cjy (08/11/82)
May I add my two cents worth to the business of freezing cheese? We buy many varieties of cheese at a cheese factory. When we get home, we wrap the cheese in usable quantities using a plastic food wrap. You must have a tight wrap because as cheese freezes, the water separates and goes out of the surface of the cheese. If a tight wrap is not used, some of the water will evaporate and cause *freezer burn* ( dried out portions ) on the cheese. Slow thawing is necessary because the separated water should slowly seep back into the cheese in order to give it its original texture. I agree completely with the use of a refrigerator as a place to thaw frozen cheese, but I have thawed cheese at room temperature ( while leaving it wrapped ) to save time. All in all this is a way to keep bargain cheese for a long period of time. I might say in closing that regardless of the package instructions on a frozen pizza, it should be thawed before cooking in the same way as you would thaw the cheese. The reason is that the dough, sauce, and cheese all have appreciable portions of water in them and the water should be allowed to return before cooking. I find that this results in a better tasting and textured pizza. Enjoy! Chuck Young at .....ihps3!ihuxi!cjy