Shake it Baby

Like all food products, cheese needs to be stored in just the right conditions for it to taste its best. Generally this involves keeping it in cold temperatures and way from air.

You don’t need to keep it in the fridge to keep it cold, a wine cellar can work too. But for most people, a fridge is the easiest and most effective way. Keeping the cheese well sealed, and between 33°F-38°F (0.5°C-3.3°C), is optimal for almost all cheeses.  There are also lots of handy kitchen gadgets to be had.

Soft cheeses such as Mascarpone and Camembert are considered “fresh cheeses” which just means they haven’t been aged for a long period. They are high in moisture so spoil the most easily. Airborne mould spores combine more readily with food when they have water molecules to latch onto. Even if you store them correctly, they should be eaten with a few weeks at most, two weeks in most cases.

Despite being kept in a tightly sealed container, if they’ve been exposed to air at all, there’s typically enough oxygen inside to cause considerable spoilage of the surface. Unfortunately spoilage can travel through to inside the cheese, so it’s not simply a case of cutting off the mould like you can with harden cheese.

Harder or semi-firm cheeses will last 4-8 weeks if kept well-sealed and wrapped. It’s helpful if the wrapping is close to the cheese. That keeps air away from the surface that is inevitably trapped inside the container. Cheeses which have been aged longer can keep will for much longer if kept vacuum packed. You can even buy small commercial devices for vacuum sealing cheese and other foods.

Hard cheeses, such as Parmesan or Asiago (a crumbly Italian), can last a very long time but, if not frozen, after a couple of weeks they will lose flavour. You can store hard cheese for up to three months in a freezer.

If you need long term storage in the freezer, be sure to transfer the cheese to the refrigerator for at least a few hours before bringing it out into the kitchen. By gradually thawing the cheese you’ll help preserve the flavour and texture.

Some cheese such as Cheddar or Gouda don’t fair so well when frozen, even if you take the time to thaw them out slowly. They can be kept for up to three weeks if stored properly in a fridge. Processed cheddar will last a bit longer, but a gourmet cheese has a much shorter life span.

If you leave cheese out a room temperature fat molecules can ooze out causing the cheese to become oily. Some people do this on purpose as it makes an interesting taste, although you shouldn’t leave it out for too long. Serving at room temperature is ideal for most cheeses though slicing is easier for slightly cold cheese. But after a few hours in air most will alter in undesirable ways.

Airborne spores are the primary cause of spoilage and they interact readily with cheese. Heat, per se, isn’t the culprit but it encourages most chemical reactions to speed up. Keep your cheese well stored in a cool place and you’ll be able to enjoy your cheese at its best.  They are also great in gift baskets.

Posted by April / Food and Drink