cheeses – Cooking Chops

Cheese balls are a delicious mixture of cream cheese, various grated cheese, and other flavors rolled in nuts or another crunchy topping. Whether you plan on making cheese balls before a holiday or event or have possibly accumulated more cheese balls than you can eat at the moment, you may be wondering about properly storing your cheese ball to make it last. Can you freeze a cheese ball? Yes, you can freeze a cheese ball. If your cheese ball is store-bought and still in its original packaging, you can simply place it in the freezer as is; if your cheese ball is homemade, wrap your cheese ball tightly in plastic wrap and aluminum foil before freezing. Keep reading to learn more about freezing a cheese ball, how long cheese balls last, and a few mistakes to avoid with cheese balls. Can You Freeze a Cheese Ball? If you’re preparing for an event or large gathering, you may be considering making a cheese ball or two to store in the freezer until the day of, or perhaps a holiday or large gathering has passed and rather than devour the cheese balls, you’d rather freeze them and save them for later, this is all perfectly fine as cheese balls can absolutely be frozen. Before you decide if you want to freeze a cheese ball or not, it’s important to be aware of a couple of things: Depending on the type of cheese you use or the cheese ball contains, you may experience a change in texture once the cheese ball is thawed out. If you are making a cheese ball before a holiday or event, avoid adding the crunchy layer before freezing. Nuts, seeds, and/or pretzels will become soggy as the cheese ball thaws. Freezing a Cheese Ball If the cheese ball is store-bought and still in its original packaging, it can be placed in the freezer as is. If you are freezing a homemade cheese ball, you’ll want to wrap the cheese ball tightly in two layers of plastic wrap to keep its shape, then wrap in a layer of aluminum foil. A cheese ball will be good for one month in the freezer. Once you’re ready to eat the cheese ball, you’ll want to allow it 24 hours to thaw, then let it sit for about 15 - 20 minutes before serving so the cheese is spreadable and tastes better. Again, it’s best to avoid rolling your cheese ball in a crunchy topping or topping with jam or jelly before freezing, these finishing touches can be added once the cheese ball has thawed out and is nearly ready to serve. How Long Does a Cheese Ball Last? In general, a cheese ball will last about two weeks in the refrigerator. If you plan on making cheese balls to freeze, go ahead and make them, wrap them up, and place in the freezer where they will stay good for about one month. If you have a leftover cheese ball that’s been sitting in the refrigerator that you’d like to freeze and save for later, consider the following: Ingredients. A basic cheese ball will be fine for a couple of weeks in the refrigerator before being placed in the freezer but say your cheese ball has tuna or salmon in it, these ingredients will shorten the amount of time a cheese ball will be good for. Aroma and texture. Smell the cheese ball and if it doesn’t smell right it may need to be thrown out. Look at the cheese ball and make sure there is no mold on it. Lastly, if the cheese ball is tasting a little off, don’t chance it. Go ahead and discard the cheese ball. Remember, cheese balls shouldn’t be left out for more than two hours at a party of a gathering, as sitting out at room temperature for too long can cause harmful microorganisms to grow that can cause sickness. Mistakes to Avoid Here are a few mistakes to avoid when making a cheese ball that can affect the quality of the cheese ball after it has been frozen and thawed out. Using cold ingredients. Using cold ingredients will ultimately make a lumpy cheeseball. If you plan on freezing an already lumpy cheese ball, it won’t thaw well; however, if you set your ingredients out and let them get to room temperature before making and freezing the cheese ball, you won’t have to sacrifice the texture once thawed. Using crumbly cheese. Using dry, crumbly cheeses won’t blend well and won’t create a smooth cheese ball. Sticking to smooth, creamy cheese will allow the cheese to blend and spread. After being placed in the freezer, this will ensure that the cheese ball will remain spreadable once thawed out. Not letting the cheese ball chill. It’s important to let the cheese ball sit and chill in the refrigerator for several hours after you make it so that the cheese ball will hold its shape. Even if you plan on freezing the cheese ball, let it chill, and get firm before you wrap it to be placed in the freezer. Cheese Ball Ideas Here are a few cheese ball recipe ideas with some freezer-friendly tips. Savory Cheese Balls Dilly Cheese Ball. This cheese ball calls for 2 TB of mayo, and while mayo can be frozen, thawed, and eaten it may separate and cause the texture of the cheese ball to change, so whether you include this or not is up to you. Also, be sure to hold off on the parsley until after the cheese ball is thawed out and ready to be served. Party Cheese Ball. This cheese ball calls for a lot of creamy cheeses that will make this cheese ball great for freezing and thawing. Just be sure to wait until it’s ready to serve before rolling in pecans and parsley. Classic Cheese Ball. This tried and true recipe can absolutely be frozen as is, just hold off on the pecans until you get ready to serve it. Sweet Cheese Balls Chocolate Peanut Butter Cheese Ball. This is a super freezer-friendly dessert cheese ball recipe. An added benefit of dessert cheese balls is you may not have to wait until the cheese ball is thawed to roll it in a type of coating. For instance, for this cheese ball, you could opt to roll in the peanut butter cups and peanut butter chips prior to freezing. Red Velvet Cheese Ball. Another freezer-friendly dessert cheese ball. Again, you can choose if you would like to roll the cheese ball in the chocolate chips before freezing or before thawing. Cake Batter Cheese Ball. This cake batter cheese ball is a freezer-friendly recipe, though it would be best to hold off on the sprinkles until you’re ready to serve so that they preserve their color. Final Thoughts Whether they are sweet or savory, cheese balls are a delicious snack to serve at a holiday or gathering. Should you find yourself wanting to make them ahead of time or just want to save some for later, freezing cheese balls is definitely an option. All you need to do to freeze a cheese ball is wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and aluminum foil; if the cheese ball was store-bought and in its original packaging, it’s already freezer ready. A cheese ball placed in the freezer will last about one month. There are several ways you can make a cheese ball freezer-friendly such as allowing it to firm before freezing, making sure your cheese ball is creamy, and not rolling the cheese ball in a crunchy layer before freezing. Now that you know all about freezing cheese balls, hopefully, you can save some time preparing for your next holiday or event!