How to Store Cheese Properly

Cheese is a dairy product that has undergone fermentation. Depending on the milk source (cow, goat, buffalo, or sheep) and the cheese-making procedure, cheese can have a wide variety of tastes, textures, and colors. Hence, it’s important to know how to store cheese properly.

Sometimes, when it is all about cheese, our eyes are larger than our stomachs. If possible, try not to purchase so much cheese that you’ll be able to eat in a few days. One thing is certain; you should make sure to keep the cheeses as fresh as you can for as long as feasible if you’re spending a lot of money on a number of them.

In this article, we will learn how to store cheese properly. So, let’s see what the ways in which we can preserve our cheese for a long time are.

Storing Cheese Properly

Here are some practical suggestions for storing cheese.

Method 1

Follow the steps to store cheese for a long period.

Take the cheese out of its original plastic wrapper. It’s not a good idea to keep vacuum-sealed cheese in its original plastic wrap. Gently unwrap the cheese and remove it from the wrapper to store it.

Use a knife to remove a thin top layer all the way around the cheese if it has a chemical flavor.

Wrap it in wax paper, parchment paper, or cheese paper. Ensure that you coat the cheese fully. If you’re on a tight budget, use wax or parchment paper instead, as the price of cheese paper is higher.

Mark your cheese with its type and date of purchase. Put a label on the cheese’s paper wrapper or write anything on it with a permanent pen.

Wrap the cheese loosely in plastic after covering it in paper. In order to prevent your cheese from absorbing the flavors of the refrigerator, apply an additional layer of plastic wrap.

For up to a month, store your cheese in a refrigerator drawer. It doesn’t matter in which drawer you put the cheese, as long as it’s in a drawer rather than on a shelf.

Avoid putting cheese near items with strong odors, such as melon or onions. The taste of the cheese will be affected.

Method 2

Let’s have a look at the other method.

If required, place your soft cheese in a tightly sealed container. To keep moisture in and stop brine from evaporating, you need a glass or plastic container.

If you transfer it to a different container, label it with a permanent pen or sticker. To determine how long to store the cheese, note the type and the date of purchase.

Keep the cheese’s original liquid with it when transferring it. Avoid draining the cheese.

Store the cheese in the fridge for no longer than two weeks. Your refrigerator’s drawers maintain the most stable temperatures and humidity levels, preventing the cheese from becoming either chilly or very dry.

Replace the brine if it becomes contaminated by a soiled spoon or hand. Contrary to what many people think, you only need to use a clean tool to get in and extract the cheese if you don’t refresh the brine.

Use a strainer or cheesecloth over the sink to remove the used brine. Then, add fresh brine to the jar and carefully close it before putting it back in the refrigerator. 

Conclusion

Depending on the variety of cheese and the way of storing it, cheese lasts a certain amount of time. Hard cheese normally lasts about 3 to 4 weeks if you keep it in its original container and store it properly. Soft cheeses typically have a shelf life of seven days or less after opening. Hope this article will help you store your cheese properly and keep it fresh for longer. Thanks for reading.