Blue cheese

[torakris]

I bought some blue cheese at costco a while ago, there were 8 (?) individually wrapped pieces, I had used 4 of them a while ago but when I opened up one today, it was A LOT greener then I remember the other ones being. and it was more green then blue and gray. I tasted it and it tasted Ok, but I was still worried about using it so I trashed it. The expiration date was 9/03.

So how do you tell when blue cheese goes bad?

[oraklet]

I bought some blue cheese at costco a while ago, there were 8 (?) individually wrapped pieces, I had used 4 of them a while ago but when I opened up one today, it was A LOT greener then I remember the other ones being. and it was more green then blue and gray. I tasted it and it tasted Ok, but I was still worried about using it so I trashed it. The expiration date was 9/03.

So how do you tell when blue cheese goes bad?

i would go by taste and smell. if it looks strange in places, try cutting off the strange parts, perhaps. anyway, i'm pretty sure you won't be sick from a cheese that smells ok. (except for listeria/campylobactor etc).

the change in colour may be due to a too cold storing? i wish i had a special refridgerator for cheese, white wine, beer, butter, fruit, vegetables...)

[iain]

Cheese - especially of the blue variety, it seems - past it's prime will sometimes start to smell of ammonia. That's when I usually chuck it. Does anyone know if that's really necessary? Is it still salvageable? Also - what am I supposed to do if it comes from the store smelling that way? Take it back?

[elyse]

I've found that when my blue cheeses go bad they actually get reddish. I still just scrape it off and use it anyway.

[Chef/Writer Spencer]

Cheese - especially of the blue variety, it seems - past it's prime will sometimes start to smell of ammonia. That's when I usually chuck it. Does anyone know if that's really necessary? Is it still salvageable? Also - what am I supposed to do if it comes from the store smelling that way? Take it back?

ammonia is rather offensive perhaps but on cheese not necessarily a sure sign to throw cheese away. i never throw blue cheese away. it can be as funky as an athletic shoe full of vomit and i'm still going for it.

[elyse]

Mmmmmmmmm. I'm eatin' at YOUR place!

[Ron Johnson]

Most blue veined cheeses are past their prime when the white creamy sections have turned a nasty sort of yellow and/or it has developed a fungus that appears like fuzz covering the cheese.

The ammonia smell is sign that a cheese is headed for disaster. I mainly find it as a better indicator of decline in quality in runny cheeses such as brie, camembert, St. Andre, taleggio, and epoisses.

[Chef/Writer Spencer]

Most blue veined cheeses are past their prime when the white creamy sections have turned a nasty sort of yellow and/or it has developed a fungus that appears like fuzz covering the cheese.

The ammonia smell is sign that a cheese is headed for disaster.  I mainly find it as a better indicator of decline in quality in runny cheeses such as brie, camembert, St. Andre, taleggio, and epoisses.

I like ammonia reeking cheeses. I like red fuzz on white. I don't serve it. I love stinky cheese....but don't expect the rest of my customer base to come along with me in that pursuit.

[Ron Johnson]

I like stinky cheese as well, and cheeses like taleggio and epoisses whould stink to high heaven. They just shouldn't stink of ammonia. Cheese is a living breathing organism. The ammonia smell is an indication it has spent too much time suffocating in plastic wrap, a major cheese no-no.

[Fresser]

I never throw blue cheese away.  it can be as funky as an athletic shoe full of vomit and i'm still going for it.

I hereby nominate this post for Grossly Evocative Simile of the Month.

[hollywood]

I never throw blue cheese away.  it can be as funky as an athletic shoe full of vomit and i'm still going for it.

I hereby nominate this post for Grossly Evocative Simile of the Month.

Fortunately, this month's almost fini.

[Lady T]

You can have my vote, that's for sure. Much as I love stinky cheeses, even I back away when something's that off.

[Chef/Writer Spencer]

I never throw blue cheese away.  it can be as funky as an athletic shoe full of vomit and i'm still going for it.

I hereby nominate this post for Grossly Evocative Simile of the Month.

Two awards in one month. Watch out, my heads getting bigger and bigger with each passing post.

[torakris]

There was no smell at all and it did taste normal but the part that bothered me was that this particular cheese normally has a creamy white rind and this time it was covered with a green moss type of thing.

Is that OK?

I had 3 kids under the age of 7 who were going to eat it (they LOVE blue cheese! ), so I decided to play it safe.

[Pitter]

Green mold is actually a very good thing when talking about "blue" cheese. It indicates that the cheese is fresh. Green turns to blue as it ages. I do not know of any cheese molds that will make you or your children sick, and I must add that that I appreciate the fact that your children are "blue" lovers. My first experience with blue cheese was with Roquefort, which my parents fed to me for fun while in my high-chair (it is my first memory) and I have been hooked ever since. I sell 700 cheeses for a living, and still find that Roquefort and other blues are my favorites.

[torakris]

So basically the idea I am getting is to go by smell rather than appearance?

Another stupid question:

does blue cheese (or even other cheeses) continue to mold (in a good way) after packaging?