Four Tips For Storing Cheese After It’s Been Opened

Cheese is one of the most delicious and versatile foods on the planet. Because of all the different varieties available, you can find limitless uses for it, from eating it plain or with some crackers, to cooking with the cheese, topping a salad, or even baking it into a dessert. The tricky thing, however, is that unless you buy small quantities of cheese or host a large party, there will always be leftovers, leaving you to wonder how to store them.

Pick The Right Wrapping

The basic method for storing cheese after it’s been opened is to carefully wrap it up before labeling it with the date and cheese type and placing it in the refrigerator. The question then becomes what you should wrap it in. Experts say that the best option is cheese paper. Although plastic is a popular choice, it doesn’t let the cheese breathe, giving it a flavor like ammonia and encouraging harmful bacteria. You can find cheese paper at any specialty cheese retailer and even some of the better grocery stores, and it will let your cheese breathe, helping preserve its flavor.

Storing Hard Cheeses

One thing to keep in mind is that hard cheeses are hard by nature, and this is because it begins to dehydrate as soon as the curds and whey are separated. Unfortunately, putting the cheese in the fridge speeds up this process, so before putting your hard cheeses in the fridge, you must add an extra step. Wrap the cheese in cheese paper and then place them inside a plastic bag that is open.

Storing Blue Cheeses

Blue cheeses also require special storing so if you frequently buy them, remember this tip. If you store blue cheese right next to other types, its flavor will spread, invading the milder cheeses. To prevent this, simply wrap it up in cheese paper (feel free to double wrap it if you want), before placing it within a plastic container.

Opening The Wrapping

Physically storing the cheese isn’t the only aspect of saving cheese for later that requires advice; sometimes you need to know what to do after opening it as well. If you still haven’t finished your cheese in the second sitting, be sure to select a new piece of cheese paper instead of reusing the old one. Also, don’t worry if there is a small amount of fuzz. As long as it isn’t growing on a soft cheese, you can simply cut it off and safely enjoy the rest.