You should avoid buying cheese wrapped in plastic wrap. "When cheese ripens, it gives off ammonia. When it is wrapped in cling wrap or film, the ammonia can't escape, so it goes back into the cheese." Hook explains that for natural rind cheese, the impacts of plastic are just as unappetizing.
How to Store Cheese. Before you store cheese, you'll have to wrap it. Plastic wrap is out of the question — in fact, wrapping cheese in plastic wrap will only make it go bad faster. Instead, opt for parchment paper or wax paper, which will allow the cheese to breathe and prevent additional moisture.
A resealable plastic bag will do the job, but it's not the ideal storage solution for your cheese. The best way to wrap leftovers depends on the particular type; see the list of kinds of cheeses below for specifics.
USE CHEESE PAPER OR ALUMINIUM FOIL
To make sure your favorite cheese stays fresh, wrap it in cheese paper. 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.
To avoid fluctuations of humidity from hitting your precious block of cheese, store your wrapped cheese in a sealed container, preferably made of glass. Unlike plastic, glass does not transfer smells.
First things first: “Always double-wrap your cheese – in waxed paper or baking parchment, ideally – and put it in a plastic container lined with dampened kitchen towel or J-cloth.” Then clap on the lid and put it in the top of the fridge – that's where the temperature is usually the most constant, unless you have a ...
We recommend avoiding wrapping your cheese in cling film or foil, as it can cause the cheese to sweat which will negatively affect the flavour. Parchment/greaseproof paper is the best substitute for cheese paper.
Storing cheese after slicing
Once you've broken into a new cheese, keep it contained in a sealed Tupperware box. This will prevent the smell from filling the rest of your fridge, and also keep the cheese free of any other strong smelling items in there.
The best way to store your cheese is in cheese paper. The next best thing (and probably the easier way, if you don't have cheese paper handy) is to wrap your cheese first in parchment or waxed paper, and then loosely in plastic wrap or a plastic baggie.
The best method: waxed or parchment paper loosely wrapped with aluminum foil. Both papers wick moisture away, while the foil cover traps just enough water to keep the cheese from drying out.
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.
Pots could be used to store and preserve cheeses, either by packing small wheels in salt or submerging them in a salty brine. These durable, long-lasting storage containers could even be buried underground to protect them from spoilage in hot climates, thereby extending their shelf life further.
Ditch the plastic wrap.
Alternatively, you can swaddle your cheese in a damp paper towel and then wrap it in aluminum. Or, fold it loosely in wax paper and place it in a porous container, like leftover plastic takeout containers with a few holes poked in the lid.
The cold helps to preserve it and keep premature mold growth at bay—all things we want when storing cheese. In general, it's a good idea to keep your cheese in the cheese drawer or crisper to protect it from the drying air of your fridge.
The key is to wrap the cheese tightly in plastic wrap, then put into a zipper-top bag. Keeping air out helps prevent cheese from getting moldy. This is particularly important with soft cheeses.
Cheese is the easiest of the three dairy products to find without plastic. Most supermarkets will have a deli section, but if not, look for local independent stores, farmers markets, specialist cheese shops and other grocers. Some deli counters will have paper to wrap cheese, so you can ask for no plastic.
Answer: Always wrap a soft cheese in parchment or waxed paper; rewrap it with a new piece after each use to prolong freshness. These breathable materials prevent mold-causing moisture from collecting on the surface without drying it out.
Neglecting the Fridge
"Any moldy food will put additional spores in your refrigerator and could cause your cheese to mold faster," says Kerry Henning, master cheesemaker at Hennings Cheese. For food safety reasons, your refrigerator temperature should always be below 40°F.
The U.S. Department of Health doesn't recommend keeping any perishable food sitting out of the fridge for more than two hours — and that's certainly the case for soft cheeses, like cottage or cream cheese, brie, or fresh mozzarella.
Cheese has a nose
Cheese develops flavour at different rates from centre to rind, which means that the 'perfect slice' is one that includes all parts of the cheese from centre, or nose, to the edge (the rind). A rule of thumb is to take slices that mimic the shape itself.
Veer from olive mixes speckled with dried red pepper flakes, really spicy pickled items, spicy meats, hot jellies, mustards, or chutneys, and even crackers with black peppercorns. While delicious, these accompaniments will linger on your palate and hinder your experience of the cheese in its natural state.
Dairy eggs, milk, butter, yogurt, cheese, sour cream all go on the lower shelves NOT the fridge door. The butter compartment on the door of your fridge is not the best place to store it. Opening and closing the door of the refrigerator can cause the average temperature to rise.
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.