Leaving Cheese in Plastic Once Open "Blocks of cheese are usually vacuum packaged by the manufacturer, and once unwrapped, have a shortened shelf life. Once the vacuum seal is broken and the cheese is exposed to air, there is an increased risk of mold growth and oxidation."
One common cause is too much moisture when the cheese is being stored. The use of plastic wrapping or zip top bags can retain moisture levels past 55% humidity, which is the ideal level for mold to grow.
"Too dry an atmosphere will mean the cheese will crack; too moist an atmosphere and mould growth is encouraged. Moulds are part of the natural development of cheese and often enhance their flavour but scrape them off if they look unattractive."
The cheese experts at the Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board recommend that you refrigerate your cheese, between 34°F and 38°F, and keep it away from other foods that smell strongly because "cheese easily absorbs other flavors." You also want to keep your cheese covered, because exposure to air will dry out the cheese and ...
Store all types of cheese in the vegetable crisper of the refrigerator, where the temperature is cold and stable. Use a fresh piece of plastic wrap or wax paper to rewrap cheese after each use. The length of time you can keep cheese differs by variety; in general, the harder the cheese, the longer it will last.
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.
Parchment or wax paper will work too. After it's wrapped, place it in a Ziploc bag, which allows the cheese some air to breathe. Remember to date and label your cheese as well. IIf you have a softer cheese like brie, Camembert or a blue cheese, you should store it in a clean, airtight container after wrapping.
Wrapping your cheese
Cheese should be allowed to breathe, however this needs a little balance to avoid the cheese from drying out, or becoming too humid and sweaty. If your cheese comes wrapped in waxed paper, keep the wrapping as it is designed to help your cheese breathe.
A. It depends on the variety of the cheese. Different cheeses mold differently. Cheese with higher moisture, such as cream cheese, can mold within two or three weeks, whereas more rigid varieties of cheese, such as Parmesan, can take up to 10 months to mold.
When you're ready to store your cheese, wrap it gently in parchment paper before placing it in the fridge. You want it to be protected, but able to breathe. If you're a serious cheese lover, you can even buy cheese bags — they keep in humidity to prevent dryness but also allow the cheese to breathe.
Soft cheeses such as cottage cheese, ricotta or Brie can be refrigerated one week but they don't freeze well. Hard cheeses such as cheddar, Swiss and Parmesan can be stored in the refrigerator six months before opening the package and three to four weeks after opening. It can also be frozen six months.
Discard any soft cheese showing mold. For hard cheese, such as Cheddar, cut off at least 1-inch around and below the mold spot (keep the knife out of the mold itself). After trimming off the mold, the remaining cheese should be safe to eat.
If you see white on your cheese, don't just throw it away. Touch the white stuff to see if it's hard or soft. If it's soft, it's probably mold (and you can just cut it off of a firm cheese). If it's hard, it's a precious little colony of crystals, and you have hit the cheese jackpot.
The recommended temperature range for storing cheese is between 35 and 45 degrees Fahrenheit, at a high humidity level, preferably in the bottom vegetable/fruit bin. To avoid accidentally freezing the cheese, don't store it near the freezer compartment or in the meat bin.
You can extend that shelf life by keeping cheeses unwrapped in your Grotto and putting it in the fridge. That way, they'll last up to 3 weeks before the mold starts to develop.
Most likely, you'll be okay.” However, in certain cases, the mold found on spoiled food could be dangerous, so if you suddenly develop symptoms such as shortness of breath, nausea, an elevated temperature or diarrhea, you should immediately seek medical help.
Molds often grow on produce, baked goods, leftovers and dairy products. Mold spores will travel from one food item to another and can live on surfaces of the refrigerator. Mold needs moisture, air, and prefers warm temperatures. Foods which are kept past the recommended storage times are receptive to mold.
Foil has all kinds of uses in the kitchen, but it's not the best way to store cheese. Like plastic wrap, it's a pretty flimsy barrier when it comes to keeping cheese fresh — and keeping dryness, excess moisture, mold, and off-flavors away from your cheese.
Yes, actually, it is possible to store cheese in a tupperware in the fridge. Ideally, you should wrap them individually: each one in its own box. You can use plastic tupperware, but glass is a better material. Indeed, glass allows us to keep humidity better and avoid aromas and bad smells.
General Rules: Cheese is best stored in the refrigerator as close to the bottom of the appliance as possible - the vegetable compartment is ideal. Wrap it in aluminum foil or waxed paper (waxed paper being the best of the two). Wrapped this way, the cheese will be able to breathe and further develop without drying out.
"Blocks of cheese are usually vacuum packaged by the manufacturer, and once unwrapped, have a shortened shelf life. Once the vacuum seal is broken and the cheese is exposed to air, there is an increased risk of mold growth and oxidation."
This includes dairy products like yoghurt and cheese and any pre-prepared food or leftovers that don't need to be reheated before serving. Ready to eat food is stored at the top of the fridge so that it will not be contaminated by any other ingredients that may drip down onto it.
USE CHEESE PAPER OR ALUMINIUM FOIL
This keeps the cheese from drying out and allows it to breathe, ensuring it will last longer. Once wrapped, you should place your cheese in an airtight container to make sure it gets the right amount of moisture.