We receive this question frequently from apprentice cheese makers in the making: how long do homemade cheeses keep?
Although our instructions indicate the storage mode and time for each cheese specifically, we are sharing this tool with you so that you can choose the right cheeses to make according to your lifestyle and the frequency with which you cook.
First of all :
Our kits allow the production of fresh cheeses. The name of the type of cheese indicates an important information: "fresh". It is therefore generally tastier to eat these cheeses soon after they are made.
Storage time for cheeses without brine:
The shelf life of a fresh cheese kept in the refrigerator in a closed dish, in plastic wrap or in its ecological equivalent is about 7 days.
Here we refer to the following cheeses: fresh ricotta, queso blanco, paneer, and cheese curds . Note that cheese curds will lose their "squick" when refrigerated.
If you decide not to prepare brine for the other cheeses included in our kits, they will have approximately the same preservation time or a little more depending on their level of salt which is a natural preservative.
Regarding vegan cheeses , the ricotta style can be kept for 5 days while the cheddar style can be kept for up to 10 days. Only melted mozzarella-style fauxmage should be served and eaten immediately after its short manufacturing time, while still warm.
Greek yogurt can be stored for up to 2 weeks in the refrigerator.
Storage time for cheeses with brine:
Here we refer to the following cheeses: mozzarella , halloumi and feta .
Mozzarella can be stored for up to 3 weeks in brine, while halloumi cheese and feta cheese can be stored for several months or even up to 1 year.
That said, when you put your cheeses in brine, take note that your cheeses will be increasingly salty. It is possible to rinse your cheeses before eating them if they have been placed in brine for a long period of time.
Storage time for ricotta salata:
As mentioned earlier, cheese salt is a natural preservative. It is therefore this ingredient that will increase the shelf life of ricotta as well.
Ricotta salata is a dry, salty, grainy form of ricotta. Our recipe for making ricotta shows the method to achieve this result.
This will allow you to keep your ricotta salata for at least 4 weeks.
Freezing?
Although this is not our favorite method of preservation because when it thaws the texture of your cheeses will change a little and you lose the attraction of eating these fresh cheeses, it is possible to freeze certain cheeses for up to 3 months.
Note that the more your cheeses contain liquid, the more they will change in texture when they thaw. This is why we do not recommend freezing ricotta or queso blanco.
We further recommend freezing the following cheeses when needed: mozzarella, halloumi, paneer, and cheese curds . Cheese curds will also lose their "squick" when they thaw.
In summary
In summary, all the cheeses included in our kits , except our melted vegan mozzarella style cheese, can be kept for at least 7 days in the refrigerator from their manufacture.
Cheeses that can be put in brine ( mozzarella, halloumi and feta ) will have a longer shelf life, ranging from 3 weeks up to 1 year.
Ricotta salata can be stored for up to 4 weeks.
It is possible to freeze mozzarella, paneer, halloumi and cheese curds for up to 3 months, however, there will be a change in their texture when they thaw.
In conclusion
Although your cheeses will often be devoured in a few moments by you and your loved ones, several different storage options exist so that you always have homemade cheese on hand.
U MAIN , much more than kits for making cheese at home
