Cheese Storage
A Few Tips On Cheese Storage
Artisans and cheese makers use anything from bees wax to salt rind processing for cheese storage, aging, and preservation. There are a great many varieties of hardened and aged cheese. Storage of these tends to be quite easy, as many simply leave them in chunks and cut off the dried portions when they are ready to use it. Soft, fresh cheeses are in need of refrigerated storage, with the exception of yogurt which can stand at room temperature for up to four days safely. Air tight containers and cold dark places are best for these types, which include cream cheese, cottage cheese, mozzarella, string cheese, hoop cheese, and the like.
Hard cheese storage, for those who have no wish to scrape mold when they are ready to consume their cheese, is best left to tin foil. This will retard any negative bacterial processes, though you will still need to check for decay and consider freezing this cheese if it will not be consumed within ten days. Cheese storage of the softer varieties, such as brie and the like, will most likely be in the form of standard plastic wrap. This will give the air tight protection that a moist cheese needs for extended life on the refrigerator shelf. If you have a cheese that is ultra soft, you may want to spread it onto a saucer and plate and place the plastic wrap directly and securely on top of it. This may be a bit messier than you want to deal with, but the access air pockets in partially empty tubs can promote a faster depletion process.
For the ultimate in cheese storage, consider freezer your valuable dairy goodies. This process involves the slicing, cubing, or grating of your solid cheeses for the best possible moisture redistribution after the thawing process. For slices, you will want to lay them on a cookie sheet lined with wax paper and place them in the freezer until they are nearly frozen. Then, place a piece of wax paper between each piece as you stack them up, and place them in a freezer bag. Remove all access air from the bag, seal it tightly, and get the cheese back into the freezer as quickly as possible.
The freezing process for cubes and grated pieces, with a few differences. The cubes will take longer to freeze, and they will be nearly impossible to keep separated when placed back in the freezer for the long term. For your grated cheeses, the initial freezing process takes much less time, and the cheese needs to be put directly into a freezer bag and back into the freezer as quickly as possible. The flash freeze process is important, as it keeps the drawn moisture of each piece to that particle piece, and freezing it. This keeps you frozen cheese from becoming a clumps of soggy ruin.