Storing store-bought cheese

[cowguy]

Sid, could you address the proper packaging and storage of cheese once brought home from a store? I've been getting it out of that plastic as soon as possible and wrapping first in parchment or cheesecloth, then aluminum foil. Then into the crisper it goes. Might you comment on this? It does seem that gone are the days where I'd return to a slimy cheese wrapped in its original plastic. Would re-packing be any different for soft cheese, as opposed to hard aged cheese.

Thanks for your thoughts.

Pierre

[Sid Cook]

Here what like to do.....once I open it, I like to put it in a sealable baggy and let it breath.......I like the way they come alive again. I store them all separately so the flavor don't mix......think about put your parchment wrap into a sealed bag.....keeps the fridge flavors in the fridge and out of the cheese. I usually have 15 or 20 cheeses in my fridge like this....works good for me because I want the blue on the blue and the parm to taste like parm....if I get a little mold in a bag I clean a knife with 1 part bleach 20 parts water...cut the mold and clean the knife...cut the mold off again and clean the knife....that way to don't track the mold all over the fresh cut surface.....

Give it a try...

Sid Cook

[Mezzaluna]

Sid, I have a FoodSaver vacuum sealer. It works, but for some cheeses I get dampness on the surface of the cheese.

Do you recommend this for people like me, who don't use a huge amount of cheese but want to have it on hand? Should I wrap it in parchment paper before sealing?

[Sid Cook]

There are really several issues.....humidity in the fridge...humidity in the baggie and moisture in the cheese.

The goal we are wanting to achieve with the baggie, is isolating the flavor of a particular cheese. We want that flavor to stay in the cheese and the cheese not to draw other off flavors from the refrigerator but we want the cheese to breath.

With higher moisture cheese I would wrap in a wax parchment and put in a baggie.

With a regular moisture cheese,38-44%, like cheddar, Montery, Gouda, I would wrap with unwaxed parchment and put in a baggie.

The hard cheeses that are 36% and below like parm.....I would just put in a sealable.

I know there is some compromise......but it worth keeping the flavors pure......

Sid