Four Ways To Tell If Cheese Is Bad

No matter how much you love cheese, you don’t want to eat it once it has gone bad. Since cheese is made from dairy, it needs to be stored properly and even when it is, it will eventually go bad. In addition to making sure you store your cheese correctly, there are a few things you can do to tell whether it has gone bad.

Sight

Perhaps the easiest way to tell whether your cheese has gone bad is to look at it. Just keep in mind that just because there is a little bit of mold, that doesn’t mean the cheese is bad. All cheese will grow mold eventually and this is natural. If you see a bit of surface mold, cut around a quarter inch off the side of the cheese with the mold. If you see more mold underneath, then it truly is bad. If there aren’t any other signs of mold or spoilage, then your cheese is safe. In addition to looking for mold, check to make sure the packaging isn’t bloated, oily, or slimy as these can all indicate it has gotten old. Also look at the texture and color; if they are different than they used to be, the cheese is probably bad.

Smell

Your sense of smell is another great tool to tell whether cheese is bad. The type of smell will vary based on the cheese but it may be like a freezer or refrigerator, ammonia, or spoiled milk. Ideally, you will smell the cheese right when you buy it so you can tell what it is supposed to smell like and have a comparison. Remember that certain cheeses are very pungent to begin with so smell won’t always mean it has gone bad.

Taste

If between your senses of smell and sight you still aren’t sure if the cheese is bad, give it a little nibble. Of course, you want to eat the minimum amount necessary to get the flavor and see whether it tastes like it normally does. This way, if it is bad, you aren’t likely to get sick. If the cheese has a bad aftertaste or tastes sour, toss it out.

Store It Properly

While storing your cheese properly won’t necessarily tell you that it is safe to eat, it will give you more confidence in the fact that it hasn’t gone bad. Cheese should be refrigerated at 34 to 38 degrees Fahrenheit. It should also be wrapped up tightly in cheese paper or plastic wrap so mold spores won’t get in. Of course, you also have to consider the shelf life of the cheese in question. If you’ve had it longer than it should be good for, toss it.