How Long Does Mozzarella Last?

Author : Efrain Silva

How long does Mozzarella last? Well, considering it’s fresh to begin with, you’re looking at about 1 - 2 full weeks, but don’t keep it any longer than that, if you care about the health of your stomach and gut. You can risk going for a bit longer, but it is never advised, as all dairy (and cheese is dairy) tends to spoil, and you can easily note the smell of it. Now, of course, this all applies when we’re talking about you having kept the fresh Mozzarella in the refrigerator itself….

Mozzarella Freshness Chart

5 days	Fresh, after opening
5 days	Shredded, after opening
21 days	Loaf mozzarella
28 days	Smoked mozzarella
3 to 6 months	Frozen
4-6 weeks	fresh unopened
4-6 weeks	Shredded unopened
2-3 weeks	low moisture, opened
longer, max shelf life	low moisture, unopened
over 8 months	low moisture, unopened, frozen

• The above values are really conservative. It will probably last 1-2 weeks instead of just 5 days.
• For unopened 1-2 week past exp date is usually OK.
• Fresh mozzarella will last longer if kept in its liquid.

Now, the question we all want to know — what about when it has been sitting in the freezer? Aha! A great question to think about as well…..

So, in terms of the freezer being the main place where it has been stored, you are now looking at an expanded overall ‘shelf life’, and that is always a good thing. Now, we are talking about 3 to 6 full months, at best! Let me give you a tip that your stomach will thank me for — if you want to really help preserve the life of this cheese, then start by wrapping the initial packaging that it comes in (instantly, the second after opening it, and not much later after) very tightly and compactly in a bit of plastic wrap. You can also use aluminum or tin foil, it doesn’t make much of a difference, in that respect.

In fact, if you want to really take things a bit further, and better preserve this special cheese, you can instead use none other than wax (yes, you read correctly) or parchment (paper) to first wrap the cheese in — and then re - wrap it tightly in the plastic. Then, you can freeze it or refrigerate it, as desired. If, however, you see even the slightest hint of mold, at any time or place on the cheese, then do not take a chance with it; throw out the entire thing, or take it back to the store for an exchange or refund.

Note that cheese, once it has been frozen for a while, still does tend to get a bit crumbly and likewise not retain much of its original flavor. Just keep that in mind. It can still be used as a nice, subtle - taste addition to many major dishes, like a good soup or casserole (or why not even a sauce?). When cutting the cheese up, before wrapping it and then freezing it, get it into portions of 1 / 2 lb. a piece and no more. Don’t go too big with each piece.

Place your plastic wrap layer, after you’ve wrapped the whole thing, finally, inside a heavy - duty freezer type bag (and this will have been its third wrapping / layer, if you went with my prior advice and decided to first wrap the cheese in wax or parchment). What do you think? Want to give this a shot? See how long your Mozzarella lasts, using this advice!