Quick Answer: Can You Freeze Brie?
Yes, brie cheese can be frozen for up to 6 months! As long as you ensure that it is stored properly and carefully in the freezer and use it for baking or cooking dishes once thawed, freezing brie is not a big deal at all. The best ways to freeze brie would be in the form of slices, wedges or blocks, and it should be frozen in completely airtight and watertight containers.
Brie can be frozen easily without hassles as long as you make sure it is stored in a way such that it won’t be affected by the moisture in your freezer, and that you get rid of all the excess air possible.
As brie is one of the softer cheeses, its texture can change upon freezing.
However, these changes can be minimised following the correct techniques to freeze it.
Don’t worry, we got you covered: read on to know everything you need to know about freezing and thawing brie cheese.
What to Note and Do Before Freezing Brie
Brie is a soft French cheese that is not an inexpensive investment to have in the kitchen.
So, if you’ve bought a ton off a sale, we understand.
But seeing how the shelf life of this soft cheese in the fridge is 1-2 months if unopened and barely 1 to 2 weeks if opened , it is a good idea to consider freezing.
However, there are some things that you should be aware of.
Freezing changes the texture of brie, not dramatically but enough to have the slightest loss of taste as well as a decrease in sponginess.
Therefore, it is a better idea to freeze brie if you are planning on using it later for cooked or baked dishes only.
However, frozen brie should pose no problems at all to grill or melt! There are two main methods to freeze brie best – read on to find out!
Can You Freeze Brie Slices (Easier, Quicker)?
Materials
- Cookie/baking tray
- Silicone mat / parchment paper / wax paper (must be freezer-friendly)
- Airtight freezer bag / freezer-friendly container
Instructions
This method is extremely simple and quite convenient.
It is preferred if you know for sure that you will be melting or grilling the frozen brie.
However, it does not guarantee the brie staying in the best possible quality.
- Slice the brie cheese – Depending on what you will be using the frozen cheese for, cut the slices accordingly.
For example, to use for a soup or stew, it is fine to have around two thick slices; if you are planning on melting the brie on bread, thinner slices should work better. - Arrange of baking/cookie tray – Once your slices are ready, like a baking tray (or a cookie tray) with parchment paper, wax paper or a silicone mat, and arrange your brie slices carefully through the tray so that they have some distance between them.
- Flash-freeze – Place the baking tray inside the freezer and let the brie flash-freeze for at least six to seven hours. Flash-freezing ensures that the cheese slices do not stick to each other.
To be on the safe side, you can even flash-freeze the brie slices overnight. - Transfer brie slices into airtight freezer bag or container – Once the brie slices have frozen hard, transfer them carefully into an airtight freezer bag or freezer-friendly container.
- Seal carefully, label and freeze – We cannot emphasize enough on the importance of sealing the freezer bag or container securely.
Squeeze out all the air possible from the bag, and if you are using a container, also make sure that it is airtight as well as watertight. Label the bag or container, and your brie is good to freeze!
Freezing Wrapped Brie Slices/Blocks (Recommended)
Time Taken: 1-2 hours
What You Need:
- Cheese paper / parchment paper / waxed paper
- Airtight freezer bag
This method is recommended more if you would like to thaw your frozen brie instead of directly melting or grilling.
It preserves the brie significantly better, and also takes a little more effort and energy.
Cut your Brie into Pieces
Before cutting, decide if you require smaller slices, or if it would be better to have larger chunks.
This method essentially involves wrapping each individual piece/slice or chunk of brie, so give some thought to which would be more suitable and convenient for you, and cut the brie accordingly.
Wrap each Piece/Slice/Chunk Tightly
You can use whichever is more easily available – cheese paper, parchment paper or wax paper, as long as it is freezer friendly.
The purpose of this is to ensure that the cheese does not stick to the paper.
Wrap each piece very tightly and securely. Make sure that no part of the surface of the brie is exposed, and that the wrap is secured in place.
Transfer Wrapped Pieces Inside a Freezer Bag
Once wrapped securely, transfer your brie into an airtight resealable freezer bag.
Seal Securely, Label and Freeze
Again, make sure to seal the bag very tightly and securely. Label the bag or container, and your brie is good to freeze!
For a refresher, you can also refer to this guide:
Prepare the Brie En Croute
Wrap the cheese in puff pastry, but exclude the step to brush the pastry with egg wash.
Wrap Tightly in Plastic Wrap
Wrap the brie cheese pastry very tightly and securely in plastic wrap and make sure no part of the surface is exposed.
Transfer Into Freezer Bag
Transfer your wrapped pastry into an airtight freezer friendly bag. Seal very carefully to make sure the bag remains completely airtight and watertight.
Label the bag, it is ready to freeze! You can keep your brie en croute in freezer storage for up to a month!
There is no need to thaw before baking.
Simply remove the plastic wrap from the brie en croute, brush the frozen pastry with egg wash, and then bake the pastry for around 50 to 55 minutes, in an oven pre-heated to 350 degrees.
How Long Can You Freeze Brie?
According to NHCFP and FKA, brie can be kept in freezer storage for up to 6 months.
However, with all frozen food and especially so with frozen dairy, the longer you keep it in the freezer, the higher the chances of it slowly going bad and the quality reducing.
Before consuming it (this goes for all frozen food), check for signs of rotting and spoilage.
Although, if frozen correctly, following the steps properly, your brie should be just fine to be frozen for up to 6 months.
How to Store Frozen Brie?
As directed, freeze your brie in the form of slices, either directly in airtight freezer bags after flash-freezing.
Freeze them in slices/chunks/blocks after wrapping them individually in freezer-friendly parchment or wax paper, and then placing the wrapped brie inside freezer bags.
Either way, do make sure that your freezer bags (or containers if you are using them) are sealed with utmost care.
Brie cheese will only survive up to 6 months in the freezer if exposure to air or moisture is completely restricted.
How to Defrost Frozen Brie
You can defrost your frozen brie by transferring it from the freezer to the refrigerator and letting it thaw overnight.
Once thawed, the contents may separate. Do not panic; this is perfectly normal for dairy products.
You can use a cold-water bath if you are in a hurry. This speeds up the thawing process considerably, and your brie cheese should be ready to use in around 3 to 4 hours.
Use it frozen! This is the best way to use frozen dairy items anyway. Your frozen brie will work excellently in a stew or a soup or even in any baked dishes.
Take note that the cooking time may have to be extended by a few minutes in this case.
Can You Re-freeze Frozen Brie?
It is not advisable at all to re-freeze frozen brie.
Like most other dairy products, the consistency, texture, and taste might change significantly if frozen again after already having been frozen and thawed once before, ultimately making them inedible.
In fact, the reason why we freeze it in portions is to avoid having to re-freeze, so you can only use the exact amount of brie you require at a time without having to thaw the rest.
Avoid re-freezing frozen brie.
Does Brie Freeze Well?
Strictly speaking, brie freezes fine for up to 6 months, provided the freezing is done meticulously to avoid any issues with exposure.
However, there are indeed texture issues that come with freezing brie.
Be sure to finish the brie cheese within six months of freezing it.
The longer you keep it in freezer storage, the more issues there will be with its texture, consistency, even taste, and flavor.
FAQs
Wrapping brie slices or chunks once as directed in Method #2, tightly and securely making sure no surface is exposed should be good enough.
However, if you’d prefer to be completely on the safe side, you can go with wrapping the cheese in multiple layers as well!
There’s no harm or danger – your cheese will only be preserved better. Here’s a tip: cling film works great as well.
You can, if you are alright with slight decreases in the quality of the brie. Make sure it is frozen consistently at a temperature of -18 degrees Celsius.
Further, make sure to follow all the steps to wrap, seal and secure very carefully to make sure your brie cheese stays well after freezing for 6 months. Check for any signs of spoilage before consuming.
Once thawed, be sure to use up your frozen brie within a maximum of 2 days.
If you went with Method #1 of freezing brie, it is best to go with cooked or baked dishes, such as casseroles, soups, stews, or to melt on bread, pasta, and so on.
Avoid using frozen brie on a cheeseboard as the texture changes get too noticeable.
If none of the substitutes mentioned are available (parchment paper, wax paper, cling film, etc.) as a last resort, you can keep your brie in a Tupperware container in the freezer.
Just make sure that it is sealed securely, and the container is airtight and watertight.
Bottom Line
We have gone through the method to freeze as well as thaw brie cheese, along with brie en croute, and several other guidelines and things you need to keep in mind.
We hope that this guide has helped you understand how to freeze brie safely at home.
If this article was insightful and helpful for you, please share it with your friends and family, and feel free to leave any questions or inputs you have in the comment section below!