Soft cheeses such as cream cheese, cottage cheese, shredded cheeses, and goat cheese must be refrigerated for safety. As a general rule, hard cheeses such as cheddar, processed cheeses (American), and both block and grated Parmesan do not require refrigeration for safety, but they will last longer if kept refrigerated.
The type of cheese is the biggest consideration - hard cheese will last longer and is less likely to pose a health risk, while soft and fresh cheeses should remain refrigerated and only be left out for two hours at most. No matter the cheese, leaving it out for more than two hours may change the quality and taste.
Cheese will dry out when left in open air, especially in a warmer room, and start to look crusty and crumbly. “After eight hours on a cheese board, cheddar will likely not have a lot of bacterial growth, but it won't look appealing to eat,” Brock explains.
Hard cheeses (such as cheddar and Parmesan)
These cheeses can sit out longer —up to 8 hours at room temperature— due to their lower moisture content. That said, your cheese may start to dry out and otherwise go downhill in appearance after four or five hours of sitting out at room temperature.
For those reasons, consumers can find items like Parmesan cheese or packages of salami at room temperature in the grocery store. However, other softer and semi-soft cheeses and meats such as lunchmeat and ring bologna need to be refrigerated to prevent disease-causing bacteria from growing.
You have to lay the wrapped cheese inside the cheese paper, butcher's paper, parchment or wax paper. Make sure you wrap at least two layers of paper and seal the whole unit shut using tape. Once this is done, you can store the specialty cheese for extended duration without bringing any sort of harm to it.
Cheeses That Are Less Perishable
Cheeses made in the U.S. from pasteurized milk that have less moisture and a lower pH (acidic), such as Cheddar, Parmesan, Gouda, Swiss and other hard, aged cheeses, are less likely to encourage bacterial growth.
Without a fridge, you can store some dry cheeses in their original packaging at room temperature. Be careful though, this method of storage does not come without conditions. Indeed, a dry cheese can be stored outside the fridge for about 1 to 10 days if and only if temperatures are not too hot.
On the other hand, hard cheeses such as cheddar can be left out of the fridge for up to eight hours at room temperature as they contain less moisture. However, leaving cheese out for periods of time can lead to it becoming drier and it could start to lose its incredible taste.
Freshly laid eggs need to be refrigerated immediately. Fresh eggs purchased from a farmers market need to be refrigerated as soon as you get home. Per USDA guidelines, eggs should be stored at 40 degrees F or below to help minimize the risk of Salmonella.
Refrigeration: Vacuum-sealed cheese should be stored between 34-38°F (1-3°C) in the refrigerator. The cold temperature helps slow down the aging process and prevents bacterial growth.
4 Keep it in a sealed container
Fridges are moist spaces, especially if the doors are constantly being opened. To avoid fluctuations of humidity from hitting your precious block of cheese, store your wrapped cheese in a sealed container, preferably made of glass.
Yes, KRAFT Singles should be kept in the refrigerator. Expiration dates can be found on the back of the package.
Cheese paper is still ideal, but plastic wrap can be used for short-term storage. Semi-hard cheeses (e.g. cheddar or gouda) are middle-of-the-road in moisture and can be safely stored for about four weeks after opening. You'll want to use cheese paper here.
The rule of thumb? You can leave eggs on the counter about two hours at room temperature or one hour if the temperature is 90 degrees F or hotter before you start to worry, per the Egg Safety Center. After two hours, you'd be safer to throw those eggs out and get a fresh dozen rather than chance it.
Car travel with cheese
Ideally you'll be able to keep your cheeses cool by storing them in your cooler, or perhaps a refrigerator at your hotel or rental. Spreads and shredded cheeses are a priority when it comes to keeping them cool, as spoilage can set in quicker with the softer varieties of cheese.
TWO HOURS is the MAXIMUM time perishable foods should be at room temperature (ONE HOUR at temperatures 90 degrees F and higher). This INCLUDES the time they're on the table during your meal. Just ONE bacterium, doubling every 20 minutes, can grow to over 2,097,152 bacteria in 7 hours!
According to the USDA, butter is safe at room temperature. But if it's left out for several days at room temperature, it can turn rancid causing off flavors. The USDA does not recommend leaving it out more than one to two days.
Cheese has been manufactured for centuries, long before refrigeration was even invented and therefore there are countless varieties that not only survive but thrive outside of the fridge. The likes of cheddar, swiss, parmesan and other hard cheeses will be perfectly fine stored outside of the fridge.
The best place to keep cheese is ideally a place that is dark, cool, and aired. In practice, the vegetable compartment of your fridge could act as a cheese cellar, because it is the most humid and least cold part (between 4 and 8°C).
Cheese should be served at room temperature. So French people usually take out the cheese from the fridge (and open the box) before starting their meal.
Condensation on cheese
When you buy cheese from a grocery store or supermarket, it will most likely be wrapped in soft plastic. And one other reason why cheese “sweats” is actually condensation. As cheese matures (yes, even in your fridge after you've taken it home), it releases water vapour.
Most shelf stable cheeses are HARD and DRY ones such as Cheddar, Parmesan, Gouda, Asiago and Romano.