If you, like us, spend a lot of time thinking about cheese, you should also spend some time thinking about how you store it. Like all loved ones, cheese deserves to be cared for, and no matter what type you have on hand, you want it to maintain its integrity of taste and texture for as long as possible. Here's a guide to storing any type of cheese like a pro, from creamy brie to nutty Parmesan.
A Guide to Storing Milk and Other Dairy Products in the Fridge
How long does cheese last in the fridge?
Fresh and soft cheeses, such as mozzarella, brie, ricotta, and goat cheese, can be refrigerated for one to two weeks. Hard cheeses like cheddar, Swiss, and Parmesan last much longer — they can be stored in the refrigerator six months before opening and three to four weeks after opening, and they can be frozen for up to six months.
Where to store cheese in the fridge
Since not everyone has a "cheese fridge," it's important to learn the safest place to store cheese in your home refrigerator: your produce drawer.
"Cold slows down the ripening of the cheese, and then the airflow can dry it out pretty quickly. Cheese likes a certain amount of humidity and it likes to be warmer," says Carol Johnson, owner of Monger's Palate in Brooklyn. "I put my cheese in the produce drawer or whatever part of my fridge is the warmest." Otherwise, store your cheese in a cold spot in the back of the fridge, away from other smelly things, as cheese can absorb odor.
Note that hard cheeses like Parmigiano-Reggiano can be kept outside of the fridge for a few days, but they will last much longer in the fridge.
How to wrap cheese — and why you should avoid plastic wrap
While cheesemongers usually wrap the cheeses they display in plastic, avoid doing this at home — the professionals do it so they can showcase the cheese they're selling, and they go through the cheeses quickly enough that the plastic rarely imparts flavor on the product.
"What works best is to wrap it in some kind of porous material," says Carol Johnson, owner of Monger's Palate in Brooklyn. "Cheese is a living thing, so you have to wrap it in something that is breathable." Plus, plastic wrap can give the cheese a plastic-y flavor. "That's the problem with a lot of pre-cut cheese wrapped in plastic: It takes on the plastic flavors, and the bacteria starts to die," she says.
Johnson recommends using cheese paper, butcher paper, or even wax paper. Put the cheese you've wrapped in paper (not plastic!) in another container for extra protection — either Tupperware with holes poked in it or a plastic bag with holes poked in it. The holes are key, as cheese is a living thing.
How to store soft cheeses
Brie, goat cheese, and other soft or runny cheeses are delicious, but more delicate in temperament than their hardier cousins. If you see spots of green or blue mold on them, you should throw them out — a bummer, but less of a bummer than food poisoning.
If you're planning on eating them within a couple days of purchase, the plastic wrap they came in is fine. Mozzarella should, in fact, be kept in its plastic wrap or brine and eaten within a week once opened. The best way to storesoft cheesesin the fridge is to wrap the cheese in a layer of parchment or wax paper, followed by a loose layer of foil — if it hasn't already been wrapped in cheese paper by your cheese shop (by the way, thatcheese paper is perfectly reusable). Wrapped in this manner or vacuum-sealed in bags to prevent freezer burn, soft cheese can also last in the freezer for up to two months. It'll lose some of its original texture, so if it's a very fancy cheese, it's still best to eat it soon. But if you don't mind it being slightly harder than normal, freeze away. When you're ready to eat it, put it in the fridge to thaw out.
How to store hard and semi-hard cheeses
Cheeses that are firmer to the touch and have lower moisture content, like pecorino, Parmesan, andcheddar, belong in this category. If you're eating them quickly, as in within a few days, it's fine to keep them in their plastic wrap. For longer term storage, wrap them in parchment or wax paper followed by a layer of plastic wrap or foil. Just like soft cheese, you'll want to store these varieties in the produce drawer or a cold spot in the back of the fridge. You can freeze these cheeses too, as long as they're well-wrapped to prevent freezer burn. If your hard cheese develops a moldy spot, you should be fine to cut the moldy spot out and eat the remainder, provided you cut out a one-inch radius around the mold.
How to store shredded cheese and sliced cheese
Got a bag of pre-shredded cheese? Keep it in the bag it came in, or put it in a resealable bag, and it'll be good in the fridge for a week or two after it's been opened. It's also a great candidate for the freezer, where it'll last for up to three months. You can even grate and freeze your own hard or semi-hard cheeses and stash freezer bags for easy distribution and melting. Sliced, packaged cheese also freezes well — seal it in a freezer bag or an extra layer of foil to prevent freezer burn. Thaw in the fridge when you want to use it.
