There's a Right Way to Store Your Cheese—Here's How (2024)

FAQs

There's a Right Way to Store Your Cheese—Here's How? ›

Store all types of cheese in the vegetable crisper of the refrigerator, where the temperature is cold and stable. Use a fresh piece of plastic wrap or wax paper to rewrap cheese after each use. The length of time you can keep cheese differs by variety; in general, the harder the cheese, the longer it will last.

It's best to keep cheese, of all varieties, in a dark, cool and airy space – the vegetable compartment of an average fridge is ideal, as it is not too humid or cold. Cheese should be allowed to breathe, however this needs a little balance to avoid the cheese from drying out, or becoming too humid and sweaty.

Our top recommendation is cheese paper. Cheese paper is the waxy paper your cheese often comes in when you get it from your local cheesemonger. Coated in both wax and a porous layer of plastic on the inside, cheese paper allows your cheese to breathe without being totally exposed and losing its precious moisture.

To keep cheese moist—but not mold-prone—first wrap it tightly in waxed or parchment paper and then loosely in aluminum foil.

Soft cheeses such as cream cheese, cottage cheese, shredded cheeses, and goat cheese must be refrigerated for safety. As a general rule, hard cheeses such as cheddar, processed cheeses (American), and both block and grated Parmesan do not require refrigeration for safety, but they will last longer if kept refrigerated.

Wrap your cheese, but don't use plastic

There is specialty cheese paper you can buy, but butcher or parchment paper will work just as well. One of the two main goals when wrapping and storing cheese is to allow a little bit of airflow so that your fancy cheese can still breathe.

Semi-soft and hard cheeses shouldn't be locked in air-tight containers. Although it can be fine for soft or more pungent cheeses, air-tight containers are not ideal for storing semi-soft to hard cheeses, said Brock. If you lock the top of the container, "you may run the risk of losing flavor," Brock told Insider.

Surprisingly, foil proved to be our favorite storage method. Tasters agreed that the foil-wrapped cheese remained the most creamy and still tasted fresh cut from the wheel. The foil wrap kept out fridge odor completely, while keeping moisture in.

WRAP YOUR CHEESE IN SPECIALTY CHEESE PAPER, OR ELSE PARCHMENT PAPER AND A ZIPLOC. Specialty cheese paper provides airflow and humidity, which keeps your cheese healthy and happy.

The best way to store your cheese is in cheese paper. The next best thing (and probably the easier way, if you don't have cheese paper handy) is to wrap your cheese first in parchment or waxed paper, and then loosely in plastic wrap or a plastic baggie.

Can you eat 2 year old frozen cheese? ›

How long does cheese last in the freezer? Freezing cheese stops bacterial growth completely. Frozen cheeses should be used within six months of freezing and then used within two to three days of thawing.

Handy to keep nibbling for longer.

If you regularly eat good cheese you will be well aware that eating cheese straight out of the fridge is a bad idea, it can be dull & flavourless, dry & crumbly or have a rubbery texture.

The type of cheese is the biggest consideration - hard cheese will last longer and is less likely to pose a health risk, while soft and fresh cheeses should remain refrigerated and only be left out for two hours at most. No matter the cheese, leaving it out for more than two hours may change the quality and taste.

The best way I have found for this is quite simply to remove all plastic packaging, use what you need if for any immediate use. Then, wrap the remaining block in wax paper. Place the wrapped cheese into an airtight container, and place it in the fridge. It will stay fresher much longer this way!

Use cheese paper

This paper is specially designed to keep cheese fresh. It provides the right amount of breathing space and protects against dehydration. Wrap the cheese in cheese paper and then store it in an airtight container or bag in the fridge.

The best way to store your cheese is in cheese paper. The next best thing (and probably the easier way, if you don't have cheese paper handy) is to wrap your cheese first in parchment or waxed paper, and then loosely in plastic wrap or a plastic baggie.