Can You Freeze Ricotta Cheese? What to Watch Afterwards

Yes, you can freeze ricotta cheese if you hold it at 0°F (-18°C) or below, the freezer temperature USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service uses on its cold-storage charts, then thaw it in the refrigerator and cook it. USDA FSIS and the National Center for Home Food Preservation both state that ricotta does not freeze well. After thaw, whey runs off the curd and the solids turn grainy. Drain that liquid, skip using it as a fresh spread, and bake it into lasagna or stuffed shells until the center of the dish reaches 165°F, the casserole temperature on the USDA FSIS food-thermometer chart.

I spent nine years in Lyon deciding what sat in the box beside the main for a supermarket own-label line. I once shipped a potato gratin that was perfect at home and grey by day four on the shelf. Frozen ricotta is that moisture problem, sped up by ice. Watch the pack after it comes back from the freezer.

What should you watch for after thawing frozen ricotta?

Watch for a pool of whey on top, a sandy curd underneath, and a smell that is still clean and milky. USDA FoodData Central, SR Legacy, FDC ID 170851 (Cheese, ricotta, whole milk), reports 73.7 g of water per 100 g. USDA Specifications for Ricotta Cheeses (Agricultural Marketing Service, Dairy Division, effective 15 January 1981) cap Type I whole-milk ricotta and Type II part-skim ricotta at not more than 80.0 percent moisture. Ice in a cheese that wet was never going to leave a smooth spoonful.

Stir the thawed curd. If it smells sour, yeasty, or like ammonia, or if mold is on the surface, throw the whole container out. USDA FSIS treats ricotta as a soft cheese: you do not cut the mold off and keep the rest. If it smells fine, pour off the free liquid, then press the curd in a sieve or cheesecloth for 15 to 20 minutes.

That drained liquid is not a labeled drained weight. U.S. tubs are sold by net weight. A typical Galbani whole-milk tub is 15 oz (425 g) net, with a label serving of 1/4 cup (62 g) and about 7 servings per container. A Lactalis/Galbani finished-product specification for a 1.5 kg tub lists net drained weight as 0.00 because the cheese is not packed in a packing medium. The drain you do after thaw is kitchen work, not a figure on the lid.

How long can you freeze ricotta cheese at 0°F?

USDA FSIS says food stored constantly at 0°F remains safe; freezer times are for quality only. For ricotta, the agency does not publish a quality month. Its dairy answers and the USDA/FDA cold-storage chart list cottage cheese and ricotta as “doesn't freeze well,” next to hard cheese at 6 months and soft cheese such as Brie at 6 months. The National Center for Home Food Preservation, drawing on So Easy to Preserve (6th ed., 2014) and the Food Marketing Institute/Cornell Food Keeper (March 1996), repeats that split: cream cheese, cottage cheese, and ricotta do not freeze well; hard cheese and Brie may be frozen 6 months.

Freeze a leftover tub because you will cook it soon. If the ricotta is already baked into lasagna or stuffed shells, USDA FSIS leftover guidance gives 3 to 4 days in the refrigerator or 3 to 4 months in the freezer for quality.

On the unopened tub, follow the package date. USDA FSIS Food Product Dating says a “Use-By” date is the last date the manufacturer recommends for peak quality, and is not a safety date except on infant formula. FDA’s consumer dating note agrees that federal law does not require those quality dates except on infant formula. USDA AMS, in the 1981 ricotta specification, tells buyers to expect a shelf life of one or two weeks and to keep the cheese at 35°F to 40°F (2°C to 4°C). After opening, USDA FSIS storage for cottage cheese and ricotta is 1 week at 40°F or below. Food Club Part-Skim Ricotta (32 oz) is stricter on its SmartLabel: consume within 3 days once opened. Grande Cheese’s Ricotta Tenera 3 lb spec (product 00143) wants the tub held under 37°F.

Freeze the leftover before that date, while it still smells clean. USDA’s cold-storage chart notes that it is not important if a date expires after food is frozen.

Should you freeze ricotta for lasagna or for a fresh spread?

Freeze it for lasagna or baked shells. Keep a fresh tub if you want a spread, a toast topping, or a cold dollop on fruit. I would rather throw a half-tub than send a grainy spread to the table. Heat and starch can hide sandy curds. A cold plate cannot.

FDA’s serving-size rule in 21 CFR 101.12 puts ricotta in “Cheese used primarily as ingredients,” with a reference amount of 55 g. Galbani’s 1/4 cup (62 g) and Grande’s 2.1 oz (1/4 cup, 60 g) are the household measures those plants print. USDA FoodData Central’s household amount is 1/2 cup (124 g), closer to a lasagna layer.

| After thaw | Lasagna or baked shells | Fresh spread or toast | Egg-enriched filling | Baked ricotta cheesecake | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Texture you will see | Grainy curds under sauce; whey if undrained | Watery, sandy, no smear | Sets in the oven; still weeps | Custard can split and weep | | What to do | Drain, then bake | Do not serve it cold | Drain, then bake | Freeze slices of a cake already baked | | Internal temperature | 165°F, USDA casserole | Served cold; no kill step | 160°F egg dish, 165°F if the pan is a casserole | 160°F, USDA egg dishes | | Why it behaves that way | Heat and starch cover the grain | Nothing covers the grain | Egg proteins set around the curd | NCHFP: cream or custard fillings separate, watery, lumpy |

If you still want a cold ricotta plate, buy a fresh tub and eat it inside the USDA 1-week opened window, or inside the shorter opened window your own label prints.

What happens if you freeze ricotta mixed with egg?

An egg-enriched filling survives freeze-thaw better than plain ricotta because the egg sets when you bake. It does not stop the whey. Drain the liquid after thaw, then fill the shells or layer the pan.

Bake to the higher of the two USDA numbers that apply. USDA FSIS lists 160°F for egg dishes, checked in the center in several places, and 165°F for casseroles. Stuffed shells and lasagna sit in the casserole column once assembled, so I cook them to 165°F. Leftovers go back to 165°F. FDA’s egg-safety temperatures for food service add a microwave path: egg-containing dishes to 165°F (74°C), then a 2-minute covered stand.

Do not thaw a raw egg-ricotta mix on the counter. USDA FSIS puts the danger zone at 40°F to 140°F. A filling that sat out more than 2 hours (1 hour if the room is above 90°F) gets thrown away.

Can you freeze ricotta in a plastic container?

Yes. The National Center for Home Food Preservation wants freezer packaging that is moisture-vapor resistant, durable, leakproof, and still flexible at 0°F. Rigid plastic boxes with tight lids pass. Freezer bags pass if you push the air out. Cardboard cartons used for cottage cheese, ice cream, or milk do not, unless you line them with a freezer bag.

The supermarket tub is usually rigid plastic. You can freeze in it if you do not fill it to the lid. NCHFP’s leftover-freezing note says leaving 1 inch of headspace is enough for most moist foods, and 1½ inches if you are freezing a liquid. Ricotta is a wet solid, so I leave about 1 inch. A 15 oz Galbani tub that is still half full already has that space. Spoon a full leftover into a smaller freezer box, or bag it flat so it thaws faster. Label the freeze date.

How do you thaw frozen ricotta in the refrigerator?

Thaw it in the refrigerator at 40°F or below. USDA FSIS (“The Big Thaw”) and the National Center for Home Food Preservation use the same clock: even small amounts, such as a pound of ground meat, need a full day. A large item needs 24 hours for every 5 pounds. A 15 oz (425 g) ricotta tub is just under a pound, so plan overnight and into the next day. A refrigerator set at 35°F, the bottom of the USDA AMS ricotta range of 35°F to 40°F, will take longer than one sitting at 40°F.

Put the container on a plate. Whey leaks. Do not thaw on the counter or in hot water. The outside of the pack enters the 40°F to 140°F zone while the center is still frozen.

After a refrigerator thaw, USDA FSIS leftover guidance gives you 3 to 4 days, or you may refreeze. Quality drops each time ice forms. Drain, then cook. Watch for whey, grain, and a clean smell, or go to the bin.

Can you freeze ricotta cheesecake?

A baked ricotta cheesecake is an egg custard in a crust. USDA FSIS wants egg dishes at 160°F in the center. Freeze slices of a cake you already baked, wrapped airtight. Expect the filling to weep. The National Center for Home Food Preservation’s table of foods that do not freeze well lists cream or custard fillings as separating, watery, and lumpy after thaw.

Do not freeze unbaked batter and hope the oven repairs it. You will bake a split custard. FDA’s serving-size table in 21 CFR 101.12 classifies cheesecake as a heavyweight cake with a 125 g reference amount. Freeze the slice and thaw it in the refrigerator. If the leftover is still a tub, send it to lasagna.

Frequently asked questions

How long can you freeze ricotta cheese?

USDA FSIS says food held at 0°F stays safe indefinitely, and that ricotta does not freeze well, so there is no quality month on the chart. The National Center for Home Food Preservation lists 6 months for hard cheese and Brie, not for ricotta. After a refrigerator thaw, use it within the USDA leftover window of 3 to 4 days.

Can you freeze ricotta cheese for lasagna?

Yes. Drain the thawed curd, then bake the pan until the center reaches 165°F, the casserole temperature on the USDA FSIS food-thermometer chart. The grain and extra moisture disappear under sauce and pasta. I freeze leftover ricotta only when lasagna or baked shells are already the plan, never for a cold plate.

Can you freeze ricotta cheesecake?

Freeze slices of a cheesecake you already baked. USDA FSIS wants egg dishes at 160°F in the center before that cake goes into the refrigerator. The National Center for Home Food Preservation says cream or custard fillings separate, turn watery, and go lumpy after freezing. Do not freeze unbaked batter and expect a clean slice.

Can you freeze ricotta in a plastic container?

Yes, in a rigid, leakproof, moisture-vapor resistant plastic box, which the National Center for Home Food Preservation lists as suitable. Leave about 1 inch of headspace so the pack can expand. A 15-ounce supermarket tub works if you do not fill it to the lid. Cardboard dairy cartons need a freezer-bag liner.

Why is thawed ricotta watery and grainy?

Whole-milk ricotta in USDA FoodData Central (FDC 170851) is 73.7 percent water. USDA AMS Type I ricotta may contain up to 80.0 percent moisture. Ice crystals rupture that wet curd. On thaw, whey runs off and the solids feel sandy. Drain the liquid. That texture is why a fresh spread fails and a baked lasagna still works.

Can you freeze ricotta mixed with egg?

You can. The egg sets in the oven and hides some of the grain. Treat the pan as both an egg dish and a casserole: USDA FSIS lists 160°F for egg dishes and 165°F for casseroles, so bake to 165°F at the center. Thaw the filling in the refrigerator. Do not soften a raw egg mix on the counter.