How to Store Cheese in the Fridge
Most often, cheese is sold in plastic wrap or a pack. And we use the same packs to store cheese in the fridge. But according to experts, this is a very popular mistake. Plastic bags are not good for storing cheese after you open them: doing this could affect their taste.
5-Minute Crafts has learned a lot about the nuances of storing cheese and made a short list of instructions on how to do it properly.
How to store large pieces of cheese
You need:
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plastic container or a Ziploc bag
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special paper for storing cheese, like parchment
How to pack:
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Remove the original cheese packaging.
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Cut off a big piece of paper and place the cheese in the middle.
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Wrap the cheese so that the paper covers all the sides. But don’t wrap it too hard to let the cheese “breathe.”
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Write the date that the cheese needs to be eaten by.
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Place the wrapped piece of cheese in a plastic container or a Ziploc bag and store it in the fridge.
How to store shredded or sliced cheese
You can store shredded or sliced cheese in pretty much the same way as large pieces of cheese. Put the shredded or sliced cheese on paper, wrap it, write the date, and put it into a plastic container or a Ziploc bag.
If you are not planning to eat cheese soon, but maybe in a few weeks, the best thing you can do is freeze it. To do this:
- Put the cheese in a Ziploc bag.
- Add 1-2 tbsp of starch. It will help to prevent the pieces from sticking to each other.
- Remove the excess air from the bag, close it, and shake it well to mix the starch with the cheese.
- Put the cheese into the freezer.
How to store brined cheese
Storing brined cheese is different from the previous kinds. Ideally, it should be eaten right after the pack is opened. But if you have some leftovers, put them in a plastic container, pour in the original liquid from the pack, and close the container with a lid.
How long you can store cheese in the fridge
After opening the pack, cheese can only be stored for a certain period of time. The general rules are:
- brined cheese — 2-3 days
- soft cheese — 2 weeks
- semi-hard cheese — 1.5-3 months
- hard cheese — 1 year or more
- frozen cheese — 6 months
3 tips to increase how long you can store your cheese
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Keep the cheese in the warm part of the fridge, far from the freezer. That will be the best temperature to store cheese.
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Wrap the cheese in a new sheet of paper every time you unwrap it and cut a piece. It may be tiring, but it will improve its shelf life.
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Don’t buy a lot of cheese at once. Buy less, but more often. This way you won’t have to throw away leftovers.