Last igourmet order I made I ordered 2 pounds of Mature Red Leicester and froze half if it. I got the other piece out of the freezer last week, let it thaw thoroughly in the fridge and it is just fine. I've often wondered if it would work to freeze fresh mozzarella. Or Peccorino/Romano and Parmesan/Reggiano. If I could buy in larger quantities I wouldn't have to order so often and could save on shipping.

I freeze cooking cheeses. They do shed a little fat and moisture, but not enough to worry about. I have blocks of gruyere, emmentaler, parmesan, romano, and mozzarella, for sure. I vacuumed sealed some that I overbought for a project. The others are in ziplocks. They're fine. Defrost no problem, don't suffer in flavor or texture, etc.

I haven't tried freezing soft cheeses. Cheese is mostly fat. Fat freezes really well and unless the moisture migration is bad enough to crystalize, I don't find the cheese going grainy, on the hard cheeses. It might be trickier with soft, as I think they have a lot of moisture.

I keep sliced cheese for sandwiches, wedges, powdered (rasp grated), soft cheeses, white cheeses (cottage, feta, mascarpone, labne, etc.), and hard blocks I'll be using soon in the fridge and they're fine for long term storage. I do ziploc or container when open, which helps keep mold away. I occasionally get mold if it lingers too long, but it's fine. Yes, most cheese is best at room temp. That's easily achieved.

I have a sensitive palate, but I think the 5-6 day thing is silly for a preserved product. I can believe that there's a particular moment when cheese is at its tip top bestest best, and if you're at a tasting they've planned the cheeses to be just there, but cheese was invented to store milk to be used later, nto to fuss over the timing. If it tastes good when you eat it, it's good!

Cheese doesn't last long enough here to freeze . . .

Nancy, I usually just pare it. How do you do the salt?

BTW, in speaking of mold above, my concern is to use a cheese up if it starts to mold, before the mold takes over. Does the salt prolong how long you can store a demolded cheese?

I use salt, works for firmer cheeses, cheddar for example. I sprinkle the salt over the cheese, often I Store cheese in a plastic storage container, sprinkle a small amount of salt over the cheese....all sides, cover, shake, store in fridge.

I think mold is a result of contamination...you touched it..you contaminated it..salt may prevent the mold.

FWIW, I ate a lot of moldy cheese, usually with the mold cut off, when I was backpacking.

Good to know; I was recently pondering this. I‘m buying groceries for my parents. I buy cheese weekly for my parents and was wondering if I could order bigger quantities and freeze. Was going to do a test with my order from the distributor, but that order showed up without the cheese. Maybe next time.

Cheese is mostly fat.

I mentioned on another thread that I made shrimp and feta for Mother’s Day. Somehow it was disappointing compared to what I remembered. Something was just off, and it seemed to be around the cheese. I just dug a spoon into my tub of feta and thought, “this is awful.“ Looked at the label and see it’s fat free. I suppose that explains it! I owe my wife a do-over.

Foodona....Years ago I was making my mother lunch at her house one day. I'd taken crab and was using her cheese for crab melts on toast. Under the broiler. The square of cheese refused to bubble or budge. The crab and bread were going to turn into a meteor and the cheese looked sliced just as I'd taken it out of the refrigerator. I looked at her package and it was some kind of no cal fat free stuff. Broiler couldn't alter it. I have never, ever bought reduced fat dairy to try here after that experience.

I don't have any luck with freezing and thawing cream cheese to use for spreading....but for cooking it's fine. Don't

know what freezing does....but it's not a good thing.Blue cheese on the other hand freezes very very well. I know of a famous blue cheese maker that used freezing to control over stocking. Just thaw well.
Cheese molds when it gets the mold spoors on ti and gets exposed to air. To keep cheese from molding wrap it with foil or saran laid directly on the cheese....don't dump it into a zip lock.....and watch carefully when you have a blue mold cheese and another cheese out of the wrappers at the same time. Blue mold won't hurt you but it does change the taste of the cheese.....turns a cheddar to a Stilton ( I wish!!!)>

Don't know where he idea that salt retards mold growth, because blue mold cheeses are liberally salted before aging.....and after aging there is lots of mold on the outside of the salted wheels.
Vinegar does, however, retard mold growth.....but also alters the flavor. But if you wipe the cut side of a large wedge of a cheddar or emmenthaler for example it will retard mold growth.
And cheese has a much longer shelf life that 4 or 5 days. Do any of you remember the stores that would have the huge wheel of yellow cheese sitting on the counter and would cut you a wedge as needed? That wheel sat there until all was sold.....sometimes for 2 weeks....just getting better and better!
Pasteurized processed cheese food is not cheese!!

FOAS, if you freeze a cheese like cheddar, it will be crumbly when it defrosts and hard to get a slice instead of cheese rubble.

I 'cold smoked' three different cheeses last September, then froze. One was a cheddar. It is possible a quality cheese may freeze better that the cheap cheese. The dairy case factory made cheeses like the ones near yogurt and milk. The rubbery stuff.

DH purchased something fat free by mistake over the holidays. Sour cream. It was disgusting and full of strange ingredients. Thickeners.

"...Was going to do a test with my order from the distributor, but that order showed up without the cheese. "

Did Baldor just forget or did they run out of what you ordered? I'm getting a delivery tomorrow. Cheese is most complicated as the sizes/quantity are often huge. I had the hardest time picking out a blue. Ended up with a gorgonzola at 3.5 lbs.

The pecorino pictured is from Baldor. 4 Lbs. It stored well in the fridge being a full wheel and sealed/waxed. I had it for more than a month before opening. The rest of the wheel I food saver sealed in 4 chunks. Doubt I will need to freeze. (might test one) I predict it will be fine.

Yes, I would 'test-freeze'. I had to buy 6 lbs of mozzarella for lasagna and pizza. Used two before the use-by date hit. Froze the other 4. I've done that before and thought I recognized the brand from Costco but this one melts different. Not the same quality. The other one from the same company looks like the rubbery type my Father likes. Big 5 lb block though. Doubt that would freeze well. The small individual smoked cheddars are wax sealed and have a sept date. That was a good purchase. Box of 12. Have just gone through a couple.

The brined feta has a long date as well so ordered another.

Very timely topic! I purchased a variety of cheeses and we can't eat it all (appetite is not what it was) and storage in the fridge is low. Thrilled to know I can food saver many cheeses and use later.

Meant to cold smoke cheeses while the weather was cool but ran out of time. Darn. Love our smoked cheeses!

I just placed an order for cheeses with plans to freeze some of it. Except the cream havarti and fontal. I didn't order any fresh mozzerella this time around. I just found an unopened container in the very back of the refrigerator that should have been used 3 months ago, grrrr. But this order should keep us in cheese for months to come.

I was planning to make some different cheeses but the only delivery service I can get does not have the milk I need in stock. Ultra-pasturized does not work.

I'm so with you about appetite. We do like the small quick meals with a bit of this and that and a salad. If DH does not have some type of meat, he is satisfied with a bit of feta or blue. Easy yoyo lunch. Omelet.

Way back that first week of March when I placed my first order with FreshDirect....then a week later could not get a delivery date. It was unsettling to be almost out of any cheese. Half pound of Parmesan. Maybe less than one stick of butter. A little goat log in the freezer.

NYtimes has an article state-by-state of farms and cheese makers that are delivering. They all need help. (I'll find the link)

Where I found this cheesemaker. No, we don't need more cheese but they make beautiful cheese and interesting about their fresh goat..."freezer friendly"

Linky, HERE

I was reminded of our cheesemaker friend who has an organic pasture raised dairy farm upstate. He lost most of his accounts in the city as well as his neighbor. He's making butter and texted if we wanted/needed any. He has suspended cheesemaking for now until he can figure out shipping. Selling his stock locally. Guessing if the effort is worth it if it does not sell.

A few years ago while visiting we tasted his French neighbors brie style cheese. The wheel was in a pizza type box. About an 8-9 inch. He gave it to use as we were leaving. So good, but too rich and so much. I froze it and it was still excellent. Lasted all summer.

High end expensive cheese is not really on most peoples shopping list these days. Pre-covid we would only get a rare treat 1/4 lb of one or two every couple months. Stocked Costco parmesan and a few others in rotation for snacking.

The igourmet package was excellent since they have butter and crackers and salami. Without much to celebrate and low appetite, I look for big flavors and lower prices like the 7-10 per pound range. Did get the humble fog as a treat.

Oh crackers! Darn I knew I was forgetting something when I placed my order. Oh well we will survive somehow with Ritz LOL.

Got any flour, Edie? You could make flatbread crackers. I made some today, practice for the weekend. Really easy, good. Lots of recipes online. DH and I cannot stop nibbling on them! You could make plain for cheeses that want crackers.

I really didn't not need to see the cheese link! LOL! I have enough for now, but the descriptions... Oh my!