Best way to preserve/keep cheese fresh

[LindsayAnn]

I saw mention of this a few days ago but now I cannot find the post it was under!

Someone asked about storing cheese once it's opened so that it keeps longer....

I need help! I always have TONS of different cheeses opened at once - thus I keep them around longer because it takes longer to eat 10 blocks of cheese than 1 (and I usually have a lot of different varieties opened at the same time !)

So - once I have opened a block of...say...extra sharp Tillamock cheese - what's the best way to store it in the fridge? I seem to have a problem with mold growing on my blocks too quickly!

I think someone mentioned wrapping the block in a papertowel to absorb the moisture. So - do I then wrap the paper-toweled cheese in saran wrap? Or place it in a plastic ziplock baggie?

Any other suggestions? And - I do not have one of those machines where you can re-seal meats/cheeses/etc so they are air-tight...maybe once i have the funds to splurge....but not while I am in grad school

HELP please - I know there are many cheese afficianado's out there....help me preserve my cheese - I HATE throwing it out (I know I can cut off the molded part - but sometimes it just SOOOO moldy all-over I am cutting off most of the cheese

[joesan]

LindsayAnn - I feel your pain. I have the same problem as I also like to have a variety of cheeses on hand.

Some of my observations -

A specialist french cheese book that I have advises -

- wrapping the cheese in waxed paper only on the cut edges and allowing the cheese to breathe through the rind.

- storing the cheese in dark, cool room as opposed to the refrigerator.

- never wrapping the cheese in plastic, tin foil or cling film

Storing cheeses tightly wrapped in plastic can encourage the cheese to "sweat" and this leads to mould. I would recommend rather loosely wrapping the cheeses in waxed paper (like the stuff you deli uses to wrap prosciutto etc.). Many people caution against storing the cheese in an airtight container as the cheese contains living organisms that will die when deprived of air. I am not so sure about this. In Europe much of the good cheese is made from unpasteurised milk that allows beneficial and taste enhancing bacteria to thrive but I think in the states that most cheeses are made pasteurised milk so I am not so sure if this is an issue.

Nevertheless I store my cheeses by losely wrapping them in the waxed paper as mentioned above and storing them in a plastic airtight container. This may not be optimal but it does mean that I easliy get a 3-4 week life from my cheeses so I am prepared to make the tradeoff. As a rule the harder cheeses last much longer than the softer ones.

Happy cheese eating!

PS I forgot to add that I do store mine in the refrigerator and have not noticed it being too detrimental.

Edited October 7, 2007 by joesan (log)

[Forest]

Recently there was this one on freezing cheese & this one in the past this. And one more on storing here.

hope something in there helps...it's shame to see cheese go to waste!

[andiesenji]

Here are the recommendations from The American Cheese Society

That advice is excellent.

I use an old "Sanitary Cheese Saver" that has several raised bars in the bottom into which one pours a mixture of vinegar, salt and water - essentially a brine. The lid includes the recipe cast into the glass,

("1/3 pint vinegar, 1 tablespoon full salt and a little water to dilute") however the amount of vinegar (if using distilled white vinegar) makes a rather strong brine.

These can be found on ebay fairly often. I have three and have sent one to my daughter.

I have also stored large slabs, whole rounds or wedges of cheese in a large Tupperware produce keeper - it also has a rack in the bottom and this will hold the cheese up out of a small amount of brine.

It is important to open either of these containers at once a day and wipe the condensation from the lid.

I keep multible cheeses in each one and have had no problems with "swapping" of flavors, however I keep blues in a separate one and soft delicate cheeses in another.

If you note the red mark I have made on the outside of the jar, this indicates "12:00" to identify where each cheese is located in the jar and I stick labels on the side so it is easy to read while the container is on the fridge shelf. They aren't always in order because the cheeses are used up and others are added.

I can't find my ruler at the moment so I placed the lid on a standard sheet of paper, 8 1/2 x 11 in. to give you an idea of the size.

[djyee100]

I avoid wrapping cheese in any kind of plastic wrap. The cheese "sweats" and turns moldy pretty quickly. The retailers wrap cheese in plastic because then the cheese looks attractive and sells.

I was advised to wrap cheese in wax paper and keep it in a paper bag. However, I've discovered that the paper wrapping is not sufficiently airtight and then the cheese dries out. My current method, which works well for me, is to wrap the cheese in wax paper and then loosely in foil. I have far fewer problems with mold than I once did.

I refrigerate my cheeses in the least cold part of my fridge, and they taste fine to me.

[Lindacakes]

I use little Cutrite wax bags and change them often.

I keep a passle of waxed bag wrapped cheeses in a Pyrex glass refrigerator container. The one that's about 7 by 4, glass lid. Easily found on eBay.

If your cheese dries out, keep the rind (you can freeze it) and throw it in your next pot of soup for an extra dimension of flavor.

[Aix]

Fresh cheese doesn't keep, period. Eat it fast and discard at the first sign of mold.

Soft ripened cheeses, both bloomy and washed rinds very much have living rinds and need to breathe. Parchment paper and a ziplock with lots of air will provided it with sufficient oxygen while protecting the cheese and the fridge from odour transfer. Keep the original wrapper and the box if if available; the French have spent a lot of money developing the perfect wrap; they work! If a washed rind becomes gritty from drying, simply wrap it in a damp cloth for 10-15 minutes, unless you like the sandiness, which I kind of do.

Firm and hard cheeses may or may not have living rinds. If they do, cling film against the cut surface and parchment paper will protect it. Otherwise, cling film changed daily will suffice and protect against mould and the accumulation of lactate haze.

Blue cheese needs plastic or foil.

In all of the above cases, you simply cannot expect your cheeses to do well if you don't give them regular tlc and inspection. Change the wrap daily, turn your cheeses regularly, particularly the softer ones, and don't let your blues choke to death: the bluing will become green and bitter. A half hour of air exposure can fix this problem.

The refrigerator is mandatory. You are not an affineur, nor are most retail shops for that matter and as such must keep your cheeses at or below 4'C. Do not purchase cheeses that sits on a counter all day; it has been dying a slow death, and yes, that goes from Parmigiano Reg as well. Ripening conditions that occur during curing cannot be replicated at a cheese shop or at home.

Never vacuum seal or freeze a cheese. If it's an industrial grade cheese made from modified milk ingredients, then knock yourself out....

These are the guidelines that I teach my students. I hope this helps.

Edited October 9, 2007 by Aix (log)