How to keep cheese in the refrigerator for a long time?

It would seem that they just do not use cheese in cooking: pizzas, salads, snacks, casseroles and even soups - and still from time to time you have to throw out a moldy piece lying in the refrigerator. Even if you like cheese and are sure that it will not lie down, it will still be useful for you to find out how to store cheese in the refrigerator so that you do not have to arrange cheese days for the disposal of almost spoiled product.

Choosing the right storage container

The science of how long to store cheese begins with what it is stored in, in order to increase its lifespan. Most often, the product is sold wrapped in plastic wrap, but how optimal is this packaging option?

It is said that cheese “breathes” and that it cannot be tightly wrapped with airtight material. Storing the product in a film at home will not help extend its life: such packaging is fraught with the rapid appearance of mold and, accordingly, spoilage of the product. Of course, if you are not going to store a piece for a long time, then you can not replace the film with another package.

But if the cheese stays in the refrigerator for several days, then it is better to wrap it in baking paper or parchment paper. Maybe you remember that in the Soviet Union it was sold just like that, and, apparently, for good reason. Such packaging will allow him to breathe much better than film or foil, and the piece will remain fresh and healthy longer.

Just when storing cheese, it is worth remembering that it has the ability to dry out and react to excess moisture, so it is worthwhile to put a piece of paper wrapped in paper in a free plastic zip bag. Of course, you can use a vacuum bag to extend the life of the product, but are you really going to store it for so long?

And yes, don’t cut the cheese in advance unless you intend to store it in the freezer. So the shelf life will decrease dramatically, and the taste will no longer be compared with the original.

Tip

The paper is not able to prevent the absorption of odors by cheese, so for a long storage in the refrigerator you can put a piece in a plastic zip bag. This will not only preserve its pristine smell, but also help to avoid early mold.

But what if you put it in the freezer?

As we have already mentioned, cheese is a living product, and its shelf life is short. Can I try to extend it with a freezer? Cheese connoisseurs will surely tell you that this is a crime against taste buds, because when frozen, the product "dies", losing the lion's share of taste, smell and structure. So, after freezing, the cheese crumbles and acquires a “rubber” taste.

But after all, most cafes and pizzerias use it is pre-grated frozen cheese, and served dishes from this do not become less tasty! And they probably know how to store cheese for as long as possible! So you can safely make preparations if you have gotten a lot of cheese in your hands and you don’t know where to put it. After all, a freezer is certainly better than a trash can!

Tip

If we are talking about pickled soft cheeses, then unfortunately they cannot be stored in the freezer. Such varieties have a short shelf life and are stored either in brine or in sealed packaging until the end of use. Overdrying such cheeses will not affect their benefits, but the taste will not be the most pleasant.

Is it possible to eat cheese if mold has appeared on it?

Considering the fact that when storing soft cheeses in the refrigerator, three days are considered the optimal period, and for hard ones it only increases to seven, in a week a mold spot may form on a piece. Of course, there are a lot of terrible stories about how mold affects the human body, but the fact remains: we all periodically consume it, just not noticing just the outbreak that is beginning to form. This means that if the cheese, of course, is not yet half a month old and if you are not too squeamish, then you can just cut off the moldy crust and use a piece as soon as possible, and preferably in a dish that involves heat treatment.

Such a life hack is not very suitable for people with very sensitive digestion, but for the rest, such a product is unlikely to cause food poisoning.

Tip

Early mold on cheese that has not yet technically deteriorated and has not reached its expiration date may appear due to too high humidity, which is not so uncommon for the closed microclimate of the refrigerator. A piece of refined sugar or other powdered absorbent that can be placed in a bag with cheese so that it does not mold from high humidity can become a regulator of humidity.

Last few tips

What we want to share now has little to do with storage tricks, and yet it can save you a headache. After all, it is important not only how you will store the cheese at home, but whether you will use it wisely.

• Love or sympathy.

Try to determine your relationship with cheese and buy products according to them. Do you know that your family eats this product every day? Then he is unlikely to have time to deteriorate - you can buy a whole wheel. They have already figured out that sometimes an irresistible desire to eat a piece of food attacks you, but does it pass quickly? Then why buy a 300 gram piece to throw it away later? You buy cheese for pizza with a margin, but your hands do not reach the second portion? Realistically evaluate your strength and ask to weigh exactly as much as you can use in a short time, say, one day, without the need for storage.

• Respect the food.

Think about how much effort was spent to make the cheese, and how many people cannot afford it. It's time to start taking food more seriously, because throwing away food without thinking about how you can save it is a real disrespect for other people, work and nature.

• Do not buy new until you use the old.

This method will help to avoid spoilage of any products, especially with a short shelf life. Your task is to look at the contents of the refrigerator, choose more or less compatible products that have been there for a long time and will soon become candidates for release, and make an improvisation dish from them. And chur for additional goods in the store does not run!

Do not complicate your life when trying to apply complex tips for storing cheese at home: it’s enough to know just a few tricks and slightly reconsider your attitude to purchases and cooking to save yourself from this headache. We hope you never need to throw away such a wonderful product as cheese!