# Storing Cheese



## meeleend (May 12, 2008)

[SIZE=-1]Store cheese in your refrigerator, which approximates the[/SIZE] 
[SIZE=-1] temperature of aging rooms. Keep it wrapped tightly in plastic,[/SIZE] 
[SIZE=-1] away from air. Air helps mold grow on cheese. If you get a little[/SIZE] 
[SIZE=-1] mold on the outside, just cut it off. The English say if mold[/SIZE] 
[SIZE=-1] won't eat your cheddar it can't taste very good.[/SIZE] 
[SIZE=-1]  Bring cheese to room temperature before melting. Melt cheese[/SIZE] 
[SIZE=-1] over a low heat to help prevent toughening and separation of[/SIZE] 
[SIZE=-1] oils and liquids.[/SIZE] 
[SIZE=-1]  Most ripened or aged cheese is low in moisture content and[/SIZE] 
[SIZE=-1] can be frozen without drastic flavor and texture changes. Thaw[/SIZE] 
[SIZE=-1] slowly in the refrigerator for 24 hours or more. If frozen for[/SIZE] 
[SIZE=-1] several months, the cheese may dry out somewhat and become[/SIZE] 
[SIZE=-1] crumbly when thawed.[/SIZE]


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## bowlingshirt (May 12, 2008)

I prefer to store cheese in my stomach


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## jennyema (May 12, 2008)

Actually you should *not* wrap cheese tightly in plastic.  That encourages mold.  Plastic is not good for cheese because it seals the cheese in an air-tight environment, thus not allowing for any gasses or moisture to escape. 

Cheese is a living thing, and it's very important for it to breathe. 

Much better to wrap cheese in waxed paper or special cheese paper.

Cheese will dry out a bit faster this way, but will retain it's falvor and will discourage mold.


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## VeraBlue (May 12, 2008)

jennyema said:


> Actually you should *not* wrap cheese tightly in plastic. That encourages mold. Plastic is not good for cheese because it seals the cheese in an air-tight environment, thus not allowing for any gasses or moisture to escape.
> 
> Cheese is a living thing, and it's very important for it to breathe.
> 
> ...


Absolutely correct.   Short of waxed or butcher paper, parchment will suffice.  And, again, loosely wrap it, not tightly.


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## miniman (May 12, 2008)

Some people would also say to keep cheese in a larder area rather than the fridge.


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## ella/TO (May 12, 2008)

I have found that I wet down a paper towel, small piece that is, with white vinegar. I drape that over the end of the cheese package that's been opened. I then wrap this in plastic wrap. Put it in the cheese drawer of the fridge. This lasts for a good long time


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## pacanis (May 12, 2008)

Well I'll be the odd man out here, too.....
Ever since I started keeping cheese in a vacuum bag, I've never had it last so long. No slime, mold, not crumbly.... tastes like it did going in.  I don't have a vast array of cheese on hand, so I am only speaking from my experience with extra sharp cheddar, yellow American, Argentino Regganito (or whatever that cheese was, old thread and old cheese by now, too, but I just used some yesterday and it was fine) and pepperjack & Swiss, too, but the last two are usually boughten in smaller quantites and used fairly quickly. I keep them all in the meat drawer in the fridge.
I think it's amazing the way some foods keep better for some than other folks, using totally different methods. It just goes to show you there must be a lot of other variables involved.


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## BBQ Mikey (May 12, 2008)

meeleend said:


> [SIZE=-1]Store cheese in your refrigerator, which approximates the[/SIZE]
> [SIZE=-1]temperature of aging rooms. Keep it wrapped tightly in plastic,[/SIZE]
> [SIZE=-1]away from air. Air helps mold grow on cheese. If you get a little[/SIZE]
> [SIZE=-1]mold on the outside, just cut it off. The English say if mold[/SIZE]
> ...


 

This is nonsense, as some have already pointed out. Parchment paper or in a pinch, foil wrap will suffice.  Tightly wrapped cheese in plastic makes it sweat, which induces mold to grow faster.


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## MexicoKaren (May 12, 2008)

Gosh, you guys. I wish there was a consensus here. I bought a 2 lb loaf of Tillamook extra sharp cheddar cheese today at the new Costco in Puerto Vallarta. I have never seen sharp cheddar cheese here in Mexico, especially Tillamook (I am from Oregon.) I'm afraid to cut into it! It is, of course, encased in wax. Bearing in mind that it is very humid here, should I vacu-seal it after I open it?


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## sattie (May 12, 2008)

pacanis said:


> Well I'll be the odd man out here, too.....
> Ever since I started keeping cheese in a vacuum bag, I've never had it last so long. No slime, mold, not crumbly.... tastes like it did going in. I don't have a vast array of cheese on hand, so I am only speaking from my experience with extra sharp cheddar, yellow American, Argentino Regganito (or whatever that cheese was, old thread and old cheese by now, too, but I just used some yesterday and it was fine) and pepperjack & Swiss, too, but the last two are usually boughten in smaller quantites and used fairly quickly. I keep them all in the meat drawer in the fridge.
> I think it's amazing the way some foods keep better for some than other folks, using totally different methods. It just goes to show you there must be a lot of other variables involved.


 
I'm kinda with you on this....  I vacuum pack all my cheese, lasts a heck of a lot longer than when I don't.  Plus..... why is all the cheese vacuumed packed when a buy it?  I can't recall a single wedge of cheese that has not been packaged this way.

Not to say the claims here are not true, maybe I have grown accustomed to cruddy cheese and don't know when I have been exposed to the good stuff!


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## mcnerd (May 13, 2008)

I use my Handi-Vac to vacuum-seal all my cheese and they last much longer.  I don't know how a bumble bee flies, but it does, and the same goes for sealing the cheese.  It works and that's all I concern myself with.


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## MexicoKaren (May 13, 2008)

Well, it seems to me that air and moisture are the enemy, at least in my environment. That's why I vacuum seal everything this time of year, and it works.


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## Lamb&Guinness (May 13, 2008)

Don't freeze cheese. I read that in my America's Test Kitchen cookbook.

Also- beware of cheese sold pre-shredded. Drying chemicals are added to keep
the shreds from sticking to each other, so you end up with unnaturally dry cheese.


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## Jeekinz (May 13, 2008)

I'm another plastic wrap user.  I used to store cheese in small zip bags, those suck.  Then I used plastic wrap, which was a tad better but still not the best.  Now I use Press and Seal which works the best so far.  When I get a vacuum sealer I probobly use that.  Like you said, that's how it comes.


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## jennyema (May 13, 2008)

There is a big difference between vacuum sealing cheese in an anaerobic environment and wrapping it up in plastic wrap.

Plastic wrap will encourage mold growth.  That's just a fact.  You can cut the mold off, yes, but why give it a head start?  

Wax paper or parchment or foil and then into a ziplock is the best way to store it.

It's ok to freeze harder cheeses but it's texture will suffer, so it's really only appropriate for cooking after it's thawed.


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## bethzaring (May 13, 2008)

i have been freezing ricotta and chevre for decades with no changes in texture. You can not freeze cream cheese without major textural changes, but I freeze about 60 pounds of ricotta and chevre yearly with no problems.


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## sattie (May 13, 2008)

bethzaring said:


> i have been freezing ricotta and chevre for decades with no changes in texture. You can not freeze cream cheese without major textural changes, but I freeze about 60 pounds of ricotta and chevre yearly with no problems.


 
Awesome to know!  I like to keep ricotta on hand for lasanga or what not, but it always goes bad before I ever get to it!


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## Jeekinz (May 13, 2008)

Do you just put the unused portion in it's original container in the freezer?  Or do you repack it?

Ricotta is one of those things that when I really need it, I don't have it.


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## bethzaring (May 13, 2008)

Jeekinz said:


> Do you just put the unused portion in it's original container in the freezer? Or do you repack it?
> 
> Ricotta is one of those things that when I really need it, I don't have it.


 

LOL, I make the dern stuff. It doesn't come with any packaging.  I re-use cottage cheese and sour cream containers, just pack it in, leave a little space cause it hooves up a bit, label and freeze.

Does store bought ricotta have any fluid to it?  If it does, store the container upside down in the frig.  The liquid will seal off any air from getting in around the lid and greatly prolong the frig shelf life.


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## sattie (May 13, 2008)

Jeekinz said:


> Do you just put the unused portion in it's original container in the freezer? Or do you repack it?
> 
> Ricotta is one of those things that when I really need it, I don't have it.


 
Me too, or it's bad!!!!  So the freezing option has my interest piqued!


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## jennyema (May 13, 2008)

If you freeze ricotta, IMO,  you can use it for cooking (eg, lasgana) but not for eating uncooked (eg, cannoli), as it usually separates and you will have liquid that you'll need to drain off or work back in.  It also can get grainy.

You probably won't notice in lasagna or stuffed shells or something like that.


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## sattie (May 13, 2008)

Thanks Miss Jennyema..... Occasionally I like to eat it as is, but mainly I cook with it.  Speaking of, I got a tub at home that needs to promptly frozen!


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## Jeekinz (May 13, 2008)

sattie said:


> Me too, or it's bad!!!! So the freezing option has my interest piqued!


 
LOL........(sigh) Yes, or it's bad.

Yes Beth, it has some sort of liquid in it.  Thanks for the tip!

Usually I'll make stuffed chicken breasts or ravioli, etc.


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## sattie (May 13, 2008)

Jeekinz said:


> LOL........(sigh) Yes, or it's bad.
> 
> Yes Beth, it has some sort of liquid in it. Thanks for the tip!
> 
> Usually I'll make stuffed chicken breasts or ravioli, etc.


 
Ok, you have to PM about your stuffed chicken breasts..... that sounds like it would be good!


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## Jeff G. (May 14, 2008)

Vacuum pack it.  Love the Reynolds vacuum packer ziplocks..

I find it keeps cheese for a very long time..


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## GB (May 14, 2008)

I have to disagree with those that say you should never wrap cheese in plastic. Logically I know that waxed paper should be better, but i have not found that to be the case. When I have used waxed paper my cheese has molded *much* quicker than when I used plastic wrap. When I use plastic though it is usually not wrapped super tight. There is a little breathing room. I have a piece of cheese in my fridge wrapped in plastic right now that is over 3 weeks old and is showing no signs of mold or dryness or anything else. It still tastes as it did when I bought it.


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## bethzaring (May 14, 2008)

the directions for the mozzarella cheese I just made says to wrap tightly in plastic wrap and it will keep up to two weeks in the frig. If I would want to keep it any longer than two weeks it is recommended I freeze this fresh cheese. (it won't last longer than one day)

An important idea was written above that bares repeating.  There are many different conditions throughout the world and many different ways of keeping cheeses for these varying conditions.


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## meeleend (May 15, 2008)

sattie said:


> I'm kinda with you on this....  I vacuum pack all my cheese, lasts a heck of a lot longer than when I don't.  Plus..... why is all the cheese vacuumed packed when a buy it?  I can't recall a single wedge of cheese that has not been packaged this way.
> 
> Not to say the claims here are not true, maybe I have grown accustomed to cruddy cheese and don't know when I have been exposed to the good stuff!



In room temperature it melts.


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## meeleend (May 15, 2008)

bethzaring said:


> the directions for the mozzarella cheese I just made says to wrap tightly in plastic wrap and it will keep up to two weeks in the frig. If I would want to keep it any longer than two weeks it is recommended I freeze this fresh cheese. (it won't last longer than one day)
> 
> An important idea was written above that bares repeating.  There are many different conditions throughout the world and many different ways of keeping cheeses for these varying conditions.




I agree with you!


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## Hungry (May 15, 2008)

*Cheese Wrapper*

I too am a cheese wrapper with plastic wrap.  Wrap it loosely in foil or paper it will dry out.

The best way to prevent mold on cheese is to KEEP YOUR FINGERS OFF IT! !

Charlie


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## suziquzie (May 15, 2008)

We get a little mold once in awhile, we cut it off. 
Honestly we dont keep cheese around long enough most times to have that problem very often. Definately not the cheddar or pepper jack ever, we use it so fast. Mozarella sometimes... if its getting a little too old i shred and freeze it to use on pizza.


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## GB (May 15, 2008)

meeleend said:


> In room temperature it melts.


I have never seen cheese melt at room temperature, sorry.


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## pacanis (May 15, 2008)

Cutting mold off has always bothered me a little. I think I've only done it once (this was before I starting vacuum sealing cheese). I ended up cutting all six sides...... I figured the mold I could see was one thing, but there might be spores and mold ready to start on other surfaces that I don't see. I probably wasted a lot of good cheddar, but I felt better about using it.
And this from a guy who thaws meat on the counter and cleans a cutting board my splashing dish soap on it and rinsiing with hot water


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## GB (May 15, 2008)

There is a correct way and an incorrect way of cutting mold out of cheese. Also it can not be done with any cheese (like soft cheeses).


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