Feta cheese is a popular Greek ingredient that is soft, crumbly, salty, and perfect for salad recipes. Many tend to agree that this is a delicious ingredient that is ideal for the Mediterranean diet. It’s highly nutritious and rich in calcium.

However, feta cheese is one of those ingredients that doesn’t last long in the fridge when opened, reducing shelf life. This leaves you the option to freeze.

So, can you freeze feta cheese? If so, how long can you extend its shelf life? The good news is you can freeze feta cheese for up to 3 months. However, it needs to be frozen and defrosted the right way.

Can you freeze feta cheese?

You can freeze feta cheese, but it will massively change the flavor and slightly change the texture once defrosted, which is why it can be good and bad, depending on how you plan to reuse this ingredient.

In general, freezing cheese is a great way to prevent food wastage and extend its shelf life without affecting much of the flavor, like cheddar cheese.

However, not all cheeses freeze the same way, and it does depend on the type and texture of the cheese.

Feta cheese is very soft and crumbly, so it’s not the best cheese to freeze if you want to retain the flavor and texture. Nevertheless, you can undoubtedly make good use out of feta cheese.

What happens when you freeze Feta Cheese?

When you freeze feta cheese it will change in flavor and texture, but you can reuse it in several ways. Here is what happens:

Feta Cheese Flavor

Feta cheese is renowned for its rich and salty taste, but what happens when you freeze and thaw it? The flavor will not be as rich and salty.

Therefore, if you intend to reuse it for salads, you might not enjoy it because it will be bland.

However, you can combine it with other ingredients and get the flavor from that particular dish like feta and tomato pasta.

Feta Cheese Texture

Feta cheese is naturally crumbly because it’s light and soft.

When you freeze and thaw feta cheese, it will still be just as crumbly but even more soft and creamy due to the water content.

As a result, you don’t need to worry about the impact of texture too much because it’s not a firm cheese to begin with.

How to freeze feta cheese – the best way

There are two main ways to freeze feta cheese – you either freeze feta blocks or crumbled feta.

Most feta you see in supermarkets are packaged in blocks and water. Still, if you are wondering, it’s totally fine to freeze leftover crumbled feta.

Ultimately, the key is how and where you keep it stored; otherwise, it will go to complete waste. The goal is to remove as much air as possible when freezing this ingredient.

How to freeze feta cheese blocks 

Whether you intend to freeze opened or unopened feta cheese, you can follow the same steps below for the best results.

Here is how:

1. Strain the feta cheese by removing it from the packaging.
2. Lightly pat dry the cheese with paper towels (be gentle as possible because feta can easily crumble).
3. Using your knife, divide the feta cheese into several portions.
4. Wrap each feta cheese block in cling wrap (not essential, and you can skip this step, but it’s just an extra caution to fully prevent freezer burn).
5. Store the feta cheese portions in an air-tight container or freezer bag.
6. Label and date the packaging before you store it in the freezer.

How to freeze crumbled feta

Feta cheese is so easy to crumble that it’s hard to keep the block firm when you remove it from the packaging.

It’s perfect to throw onto salads which adds tons of flavor and personality.

However, if you have leftover crumbled feta and don’t plan on using it anytime soon, you can freeze it rather than throwing it away.

Here is how:

1. Transfer the crumbled feta cheese into an air-tight container or freezer bag. Keep it tightly sealed. You could also use the plastic container that comes with the feta cheese and use plastic wrap to cover it.
2. Label and date the packaging before you store it in the freezer.

How Long Does Feta Cheese Last in The Freezer

Feta cheese will keep well in the freezer for up to 3 months, but the quality will rapidly diminish once you exceed that.

The key is to keep it stored in an air-tight container or freezer bag, and prevent it from freezer burn by removing as much air as possible.

How to Defrost Feta Cheese – the best way

It’s very important to defrost feta cheese the correct way because it can go horribly wrong.

In most cases, when you defrost food, you are advised to thaw it at room temperature on the kitchen counter – however, this is a bad idea for feta cheese and you avoid this method.

Instead, here are two main ways to defrost feta cheese:

• The best method is to thaw it in the fridge overnight or for at least 8 hours.
• If you need it sooner, you can transfer the frozen feta cheese to a bowl of cold water and thaw it for 2 hours. However, you will need to keep an eye on the bowl and maintain the temperature of the cold water.

Best ways to Use Defrosted Feta Cheese

Feta cheese that has been thawed should be used within 3 days, and you should not refreeze it.

Although defrosted feta cheese will taste less salty and rich in flavor, it does have its uses for various recipes.

It may not be ideal to reuse frozen feta cheese for salads, here are some great ways to make the most out of this ingredient:

• Add it to sauce recipes
• Add it to stews, soups and casseroles
• Melt it over pasta
• Use it as a topping for pizzas