Grating Mozzarella cheese?

Bordello · September 2009

Browned up some meat,rice,onion and much more for stuffed bell peppers, there all ready to cook and I hope to egg em tomorrow. My question is about the leftover mozzarella cheese ball.

I've read you can freeze it for up to 2 to 3 months,thaw in the fridge. Being as this is a soft cheese do you grate it while partialy frozen??? This is the first time I have bought the ball form of it and grated it myself.

Thanks,
Bordello

BobS · September 2009

I have never tried to freeze it. We occasionally have some left over from pizza and slice it with tomatoes to make a salad.

It grates pretty well when it is soft, but I do not see any harm in trying it while partially frozen.

gdenby · September 2009

I've frozen several cheeses, but not mozz. Provolone was the closest. The texture was not quite as smooth when thawed, but O.K.

I grate mozzarella all the time. 'Fridge temp, coarse grater holes, really easy.

BTW, if you get some really good cheese from a dairy, it is likely to still be "alive." Don't freeze that. Keep it between 40 and 65 degrees, and it will continue to ripen.

fishlessman · September 2009

never tried to freeze it first, the ball grates and tears but works ok. what works better from what ive seen posted here is to just have the deli mozzerella cut a couple inches thick and grate that for things like pizza.

Bordello · September 2009

Thanks, I have one of those Health Craft grating units, it's way older then this but the grating wheels are the same. I just found that by it being so soft it kind of gummed up.

http://www.arrowheadcutlery.com/sunshop/index.php?l=product_detail&p=403

Cheers,
Bordello

Bordello · September 2009

Got this not quite tennis ball size in the deli part of my local store, not sure of the weight but about $6 -8 for it as I recall.

Could be the grating wheel I used was to fine.

Thanks,
Bordello

Bordello · September 2009

It was pre wrapped so not sure if they would have done that or not, course should be able to with the new slicer. It sure was rubbery. :laugh:

Regards,
Bordello

fishlessman · September 2009

those are soft, they have harder blocks for slicing over by the american cheese. you can get the mozzballs to shred with one of those four sided knuckle graters.

RRP · September 2009

I have never grated fresh mozzarella balls- instead I always use a hard boiled egg slicer - one of those with the thin strong wires. If I want the pieces smaller I just cut them again. As for freezing I can't help you.

Little Chef · September 2009

Bordello....Sounds like you got a nice fresh mozzarella ball to me....I wouldn't freeze it. The fresh mozzarella will turn 'mealy' after freezing. I'd cut up the leftover with some cherry tomatoes and fresh basil.

A bit of balsamic vinegar, olive oil, fresh ground pepper.....yummm. :laugh:

RU Eggsperienced · September 2009

Tooth Floss works great too. YOu can cut it as thin or thick as you want.

RRP · September 2009

true but this thing is faster and makes uniform thicknesses.

gdenby · September 2009

Oh, 'scuse me. I'm guessing you have fresh mozzerella, not a ball of cooked. My, bad. That is too soft and crumbly. When I use that for pizza, I just tear it into chinks. It melts so easily that it turns to a puddle in no time.

RU Eggsperienced · September 2009

fully agree - I need to buy one. Problem is I'll forget or my wife will put away in a perfectly logical place that I'll never find then I'll use the toothfloss.

Toothfloss works grate (pun) on goat cheese too which may be a little more difficult to fit in an egg shaped slicer... I do it when making chevre chaud salad - one of my favorites..

Bordello · September 2009

Oh, didn't know there was another. Only knew about the soft ball type and the shredded packages. If it were harder my grater would work fine.

Thanks for the input.
Bordello

Bordello · September 2009

Ron,
That's a heck of a thought, I need to get a new egg slicer, mine disapeard when a chick moved out along with a couple of other kitchen things. :(

Thanks,
Bordello

Bordello · September 2009

When I had mine I would use it for my eggs in a potato salad, I would cut the egg one direction then turn it a quarter turn and cut again. Need to get a new one, keep forgetting. :silly: :(

Old age is great.

Cheers,
Bordello

fishlessman · September 2009

that soft fresh mozz is good with tomatoes like little chef said, i get it in subs around here in the italian delis with good hard italian deli meats, some fresh mozzerella, tomatoes with italian vinagret srinkled on it in a nice crusty sub roll. good stuff

Bordello · September 2009

Hi L.C.
Now that's a heck of idea, not sure what it would do to my innards. :( Heck, I felt guilty when I put the extra sharp cheddar in the meat mixture.

I'm lucky, I can look at food and see bad things, ya can't hardly get me to eat pastries, like my cheese but see arty cloggers. :S

Thanks for the help, maybe I'll just bring down to the pub for them to use so I don't end up throwing it out. I only used about a 1/4 of it.

Thanks L.C.
Bordello

Bordello · September 2009

Ya making me want food, haven't had any yet today. I do have brew in front of me and great eye candy. :woohoo:

Cheers,
Bordello

Serial Griller · September 2009

I freeze regular mozzarella but not fresh mozzarella.I use a a hardboiled egg slicer as mentioned above.But if I need to grate it I use a box grater using the biggest holes.
Or you can cut into 1/4 cubes and put it in a tomato, basil, fresh mozzarella zuccini boat with garlic & breadcrumbs.

Jon

RRP · September 2009

hmmmm, a chickadee with sticky fingers! :laugh:

tach18k · September 2009

Ok here is what we do , yes freeze the mozzarella cheese, it is perfectly fine to do so. You can grade it as we do and have it part frozen and part thawed. You want a hard cheese to grade not a soft mushy stuff.

Bacchus · September 2009

Personally I would never grate or freeze fresh Mozz.
As others have suggested, make a caprese salad or pizza.

Bordello · September 2009

Thanks,
I'm going to give it a try.

Regards,
Bordello

Bordello · September 2009

I've never used this soft cheese so may give it a try just to see what I have to work with afterwards.

Thanks,
Bordello

Mr. & Mrs Potatohead · September 2009

I have frozen it…But LC is right about the texture thing and trying to use it fresh. Freezing does a “drying kind of thing” to it and it’s just not the same as when it is fresh.
OTOH, I guess if you have to, you can freeze. It still melts on a pie.

Grating Mozzarella cheese?

Comments

Categories