most effective method has long been to wrap it in a rag soaked in water and then store the mass in a dark, cool place. Naturally, no one could guarantee compliance with strict sanitation standards and temperature stability, so the product quickly became unusable. Fortunately, today we have a refrigerator, and some manufacturers do not hesitate to use preservatives to allow long-term storage and transportation of cottage cheese. But we will only consider the issue of preserving the natural product.

Cottage cheese itself can be stored in the refrigerator for an average of 48 hours, after which the likelihood of spoilage greatly increases. However, it happens that cottage cheese lasts even three days at a stable temperature of +8 degrees! In exceptional cases, you can resort to light freezing of the product. Then it can lie for an additional 24 hours, but the temperature should not be around 0 - +1 degrees. Storing cottage cheese prepared at home involves using cooking foil or a plastic bowl. The product is wrapped or tightly closed in a container.

If you are not a particular fan of curd products, you can resort to deep freezing. Of course, this is not highly recommended both among housewives and eminent chefs, because a certain part of the qualities of cottage cheese is lost under such influence. To ensure the required level of freezing, your freezer must produce a temperature of at least -35 degrees Celsius. In this form, it can lie for quite a long time, but its defrosting before use should not be instantaneous. If possible, spread the temperature drop of the product over 12 hours. This is done by transferring the cottage cheese to the bottom shelf of the refrigerator - away from the freezer. Fortunately, cottage cheese frozen to this state does not need additional processing, which is a big plus for those same bachelors. With dishes that include cottage cheese, the above rules are no exception. For example, if you wanted to save cottage cheese for a long-term cottage cheese diet, then this is a very good option. They cannot lie in the refrigerator for a long time, but in the freezer they will last as long as needed.

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Features of cottage cheese

Cottage cheese is a protein fermented milk product that is produced by fermenting milk. Of all protein products, it is most easily absorbed in the human body.

The curd product has a lot of useful properties:

Rich in vitamins, especially calcium and phosphorus, which are necessary for the formation of the human skeletal system. Always included in the diet of children and pregnant women.
Contains amino acids necessary for the prevention of liver diseases.
Helps fight atherosclerosis, as it helps increase lecithin levels in the blood and prevents the deposition of cholesterol in the body. All this interferes with the appearance and development of sclerotic phenomena.
Normalizes the functioning of the nervous system.
Removes fluid from the body, which greatly contributes to the prevention of kidney and heart diseases.
Helps in the fight against excess weight. Fasting days, when you can only eat cottage cheese and drink water, help to significantly reduce weight.
Contains minerals that produce hemoglobin, which has a very good effect on the functioning of the circulatory system as a whole and prevents the appearance of anemia.

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You need to be very careful when choosing cottage cheese at the market or in a store. The packaging must not be damaged or blistered; it must indicate the composition, production date and expiration date.

The product must be:

creamy, almost white;
does not taste sour;
consistency - crumbly, slightly moist.

The fat and calorie content of cottage cheese directly affect its taste. The amount of proteins, fats and carbohydrates contained in curd products depends on this indicator.

There are 3 types of product:

fat – up to 23%;
classic - 5-15%;
low fat - 1.8%.

Low-fat cottage cheese is best absorbed by the body, since it contains a lot of healthy milk proteins.

This video contains advice from an endocrinologist on how to choose the right cottage cheese depending on its fat content.

Shelf life according to GOST

You can familiarize yourself with the standards that must be followed in order not to harm your health by consuming cottage cheese from the following documents:

GOST 31453-2020 “Cottage cheese. Technical conditions".
San PiN 2.3.2 1324-03 “Hygienic requirements for shelf life and storage conditions of food products.”

Clause 8.2 of GOST 31453-2020 stipulates that the manufacturer can independently set the shelf life of cottage cheese and products made from it.

The shelf life of all perishable products is specified in San PiN 2.3.2 1324-03. In the section on dairy products, there is a description of how long a particular milk product can be preserved at air temperatures from -2 to 4 degrees Celsius. Read more about proper storage and shelf life of milk here.

According to GOST, fresh cottage cheese must be odorless, mucus and acidic, white or white-cream, crumbly and uniform in structure and color. It may contain small particles of milk protein.

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It is very important to remember what expiration dates are set for the following products:

raw cottage cheese and products made from it are suitable for 72 hours;
cottage cheese and products after heat treatment – 5 days;
shelf life of cottage cheese dishes (pancakes with cottage cheese, dumplings and other products) is 24 hours;
cottage cheese casseroles – 48 hours;
children's cottage cheese - 36 hours.

What determines how long a product will be stored in the refrigerator?

Would you like to know what determines the shelf life of this valuable product? These are the following factors:

Heat treatment method. Factory-made cottage cheese is stored the longest, for the production of which special heat treatment technologies were used.
Storage temperature. It should be within 2-6 °C, and the optimal temperature for long-term storage cottage cheese is -18 °C. The lower the temperature, the longer its freshness and beneficial properties are preserved.
Package. Curd products are stored in vacuum packaging for a long time - up to 30 days.
Fat content. Low-fat 2-5% cottage cheese, which is made from skim milk, has the longest shelf life. 9% half-fat cottage cheese, which is prepared from whole and skim milk, is saved a little less. And a product with a high percentage of fat content (18% or more) has a very short shelf life.
Air humidity. To keep the cottage cheese fresh longer, air humidity of 30-45% is required.

Dairy

Whole milk is not processed; it remains unchanged in composition, fat content and calorie content. Purchased from people running subsidiary plots, working in the farming and private sector.

Stored in closed glass jars in the refrigerator for 1 to 3 days.

After boiling, the storage time is extended. Can be frozen, and the shelf life is extended to 4 months.

Types of packaging correspond to various technological treatments:

Pasteurized, processed at a temperature of 60 ° C, packed in polyethylene or cardboard bags, stored for up to 2 days.
Ultra-pasteurized, heated to 150 °C, bottled in tetrapacks, suitable for consumption up to 6 months.
Sterilized, subjected to normal boiling at 100 °C. Glass containers and plastic (PET) bottles are also used.

To increase the storage time, it is worth using special processing or boiling: this will protect the product from souring and contamination by pathogenic flora and bacteria.

Yogurt is a perishable product. Stored in the refrigerator, after opening it spoils after 7 days, at room temperature it is good for 4 hours. The containers used range from cardboard boxes, plastic cups to PET bottles, eco-lined jugs.

Cream is available in 3 types: pasteurized, sterilized, dry. Storage time:

in the refrigerator from 36 hours to 4 months;
in the freezer from 72 hours to 6 months;
at room temperature from 10 hours to 4 months, depending on the type of manufacture.

The optimal refrigerator temperature for cream is 2...8 °C; after opening the container, the shelf life is reduced, and when frozen it doubles.

Cream is packaged in polyethylene terephthalate bottles, polystyrene cups, film bags, and cardboard boxes. You can store them without refrigeration by placing them in a glass jar and placing it in a container of cold water. The top of the jar is covered with gauze or cloth, the ends of which are lowered into the water. This way the delicate product will not spoil for the whole day.

The storage condition for kefir is a refrigeration unit with a temperature of -2 to 4 °C and normal humidity of the unit. Do not open the package in advance; after opening, kefir is suitable for consumption for 1-2 days. A glass of product on the table will not spoil in 5 hours. When purchasing, you should choose cardboard packaging or a glass bottle.

Kefir from the freezer can be drunk during storage for a week, with a longer period used for baking.

Ryazhenka is not kept warm; it is better to drink it immediately after opening. Open containers come into contact with air, food oxidizes and quickly deteriorates. The refrigerator keeps fermented baked milk for 14 days, the product prepared at home – no more than 5 days. Stores sell tetrapacks, soft plastic bags, plastic and glass bottles.

A refrigerator is used to store quickly melting ice cream, where it remains usable for only 24 hours. Therefore, keep ice cream in the freezer at -15 ° C. After an hour at room temperature, milk will remain from the delicacy, and if you use a thermos, you can actually save it for 3-4 hours before it starts to melt.

Tips for freezing

If you follow all the rules and features of storing a fermented milk product in the freezer, it can be frozen for up to 2 months. At the same time, the cottage cheese does not lose its beneficial qualities. Freezing a dairy product will provide an opportunity to treat yourself to delicious curd dishes at any time.

Basic rules for freezing:

For freezing, use fresh homemade cottage cheese. It should exude a pleasant smell. It is advisable to use granular cottage cheese. Store-bought paste is not suitable for this method.
The cottage cheese will taste better after defrosting if you use a glass or ceramic storage container. The container must have an airtight lid to prevent air from entering and moisture loss.
Containers for dairy products should not be filled to the very top; leave 2 cm to the top. Curd whey will increase in volume when frozen.
It is not recommended to store the product in plastic bags. It will acquire a musty smell and a gray, unappetizing color.
To freeze fermented milk products for long-term storage, you must use the quick freezing function - 30°C. Only send fresh cottage cheese for deep freezing. It should freeze completely within 4-6 hours.

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The temperature of further storage should not be higher than -18°C.

You cannot freeze and defrost a dairy product several times. You should first divide it into small portions. Should be used for food within 48 hours. Place the containers in the freezer so that it is convenient to remove them for further defrosting.

Freezing semi-finished products with cottage cheese (cheesecakes, dumplings, casseroles, pancakes) will be an excellent option. In this case, you can easily and quickly prepare an express dinner after a working day, and also please unexpected guests. Dishes made from semi-finished products retain their beneficial qualities and aroma.