Basket cheese is a type of cheese that is molded inside a basket, hence the name. It is made from cow’s milk and can be sold fresh or dry. Fresh basket cheese has a more pure taste, while basket cheese that has been dried has a more salty flavor.
Basket cheese is sold in shapes that range in weight from twelve to eighteen ounces, so it wouldn’t be an uncommon occurrence that you end up with leftovers. It is always hand crafted from a basket mold, so basket cheese is incredibly difficult to mass produce, if at all.
Many substitutes also exist for basket cheese. In its place, you can use basically any mild, semi-soft cheese. If you’re curious, cheeses that are comparable to basket cheese include mozzarella, goat cheese, cream cheese, and brick cheese.
Refrigerating basket cheese may alter its texture. So, ideally, refrigerating basket cheese works best for when it will be cooked. But either way, basket cheese certainly can be frozen and will last for up to six months in the freezer when stored properly.
Things to Know About Freezing Basket Cheese
So you bought some basket cheese in bulk and now you have a ton of it leftover. The good news is that basket cheese can be refrigerated or frozen and still edible. In the fridge, you can expect it to last for around two months. So, if you are planning on keeping it for longer, the freezer is your best bet.
If you are keeping basket cheese for prolonged periods of time to eat casually, like with crackers, you may want to reconsider. While it will still be consumable and tasty after being frozen, the texture of the basket cheese is likely to be completely altered.
This is not bad news if you are intending to use it for cooking, though. After cheese melts the texture it had prior to melting really doesn’t matter. So, after thawing frozen cheese, the best and most recommended use for it is cooking.
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Conclusion
Basket cheese can indeed be frozen, and upon doing so it can last for up to six months. One thing to know, though, is that after the cheese is frozen it won’t have the same texture that it did when you first bought it. So freezing basket cheese is best when you are intending to use it for cooking purposes. Once it has been melted, the prior texture of the cheese does not matter.
