Your Ultimate Guide To Cheese Storage
Cheese is a perfect but fragile balance of aroma, taste, texture, and beauty.
Many people don’t know that cheese is actually a live, and needs oxygen and the right amount of humidity to keep it fresh and tasty. Proper storage can mean the difference between delicious, living cheese and ammoniated spoiled cheese.
Don’t worry, proper storage is easier than you think. Here’s how to keep your cheese fresh in five easy steps.
1. Keep It Chill
Cheese likes consistent temperatures. When a wedge sits out for hours, you’ll notice the surface will start to look oily. This is completely normal, but once it happens, that cheese is ready to eat and should not be returned to refrigeration. The oil that has pooled on the surface cannot be replaced. For best preservation, only leave out the amount you intend to eat in one sitting and keep the rest in the fridge.
Cheese likes consistent temperatures. When a wedge sits out for hours, you’ll notice the surface will start to look oily. This is completely normal, but once it happens, that cheese is ready to eat and should not be returned to refrigeration. The oil that has pooled on the surface cannot be replaced. For best preservation, only leave out the amount you intend to eat in one sitting and keep the rest in the fridge.
2. Store Whole
Cheese is best when stored in whole wheels or in larger wedges. Once the wheel is cut and the rind is broken, the cheese stops ripening and begins to deteriorate. It also exposes the inside paste, making it more prone to drying out. Remember: the smaller the piece of cheese, the shorter the lifespan.
3. Buy Less More Often
Yes, it’s true: we’re telling you to buy less cheese. Stay with us, though, we have our reasons. Once a wheel is cut and the rind is broken, the cheese begins to deteriorate. Small pieces have a shorter lifespan than large wedges, too. Basically what we’re saying is eat the cheese you have and then go buy more.
4. Cut Off the Rind
Rinds are the natural, built-in, packaging that protects the paste of the cheese while it ages. They make for a beautiful presentation, but once the wheel is cut open the rind no longer serves any purpose. They’re also a breeding ground for molds that will eventually start to grow on the surface of the paste. If you want to make sure your wedge of Alpage Gruyère stays mold-free in your refrigerator, slice off the rind before wrapping it up.
5. Stop Using Plastic Wrap
Cheese is alive and breathing, which means non-porous plastic wrap can smother and kill it. The most common type of plastic food film, the stuff that is stretchy and sticky, is designed to be a full barrier to keep liquids from spilling. This convenient type of food packaging has many great uses, unfortunately, wrapping cheese is just not one of them. Formaticum cheese storage products use a porous plastic that lets your cheese breath freely while maintaining optimal humidity.
