Shredded Cheese Storage

[Lorry13]

I just freshly shredded some gruyere and fontina cheese for making gnocchi mac and cheese. I have a ton left over and won't be needing it for now. Any ideas if its best to keep in fridge versus freezer in a ziploc bag and how long will they be fine for in either of those two places?

[LJS]

I keep a tightly-lidded plastic container of shredded cheeses in the freezer at all times-when it starts to deplete, I grate whatever is looking tired in the fridge. This is my 'go-to' savings for some mighty fine macaroni and cheese dishes. The exact mixture depends on what the family has been eating, but always cheddar, swiss, parmagiano and 'blue' (the latter in moderation, either a crumble of roquefort, Maytag or gorgonzola).

This may sound somewhat random, but mac'n'cheese bound with a good bechamel and spiked with English Dry Mustard is very forgiving...

[hotoynoodle]

home-shredded cheese does tend to go moldy more quickly than blocks because it has dramatically greater surface area. cheese freezes very well and as others have suggested, freeze it in portions that are good for your future needs.

[greygarious]

In whatever quantities work for you, put it into zipping freezer bags and suck out as much air as you can using a straw before pulling it out as you simultaneously finish the closure. Or use a vacuum sealer. The cheese will remain mold-free for a couple of weeks in the fridge, or good for many months in the freezer.

[flavorjam]

I’ve done both and have found that shredded cheese kept in the fridge usually lasts a few weeks before getting moldy (especially soft cheeses). Frozen cheese seems to last several months before quality suffers and then there’s the risk of freezer burn. Here’s my little trick for storage. Whenever I get a block of cheese I divide it into 4 oz portions (which equals approx 1 cup shredded). I then wrap those portions in wax paper and freeze in ziploc. Then whenever I need a cup of cheese I just grab a portion, thaw and shred. Hope this helps.

[Lorry13]

Thanks for the suggestions! If only it had occurred to me to only shred a small portion of the cheese instead of deciding to shred those whole expensive blocks! I'm definitely not making that mistake again...

[flavorjam]

One other thing I would like to mention. When thawing frozen cheese it's best to thaw in the fridge. Otherwise it tends to crack and crumble.