By Kristen Miglore
Cheese inherently serves as a preservation technique, condensing gallons of milk to about a tenth of their volume, thus allowing the exceptionally perishable liquid to embark on its “leap toward immortality,” a phrase coined by essayist Clifton Fadiman.
Alternatively, as Anne Saxelby, a proponent of American cheesemaking, observed in “The New Rules of Cheese,” issued a year prior to her passing in 2021, “There’s a reason the Romans carried Pecorino Romano with them during their long campaigns.”
Of course, the chunks you take out of the refrigerator, speckled with blue-green mold or emitting a pungent ammonia odor, don’t seem like they promote self-preservation. Such cheese undeniably possesses a short lifespan. Can it still be consumed?
Fortunately, the answer is sometimes yes (though it’s preferable not to let it reach that stage). Below are tips on how to maintain various cheeses in optimal condition for an extended period, when to bid farewell, and how to utilize those odd bits lingering in the drawer.
How should I store cheese at home?
“Cheese is alive,” declared Kyra James, a food educator and certified cheese expert. “And necessitates oxygen and humidity to thrive.”
Experts widely concur that cheese paper — opaque paper coated with a thin layer of wax or plastic in different forms — is the best choice for wrapping all cheeses except for fresh varieties like ricotta, feta, and mozzarella (which should remain in their original packaging along with their brine). Moreover, for cheeses pre-packaged in plastic, it’s advisable to rewrap them for extended freshness.
“Cut wedges of cheese wrapped in these papers can last literally weeks with minimal impact on quality and flavor,” Saxelby highlighted. In the interest of sustainability and cost-effectiveness, reusable and compostable cheese papers are now available, and the wrap from the cheese counter can be reused after a quick rinse and drying.
Should you prefer not to purchase cheese paper, wrap the cheese in parchment or wax paper, then place it in a loosely sealed container or plastic bag. Reusable beeswax wraps are also an effective option, according to David Asher, a natural cheese educator and author of “Milk Into Cheese.”
For short spans, Asher suggested that sealed glass or plastic containers work well, “as long as the cheese remains humid and cool.” Remember that for softer cheeses like blues and Bries, it may be wise to open the container now and then to prevent condensation and the emergence of off-flavors, advised Carmen Licon, director of the Dairy Products Technology Center at California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo.
Where is the best place to store cheese?
The cheese and produce drawers in your refrigerator are optimal for maintaining cheese’s humidity and coolness. However, to avoid your mild Jack absorbing the flavors of a robust Stilton, do not mix them in the same container. Additionally, “if you group all your cheese together, mold spots will develop more quickly,” James indicated.
For serving, experts recommend letting your cheeses sit out of the fridge for anywhere between 30 minutes to a few hours beforehand. This will enhance the flavors and soften the textures. “Warmer conditions can even promote cheese ripening and a quicker melting process,” Asher pointed out. “In France, many place their wheels of Camembert atop their refrigerators where it’s warmer, rather than inside them.”
Nonetheless, Licon advises that storing cut pieces in the refrigerator is safer, as they are more susceptible to contamination from other microorganisms compared to whole wheels. For purposes of grating or cooking, there’s no advantage to allowing time at room temperature.
Can you freeze cheese?
While you can, the results may not be to your liking. The flavor may suffer, and “once thawed, cheese that has been frozen can have a somewhat grainy, sandy, and generally unpleasant texture due to the freezing process,” Saxelby mentioned. A few exceptions exist: Some soft, unripened cheeses such as chevre and mozzarella can endure freezing for several months, according to Asher. Grated cheeses and harder varieties with lower moisture content like cheddar and low-moisture mozzarella (think frozen pizza or mozzarella sticks) also hold up better in the freezer, Licon added.
Can’t I simply cut around that moldy spot?
The straightforward answer: It varies. For firm melting cheeses like Monterey Jack and aged varieties such as Parmesan, the U.S. Department of Agriculture recommends trimming a 1-inch margin around the mold (and ensure not to drag the knife through the mold further into the cheese). It’s important to note that “removing this new mold won’t restore the remaining cheese to its original state when purchased, so the flavor and texture may be affected,” James explained.
Soft cheeses like Brie and fresh varieties such as queso fresco or ricotta should be discarded in the compost once molded, Licon advised. The mold itself might not be dangerous but could signal a potential risk: “Soft cheese has higher moisture content and a plethora of nutrients that are appealing to bacteria, mold, and yeast,” she noted, making them particularly prone to harmful bacteria like Listeria that thrive in similar environments.
What are effective ways to make use of leftover cheese scraps?
James utilizes them to inspire new dishes: fresh cheeses for salads or to top a pizza, semi-firm types like cheddar or Gouda melted together for a quick fondue, and hard varieties shavings on pasta or soups.
Asher mixes scraps into grilled cheese sandwiches or grates them into mashed potatoes for added flavor and nutrition.
Licon combines grated Gouda, pepper Jack, or other melting cheeses with cooked vegetables and broils them until golden, occasionally adding cream cheese, sour cream, or bacon. She also incorporates cheese into roasted Anaheim chiles, tomatoes, and onions for a Chihuahua-style chile con queso (which differs from the Tex-Mex version of the same name, though that may also work).
In “The New Rules of Cheese,” Saxelby proposed what she termed “Fridge Nubs Mac & Cheese,” melting assorted cheeses into the roux-based sauce while trimming off only the rinds of firmer aged cheeses. “I’ve been known to mix soft, bloomy rind cheese, pungent cheese, dried-out cheddars, and blue cheese into the same baking dish,” she recounted. “When baked and topped with buttered breadcrumbs, you truly can’t go wrong.”
