However, we're sometimes left with a lot of cheese that no amount of water crackers and cabernet sauvignon can help us finish. If you're a cheese fanatic, using up cheese before it goes bad is just a matter of grabbing some crackers and maybe a glass of wine. You can also add smaller pieces of wrapped cheese to a freezer bag for extra protection. Because you are freezing the cheese, you don't have to take the same precautions you do with avoiding plastic wrap for refrigerated cheeses. Opened cheeses should be wrapped tightly in plastic wrap and again in foil before freezing to prevent freezer burn. Unopened, vacuum-sealed cheese can be stored as-is in the freezer. On the other hand, hard cheeses, like Parmesan and pecorino, freeze and thaw quite well. However, they will still melt beautifully in dishes. Young, semi-soft cheeses, like mozzarella and mild Cheddar, can become grainy and crumbly when frozen. One of the main things that freezing does to cheese is change its texture, especially if it's a smooth, creamy cheese. Similarly, freezing will change the composition of many, if not most, cheeses. That's why frozen berries lose their firmness and octopus becomes oh-so-tender once it's been frozen. Plastic wrap, on the other hand, can trap moisture and cause your cheese to go bad quickly.įreezing changes the composition of foods. The paper will allow the healthy cultures in your cheese to breathe, thus enhancing its flavor, and will also prevent it from getting too moist. For expensive aged cheeses, it's advised that you wrap your cheese in cheese paper or wax paper and not plastic wrap. Once you open a cheese, however, it's important to store it in a dedicated drawer, such as your fridge's deli drawer. Unopened cheeses can be kept almost anywhere in the refrigerator as long as they are in a sealed container. While you don't need to worry so much about the humidity as long as you don't store your cheese with moist foods, like produce, it is important to check on your refrigerator's temperature. An environment that is too humid and hotter than 45 degrees Fahrenheit is like an open invitation for bad bacteria and mold to make themselves at home on your cheese. These are two factors you should always pay attention to when storing cheese. Hard cheeses can last up to a month in the fridge after opening.Ĭheeses require specific conditions to keep them fresh and tasting great, and the deli drawer in your refrigerator does a good job at providing your cheeses with the right temperature and humidity. In general, most soft cheeses will last in the fridge for about a week once opened. Since we can't count on our refrigerators having the same climate and humidity as caves in France, there's little chance that your forgotten tub of cottage cheese will turn into the next Humboldt Fog instead of a serious health hazard. Fresh soft cheeses, like cottage cheese, tend to go bad more rapidly because they are basically blank canvases for any kind of bacteria, both good and bad. This moisture is a perfect breeding ground for the good cultures and molds that make these cheeses flavorful and healthy, but it's also an ideal environment for harmful bacteria to take hold. Soft cheeses, like Brie and chèvre, are very moist. These terms refer mainly to the moisture content of each cheese. You may have heard terms like hard, soft and semi-soft used to describe cheeses. Once it's opened, there are several factors that affect how long cheese can last in the refrigerator. How Long Does Cheese Last in the Fridge Once Opened?
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