Can You Freeze Ricotta Cheese? 

Last updated on August 25th, 2022 at 06:41 pm

Planning out your meals for a month can be a real-time-saver when it comes to making dinner in the kitchen. You can buy your ingredients for the month ahead of time and place them in the freezer. 

If you plan on making baked ziti, lasagna, or baked Alfredo, can you put the ricotta cheese in the freezer? 

Ricotta cheese will last in the freezer for about three months. However, freezing is not the ideal situation for cheese. Ricotta cheese can lose its texture after being placed in the freezer. 

Since ricotta cheese has a lot of moisture, the water will freeze and change the texture of your ricotta cheese. The texture can go from being smooth and creamy to more dry and crumbly. 

To make sure you can’t taste the difference in texture, it is best to use frozen ricotta cheese in cooked dishes. If your recipe calls for fresh ricotta, it is best not to use frozen fresh ricotta cheese. 

How Do You Freeze Leftover Ricotta Cheese? 

If you plan on storing ricotta cheese in the freezer, the best way is with an unopened full container. You would leave on the plastic seal and place it in the freezer for up to three months. 

If the recipe doesn’t call for a whole container of ricotta, are you still able to place the leftovers in the freezer? 

Before you place the leftover ricotta cheese in the freezer, stir the cheese with a spoon. Stirring the ricotta before placing it in the freezer allows for the cheese to freeze evenly. 

Remove the cheese from its container and press it down on paper towels. Pressing the cheese into the paper towels allows any excess moisture to be dried up. 

After you have pressed out the moisture, wrap the cheese in plastic wrap. You can wrap the ricotta cheese whole or as individual pieces. 

It is best to wrap the cheese in individual pieces so it will be easy to thaw later. After you have wrapped the cheese, you can place it in an air-tight container. 

You can only keep leftover ricotta cheese in the freezer for two months. 

How Do You Thaw Ricotta Cheese? 

Since ricotta cheese has a dairy base, thawing it can be a bit tricky. Dairy products do not do well being left on a counter at room temperature. 

Since the cheese cannot be set out on the counter to thaw or even be placed in the microwave, what is the proper way to thaw ricotta cheese? 

The safest option for thawing your ricotta cheese is to leave it in the fridge for a few hours. If you leave frozen ricotta cheese thawing in the fridge for more than eight hours, it could end up deteriorating the structure of the cheese. 

The optimum thawing time for ricotta cheese in the fridge is five to six hours. 

If you still have ricotta cheese leftover after having it frozen, it is not good to refreeze it. If you refreeze the ricotta, it will lose all of its texture. 

This is why it is best to freeze ricotta cheese as individual pieces. 

Can You Freeze Ricotta Cheese With Egg In It? 

Many recipes that use ricotta cheese will also call for it to be mixed with an egg. Is it possible to freeze ricotta cheese and egg when they are already mixed together? 

Will freezing them both ruin the texture even further? 

Freezing ricotta cheese premixed with the egg will actually help the ricotta hold its texture. The egg acts as a glue that will keep the ricotta cheese together instead of the texture deteriorating. 

Be sure to place the mixture into an air-tight container and store it in the freezer for up to two months. 

How Long Does Ricotta Cheese Last In The Refrigerator? 

Many times you make plans, and they are great plans, but way too often life tends to laugh at your plans. Usually, the sacrifice for plans comes in the kitchen. 

You have great intentions of creating this amazing homemade dinner only to see that your children are hungry now and that meal takes way too long. Your ricotta cheese has been sitting in the fridge for a while, just waiting to be used. 

How long is too long when it comes to storing ricotta cheese in the refrigerator? 

Ricotta cheese will last in your fridge for one to two weeks. Even if you hit the three-week mark and you haven’t broken the seal, it is best not to take a chance with it. 

Unfortunately, the ricotta is no longer safe to eat at the end of two weeks. 

Is Ricotta Cheese Healthy To Eat? 

Cheese has gone through several health phases in the last few years. Some people think that cheese is one of the worst foods and is very unhealthy. There are others who view cheese as a great source of calcium and have other various health benefits. 

What about ricotta cheese? Are there any health benefits that come with eating ricotta cheese? 

Adding ricotta cheese to your dishes is a great way to get some of your daily nutritional requirements. Ricotta cheese is a great source of calcium, vitamin A, riboflavin, niacin, vitamin B12, Vitamin K, iodine, phosphorus, selenium, and zinc. 

Ricotta cheese is also fairly low in fat which makes it a great option among the cheeses. Ricotta cheese is also a great source of protein. 

Do You Need To Cook Ricotta Cheese Or Can You Eat It Raw? 

Gouda, mozzarella, parmesan, and cottage cheese are all cheese that you can enjoy straight from the wheel or container. Can you enjoy ricotta cheese straight out of the container too? 

Does it have to be cooked before you eat it? 

Although Ricotta cheese is typically found in dishes that require baking, you do not need to bake ricotta before eating it. You can eat ricotta straight from the container if you prefer. 

Final Thoughts

Next time you plan on using ricotta cheese in your recipes, you can stock up and place some in the freezer. Your ricotta cheese will last for three months in the freezer before needing to be used. 

When you decide to freeze your ricotta, keep in mind that once thawed, it can’t be refrozen.