Learn how to freeze dry cheese with a Harvest Right freeze dryer. Freeze drying is a great way to preserve cheese for much longer than other methods, and it rehydrates really well to use in cooking.
How to Freeze Dry Cheese
Everything tastes better with cheese, so that’s why I don’t want to be without it. The price of cheese her stays fairly consistent, but I like to save when I can and buy in bulk.
Cheese is difficult to preserve since you can’t can it. You’re limited to freezing it or placing it in the fridge.
Even then, it only lasts for a few weeks in the fridge. It lasts longer in the freezer, but I find that the texture is off.
Sure, I’ll use frozen cheese for recipes, but it’s just not the same as fresh cheese.
Besides, we’re trying to limit what’s in the freezer by using our freeze dryer for shelf stable foods.
When I got the Harvest Right freeze dryer, I wondered, can you freeze dry cheese?
Thankfully, freeze dried shredded cheese and freeze dried cheese slices freeze dry and reconstitute really well.
For more foods that freeze dry well, check out these posts:
- How to Freeze Dry Marshmallows
- How to Freeze Dry Tomatoes at Home
- How to Freeze Dry Apples at Home
- How to Make Freeze Dried Fruit at Home
- How to Make Freeze Dried Strawberries
- How to Make Fruit Powder
- How to Make Freeze Dried Eggs at Home
- 27 Recipes Using Freeze Dried Fruit
- Freeze Dried Raspberries
Learn more about freeze dried vs dehydrated and theprintable freeze dryer log book benefits of each method. Check out my favorite freeze drying accessories and then get my printable freeze dryer log book to track your food inventory and run times.
Does Cheese Freeze Dry Well?
Not only can you freeze dry cheese, but it also does really well. I make both freeze dried shredded cheese and freeze dried cheese slices.
I use the shredded cheese in recipes by reconstituting it. The freeze dried cheese slices can be used in recipes by adding water or eaten as a snack.
If you slice the cheese thin, they taste like a cheese cracker!
I didn’t really care for reconstituted cheese slices as a snack, but I’m not one to just eat a slices of cheese anyway.
How Does Freeze Dried Cheese Taste?
Freeze dried mozzarella cheese, cheddar cheese, and other cheeses taste just like fresh cheese. The flavor is a little more intense because there’s no water.
However, if you reconstitute it and use it in recipes, there is little to no difference.
Does Freeze Dried Cheese Melt?
Yes, you can learn how to freeze dry cheese to use in hot recipes where you want it to melt. You will need to reconstitute it first with water.
Can You Freeze Dry Velveeta?
Yes, you can freeze dry Velveeta! Velveeta has a pretty long shelf life, but if you find it on sale, you can make freeze dried Velveeta to extend the shelf life.
The best way to freeze dry Velveeta is to freeze the block and then shred it. Spread it out on the tray and freeze it overnight. Then freeze dry.
You could also cut it into thin strips and then freeze dry it.
Once it’s done, you can make freeze dried cheese powder with it. It won’t really hold its shape, so be prepared to make a powder.
Then mix with water until it reaches the desired consistency. Use it to make macaroni and cheese, pour on broccoli, or make broccoli cheese soup.
Can You Freeze Dry Cheese Sauce?
Yes, you can freeze dry cheese sauce to make freeze dried cheese powder. You can buy a #10 can of cheese sauce and freeze it in small molds. I like this rectangle mold or this mini square mold.
Then evenly divide the frozen cheese squares on your trays, making sure you don’t go over the weight limit for each tray. I have the medium, so that’s 2.5 pounds of food per tray.
When it’s done, about 35-40 hours later, it will break up into a powder. You can then reconstitute it with warm water or warm milk.
You will probably want to use an immersion blender or a bullet blender because it will be lumpy.
How Long Does it Take to Freeze Dry Cheese?
When you’re learning how to freeze dry cheese, it’s important to keep track of your cycle times. For us, our freeze dried shredded cheese took about 20 hours.
We try to prefreeze all of our foods, which reduces the cycle time.
How long it takes to freeze dry cheese depends on the water content, the temperature, and the humidity.
How Long Does Freeze Dried Cheese Last?
If stored properly, freeze dried mozzarella cheese and other cheeses can last up to 25 years. You’ll want to store them in a 7 mil mylar bag with an oxygen absorber.
We use the Harvest Right mylar bags. They are good quality, and we haven't had a bad one in 100s used. We also use the Harvest Right oxygen absorbers. We can get them locally, and I like supporting small businesses.
You can also find mylar bags and oxygen absorbers on Amazon.
You can also store freeze dried cheese in mason jars and vacuum seal them. The shelf life varies for vacuum sealed jars, and it should be for medium term, around 1 to 2 years.
Learn how to store freeze dried food using different methods.
How Do you Reconstitute Freeze Dried Cheese?
For freeze dried cheese powder, simply combine about equal parts warm milk or warm water and adjust the powder or liquid as needed. You will probably need to use a blender to get rid of lumps.
For freeze dried cheese slices or freeze dried shredded cheese, simply add to your dishes as they bake. They will absorb water from the recipe.
If you want to reconstitute slices or shredded cheese, I recommend either placing a wet paper towel in a bowl and putting the cheese on top and letting it sit in the fridge overnight or spraying it with water.
How to Freeze Dry Cheese at Home
For best results, use either shredded cheese or thin cheese slices. Avoid putting large chunks of cheese in your freeze dryer.
For Velveeta, freeze the block and shred it.
For cheese sauce, prefreeze in silicone trays and then use it prefrozen. You can use a #10 can of cheese sauce in a medium freeze dryer.
You will need 10 pounds of cheese for a medium size Harvest Right freeze dryer. You can layer shredded cheese on top of each other.
How to Freeze Dry Cheese Directions
Step #1
Prefreeze the cheese on your Harvest Right trays. You can skip this step for shredded or sliced cheese, but it may extend the drying time.
Step #2
Turn on the Harvest Right freeze dryer and select frozen or not frozen. Place your trays in when the machine is ready.
Step #3
Let the machine do its thing. When it’s done, the trays and cheese should be warm. The cheese should be crispy and dry. If it’s not, add more drying time.
Step #4
Package into mylar bags and add an oxygen absorber.
Now you know how to freeze dry cheese at home!
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How to Freeze Dry Cheese
Ingredients
- 10 pounds of cheese (sliced, shredded, or cheese sauce)
Instructions
- Prefreeze the cheese on your Harvest Right trays. You can skip this step for shredded or sliced cheese, but it may extend the drying time.
- Turn on the Harvest Right freeze dryer and select frozen or not frozen. Place your trays in when the machine is ready.
- Let the machine do its thing. When it’s done, the trays and cheese should be warm. The cheese should be crispy and dry. If it’s not, add more drying time.
- Package into mylar bags and add an oxygen absorber.
Notes:
To freeze dry Velveeta, freeze the block and shred it. Freeze cheese sauce in silicone trays before placing in freeze dryer.
Nutrition Facts
Calories
114.53Fat (grams)
9.44Sat. Fat (grams)
5.35Carbs (grams)
0.88Fiber (grams)
0.00Net carbs
0.88Sugar (grams)
0.14Protein (grams)
6.48Sodium (milligrams)
185.12Cholesterol (grams)
28.07
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