2 weeks Ago By Katherine McPhillips
Cheese is at the top of most people’s shopping lists but it can quickly go bad before its expiry date as many people do not realise they are storing it wrong. Cheese is a fragile food due to its high moisture content, and if exposed to air, it will form a hard, crusty layer that is impossible to cut through. It is also important not to wrap cheese up too tightly as a humid environment will encourage bacteria which will cause mould spores to thrive.
Instead, an expert from the dairy farm Yarra Valley Cheese has shared that keeping cheese fresh is easy as long as you take it out of its plastic packaging. They said: “Don’t use cling wrap. This makes cheese sweat.
Don’t wrap the cheese back up in the paper or wrap it came in. It needs a fresh, clean environment so as not to deteriorate.” Cheese needs to be able to breathe to keep its texture and stay flavourful which is why it is incredibly important not to keep it stored in any plastic material.
Plastic packaging does not have enough airflow and will trap moisture, which can cause the cheese to become slimy, rubbery or even mouldy. Storing cheese can feel impossible as too much air will cause the cheese to harden but not enough air will encourage bacteria and mould growth. However, the best way to store cheese is actually very simple as all you need to do is wrap it up in baking paper.
The expert said: “Most cheese should be wrapped in baking paper or waxed cheese paper (if you can locate it) inside a sealed plastic container lined with dampened paper towel or cloth to control humidity and stop the cheeses from drying out.” Baking paper allows cheese enough airflow without trapping excess moisture so it will stay fresh for much longer than if you kept it in its original packaging. If you are storing firm or hard cheeses then wrap it tightly in baking paper to stop it from drying out, and you can wrap it twice if you wish to give it an extra layer of protection.
Blue cheeses should also be wrapped up tightly but cheeses with a soft or washed rind should be wrapped loosely in baking paper. Once you have wrapped up your cheese then simply keep it in a container with a lid which stops it absorbing any strong odours from other foods in the fridge. If you are storing any marinated cheeses like mozzarella or soft cheeses like brie then keep them stored in its original packaging with the brine or oil it came in, However, make sure to store soft or marinated cheese in the coldest part of the fridge at the back or on the bottom shelf.
Soft cheeses have a much higher moisture content than regular cheeses so are more likely to spoil, so keep them at as low a temperature as possible so they remain fresh..
