The Science Behind Proper Cheese Storage
Think about this – you just spent good money on that beautiful aged gouda, only to find it dried up like a sad rock after a week in your fridge. Here’s something that might surprise you: cheese is a living food, continuing to age and develop even after you bring it home. This means your storage method can actually make or break your cheese experience.
Cheeses are naturally immune to microbial attack due to several factors, e.g., pH, water activity, salt concentration, nitrites, organic acids, bacteriocin-producing lactic acid bacteria (LAB), ripening/storage temperatures, residual enzymes. But once you slice into that wheel or unwrap your wedge, you’re disrupting this natural protection system. The key is creating an environment that mimics what cheese needs to thrive. Proper storage is not just about extending the shelf life of cheese but also about maintaining its safety and preserving its complex flavours.
Temperature Control Is Your Cheese’s Best Friend
Microbial growth and chemical reactions become slower as storage temperature is reduced, which is why the refrigerator is a magical thing for making food last longer. But here’s where most people mess up – they think any cold temperature will do. The sweet spot for most cheeses sits between 35°F and 45°F (1.7°C to 7.2°C). This range helps slow down bacterial growth while preventing the cheese from freezing or drying out.
Your regular refrigerator temperature might be too cold for optimal cheese storage. Your refrigerator’s vegetable crisper drawer often provides the best balance of temperature and humidity for most cheeses. Different cheese types have slightly different needs: soft and fresh cheeses: 1.7°C to 3.3°C (35°F to 38°F), semi-soft cheeses: 2.8°C to 4.4°C (37°F to 40°F), hard and aged cheeses: 4.4°C to 7.2°C (40°F to 45°F). Professional cheese makers follow strict temperature protocols, and for cheeses of Cheddar and related varieties, temperature of 5-7°C is ideal but 8-12°C is considered economically best. Temperature higher than 18°C should be strictly avoided.
Humidity Levels That Actually Matter
Most home refrigerators are like desert environments for cheese. The biggest problem of most home refrigerators is that they are extremely dry. If cheese is wrapped properly in paper or a bag, that’s an ample barrier to dryness. Professional cheese caves maintain specific humidity levels for good reason.
The best humidity level for aging cheese is between 70% to 99% relative humidity. The exact range will vary depending on the styles of cheese you have and the temperature at which you’re ripening them. For home storage, you don’t need to go that extreme. We designed the Cheese Grotto’s reusable clay brick to maintain a relative humidity of 70% to 90% so that your cheese lasts longer and tastes great. Too low humidity can cause the cheese to dry out and develop a hard, cracked rind, while excessive humidity may lead to unwanted mold growth or a slimy texture.
Why Plastic Wrap Is Your Cheese’s Worst Enemy
You’ve probably been doing this wrong your whole life – wrapping cheese in plastic wrap and calling it a day. Plastic food film like Saran wrap is designed to be a full barrier, but cheese doesn’t want that. Cheese needs some porosity. And the chemicals they treat that plastic with to make it stretch and stick have been shown to impact fatty foods, which act like sponges and can absorb those plasticizers.
Avoid plastic wrap: It can trap moisture and promote bacterial growth. Think of it this way – cheese is like a person who needs to breathe. Wrapping it tightly in plastic is like putting a plastic bag over someone’s head. What I do at home is crack open the package and throw away that plastic because it’s already useless. I put it in a Tupperware. That will help the cheese last so much longer and protect it so much better than trying to rewrap it in its own plastic.
The Game-Changing Power of Cheese Paper
Here’s where things get interesting – specialized cheese paper isn’t just fancy marketing. The ideal answer for cheese storage is two-ply cheese paper. While wax and parchment paper combined with a strategically half-opened plastic bag can make for a decent-enough substitute, a two-layer cheese paper is the perfect kind of wrapping paper that can keep your cheeses moist and protected.
Our two-ply cheese wrapping paper allows the cheese to breathe while maintaining optimal humidity, preventing the cheese from drying out. Formaticum cheese wrapping paper keeps your cheese tasting fresher, longer and makes a great gift for cheese lovers. The science behind it is fascinating: These bags’ two-ply material – wax-coated paper lined with thin, porous polyethylene plastic – allows moisture to wick off the cheese but not escape entirely. This product worked for a solid two weeks longer than our homemade wrap in testing.
Smart Alternatives When You Don’t Have Cheese Paper
Not everyone wants to invest in specialty cheese paper, and that’s perfectly fine. Wax paper is better suited for storing cheese, wrapping caramels and creating layers between baked goods. It’s also more malleable than parchment paper, which makes it the preferred choice for many home cooks.
Parchment paper or wax paper : Offers good breathability but less moisture control. A clever technique many cheese enthusiasts use is the double-wrap method. First, wrap your cheese loosely in parchment or wax paper, then place it in a slightly open plastic bag or airtight container. This creates a microenvironment that balances breathability with moisture retention. We use wax paper and then tuck it into a plastic bag and seal it, store it in the cheese drawer, not the door. Our cheese never dries out this way.
The Surprising 40-Day Storage Test Results
A fascinating experiment tested five different storage methods for the same cheese over 40 days. However, after just eight days, one cheese was rendered inedible. The block wrapped in parchment didn’t mold, but it did dry out. When I checked on it, it was dry, crumbly and just not suitable to eat.
The results were eye-opening: Wrapped in plastic wrap, that block took 28 days to develop mold. Stashed in a airtight plastic container, the cheese took 31 days to go bad and the zip top bag cheese took 34 days. Overall, these all kept pretty long in the refrigerator, but their demise was ultimately caused by all the moisture trapped inside those containers. The winner? Despite a good showing from those plastic-wrapped options, the cheese vault ended up keeping the cheese the freshest the longest!
Different Cheeses Need Different Love
Hard cheeses are the most forgiving when it comes to storage. Their low moisture content makes them less prone to mold and bacterial growth. However, they can still dry out if not stored properly. Think of hard cheeses like aged cheddar, parmesan, or pecorino as the tough guys of the cheese world – they can handle a bit more neglect but still deserve proper care.
Soft cheeses are the divas of the dairy world. These cheeses have higher moisture content, making them more susceptible to microbial growth. Typically, they can be kept for up to two weeks in the fridge. Hard cheeses (like Cheddar or Parmesan) have lower moisture content and can sit out longer without spoiling. Soft cheeses (such as Brie or Camembert) are more perishable due to their higher moisture content. Fresh cheeses like mozzarella or ricotta need the most attention and should be consumed quickly after opening.
The Container Game-Changer
Your choice of container can make or break your cheese storage game. You can store different cheeses in the vault without them affecting one another’s flavor. The vault comes with a divider that keeps cheeses separate. This addresses a common problem many cheese lovers face – flavor contamination.
Some cheeses have strong odours that can be transferred to other cheeses if stored too close together. A dedicated cheese drawer or container helps maintain proper conditions while keeping different varieties separate. It doesn’t need to go in a food-storage container; that’s redundant. Some people do that to keep their cheeses organized, but it doesn’t extend cheese life. The key is finding the right balance between organization and optimal storage conditions.
Room Temperature Rules and Safety Guidelines
There’s a fine line between letting cheese come to serving temperature and letting it become dangerous. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, cheese should not be left out at room temperature for more than two hours; if the temperature is above 90°F (32°C), this limit reduces to one hour.
However, for the best flavor, let cheese sit out at room temperative for 20-30 minutes before serving. However, factor this into the overall time limit to avoid risking food safety. Professional cheese service involves this timing dance – you want the cheese at its flavor peak without risking safety. The U.S. Department of Agriculture states that hard, aged cheeses like Cheddar, Gouda, and Parmesan can last three to four weeks after opening when stored properly. Soft cheeses such as Brie, Camembert, and fresh mozzarella should be consumed within one week of opening.
Recognizing When Your Storage Method Isn’t Working
Even with perfect storage, cheese won’t last forever. It’s normal for these cheeses to develop surface moulds due to ongoing microbial activity. These moulds are not harmful and can be scraped off before consumption. However, you need to know the difference between normal aging and spoilage.
Exposure of cheese to heat, oxygen, and light stimulates enzymatic oxidation reactions that can produce different degradation processes, such as discoloration, production of off-flavors, nutrient loss, and formation of toxic substances. Signs that your storage method isn’t working include rapid drying, unusual odors, slimy textures, or excessive mold growth. Leaving cheese out overnight can lead to bacterial growth, especially in softer cheeses with higher moisture content. To keep cheese safe, it’s important to store it in the refrigerator. If you accidentally leave cheese out overnight, hard cheeses like Cheddar or Parmesan might still be safe to eat, but soft cheeses like Brie or Camembert should be discarded.
Professional Tips That Actually Work
The best cheese storage tips come from people who handle cheese daily. Duplex cheese paper, with its dual layers, is the best choice as it prevents the cheese from drying out while allowing it to breathe without suffocating. If you can’t reuse the original paper you received you cheese from us in, foil is a good alternative. Avoid wax paper and cling film as they can dry out the cheese too quickly.
Cheese retains its flavour and texture better if you only touch the rind while cutting. Besides storing the cheese in the fridge, use a cheese slicer or knife to cut slices and avoid direct contact with the cheese itself. If you place the cheese in the fridge as soon as you receive it, you can keep it in there for 6 to 8 weeks. Keep in mind that soft cheeses generally have a shorter shelf life than hard cheeses and once the cheese is cut, the shelf life will also be shorter. Follow the above tips to best preserve cheese and enjoy the delicious taste and texture of your favourite cheese for longer.
