Cheese Storage Tips | How To Preserve Your Cheese
You don’t have to be a cheese connoisseur to want the best for your cheese. Follow Président’s tips to keep your fromage fresh!
When it comes to storing cheese, the first thing to know is: do not store your cheese in plastic wrap. Cheese is a living thing and without oxygen it can suffocate. Proper handling and storage of your cheese will maintain its fragile balance of texture, taste and aroma and will keep it looking vibrant and tasting delicious.
If you’re a regular cheese buyer it’s worth investing in some proper cheese paper. An alternative is to wrap your cheese in waxed or parchment paper, and then in an open plastic container or plastic sealable bag. If all else fails, you can use aluminium foil. These methods allow the cheese to breathe without drying it out.
Here are the 8 cheese storage tips you need to know:
- Soft and semi-soft (Goat, Camembert, Brie): place in a resealable plastic container. Soft cheeses should be wrapped in waxy, greaseproof parchment paper. Doing so retains the moisture of the cheese whilst allowing it to breathe. Keep refrigerated.
- Hard, aged cheeses (Parmesan, aged Gouda): hard cheese has a tendency to dry out in the refrigerator so to protect it, first wrap it loosely in wax or parchment paper and seal it with tape. Aged cheeses can be stored for longer without over-fermenting. They are best kept in a cool environment and out of direct sunlight.
- Blue cheeses (Gorgonzola, Roquefort): blue cheese is best wrapped in aluminium foil and refrigerated. Blue cheese has a shelf-life of between 6 weeks to 6 months when stored correctly.
- Semi-hard and hard cheeses (Comté, Cheddar, Swiss): forget the cheese shelf. The vegetable crisper is the best place to store your cheddar in the fridge. Store in a loosely sealed plastic container to prevent the cheese from drying out.
- Fresh cheeses in water (Mozzarella): Leave fresh cheese in its original packaging and keep refrigerated.
- Mature white cheese (Fetta): Place in a sealed container, pour in any accompanying brine and keep refrigerated.
- Aim to store cheeses separately: Cheese varieties such as mild, blues and those with washed rinds will absorb each other’s flavours.
- Avoid freezing cheeses: They may lose their texture, and occasionally the flavour profiles can be disrupted.
Voila, well-stored cheese!