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Hmmmm, doesn't happen often, but I'm disagreeing with Bill on this one. I've been freezing cheese for years - and have never had a problem. Either in 'hunks' or shred it before freezing.
The only difference in the frozen cheese is that you won't be able to use it for sliced purposes. It crumbles after thawed, so is good to use in anything you need shredded or crumbled.
Also Tab, if you have small pieces of cheese leftover and you think it might go bad before using it, here's what you can do with it and it's wonderful!! Fromage Fort - is a combination of leftover cheeses that are combined and used as a wonderful spread. There are many recipes for this, the one I usually use is from Jacques Pepin, and I even freeze this mixture if I don't use it quickly enough.
* Exported from MasterCook *
Fromage Fort
1/2 pound cheese pieces
1 garlic clove
1/4 cup dry white wine
Black pepper
Salt
Put about 1/2 pound of cheese pieces in the bowl of a food processor, add 1 garlic clove, about 1/4 cup of dry white wine and a big grinding of black pepper.
Salt is usually not needed, but taste the mixture and add some if it is. Process for 30 seconds or so, until the mixture is creamy but not too soft, and then pack it into small containers.
The fromage fort is ready to use now, either served cold or spread on bread and broiled for a few minutes.
Broiling will brown the cheese and make it wonderfully fragrant.
Recipe by Jacques Pépin
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NOTES : Fromage fort is the ultimate way of using leftover cheese. My father used to combine pieces of Camembert, Brie, Swiss, blue cheese and goat cheese together with my mother's leek broth, some white wine and crushed garlic. These ingredients marinated in a cold cellar for a week to a week-and-a-half (he liked it really strong). Now my wife, Gloria, makes a milder version in a food processor that takes only seconds. It is delicious with crackers or melted onto toasts. It also freezes well.
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You can use any type of cheese for this, but be careful of the fuller flavored quantities, they can over power everything else.
Retired and having fun writing cookbooks, tasting wine and sharing recipes with all my friends.
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