Tips for Properly Storing Cheese

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If you’re focusing on high-quality cheese, ensuring its freshness is essential. But what does it truly mean to store cheese properly?

Carlos Yescas, a renowned cheese expert, emphasizes that the primary goal is to maintain a balance. He states, “I aim to prevent the cold air of the fridge from drying out the cheese’s surface while also stopping molds and yeasts from invading from other foods. It’s crucial to avoid allowing molds from one type of cheese to contaminate another.”

This guide will provide clear instructions on how to store various cheese types effectively and what practices to avoid.

Why You Should Avoid Plastic Wrap for Cheese

Although many cheeses in stores are packaged in plastic, this method is not advisable for home storage. Cheese requires a certain level of air and moisture; however, excessive amounts of either can be detrimental. The low humidity found in refrigerators can lead to dryness, while plastic wrap can trap moisture, essentially suffocating the cheese. This can result in undesirable flavors and texture and promote mold growth.

Yescas advises removing cheese from plastic as soon as you get home. He suggests lightly scraping any surface residue to eliminate microplastics before transferring the cheese to a more suitable storage method.

Three Superior Storage Methods for Cheese

1. Airtight Glass Containers

Elyse Hoang, a deli manager and buyer at DeLaurenti Food & Wine in Seattle, points out that while cheese paper might be the choice of cheese specialists, everyday consumers can use budget-friendly alternatives at home. An airtight glass container is an ideal option. Plastic containers can impart undesirable odors to the cheese, while glass does not.

“An airtight glass container is suitable for soft, semi-firm, and hard cheeses,” she notes, and Yescas agrees, particularly for harder varieties like cheddar and manchego that are prone to drying out.

Cheese Storage Tips

If your refrigerator has a designated cheese drawer, utilize it. If not, the crisper section is preferable, protecting cheese from extreme temperatures or humidity. Avoid freezing cheese, as ice crystals can ruin its texture and promote rancid flavors.

2. Cheese Paper

For avid cheese enthusiasts, investing in specialty cheese paper like Formaticum can be worthwhile. This material allows cheese to breathe while retaining moisture, making it a more balanced storage solution than standard parchment or wax paper. Additionally, it is biodegradable and recyclable.

Yescas finds that Formaticum is effective for blue and soft cheeses, preventing flavor transfer while maintaining shape. Wrapping the cheese tightly, similar to a gift, can enhance storage, or using Formaticum’s bags can streamline the process. Hoang notes that many cheese shops provide quality wrapping solutions, such as butcher paper, which can be reused for home storage.

3. A Small Cheese Cave

For dedicated cheese lovers, Yescas recommends acquiring a small cheese cave from Cheese Grotto. This product is especially beneficial for soft-rind cheeses like Brie and Camembert, preserving their appealing rinds and emulating a cheese cave’s ideal environment. Designed to maintain temperatures between 45° and 60°F, cheeses stored here require no wrapping. Depending on where you keep the cave, cheeses can last between three to six weeks or longer for harder varieties.

Cheese Shelf Life

Once cheese is unwrapped or cut from a larger wheel, its longevity varies based on type. Fresh and soft-ripened cheeses typically remain good for at least a week with proper storage, while blue, semi-soft, and semi-hard cheeses generally last two to three weeks. Hard cheeses can last a month or more, but it is always best to consume them fresh.

Storage Duration by Cheese Type

• Fresh (ricotta, cream cheese): At least a week
• Soft-ripened (Brie, Camembert): At least a week
• Blue cheese: 2–3 weeks
• Semi-soft (Havarti, Muenster): 2–3 weeks
• Semi-hard (Swiss, Monterey Jack): 2–3 weeks
• Hard (Parmesan, aged Gouda): At least a month

Yescas concludes, “It’s more advisable to buy smaller pieces of cheese more frequently than to purchase large blocks that may spoil in your fridge. The maturation of cheese is complicated, and managing its storage in a fridge with consistent temperatures and no humidity control is challenging.”

Source
www.foodandwine.com