Tips for Saying “Cheese” with a Smile and Confidence

I’m guessing that you have cheese in your refrigerator right now. After all, the facts show we love cheese. A recent Bloomberg article highlighted that our “love” for cheese in the U.S. has more than doubled since 1975, with an average of 42 pounds being consumed per person every year. ¹ That’s more cheese eaten than an individual’s combined yearly intake of butter, yogurt or ice cream!

With the popularity of charcuterie boards, cheese as a protein snack and of course, cheese laden foods like pizza, some type of cheese usually is in our refrigerators. And if you’re like me, there’s always variety in the cheese drawer, especially after I have searched the “under $5” bin in the grocery store’s cheese counter. But when buying cheese and eating it in a timely manner are not in sync, what lies beneath the wrapper can be a complexing decision. Here are my tips for saying “cheese” with a smile and confidence.

The Cheese Basics

We all know cheese can’t stay in the refrigerator “forever” and remain free of mold. It is a perishable food. But the question still lingers, can we cut off the mold and still eat the cheese or do we have to discard? The answer is, “it depends!”

Cheeses like Blue, Brie and Camembert are obvious examples of a mold’s benefit. The bloomy rind of the later two is made from a Penicillium candidum mold ² and provides the flavor we enjoy. But when blue mold appears on Cheddar or Swiss, decisions need to be made. Using the USDA food handling guidelines ³ can help inform your decision.

The Cheese Decision Guide

USE: Hard cheese like Cheddar or Swiss can be used if you see mold, but use the 1-inch rule! Cut off at least 1 inch around and below the mold spot to remove any potential growth below the surface. To prevent further spread of the mold, keep the knife away from the actual mold spot. After trimming off the mold, wrap the cheese with new wrapping like cheese paper, parchment or wax paper.

DISCARD: Soft cheese (such as cottage, cream cheese, Neufchatel, chevre), crumbled, shredded, and sliced cheeses of all types should be discarded if mold appears. No exception to this rule! There can be more mold and bacteria below the surface. Also, shredded, sliced or crumbled cheese can be contaminated by the cutting instrument.

IT DEPENDS: Cheese made with mold (such as Roquefort, blue, Gorgonzola, Stilton, Brie, Camembert) can vary. Follow these guidelines:

1. Discard soft cheeses such as Brie and Camembert if molds that are not part of the natural process are visual.
2. For hard cheeses such as Gorgonzola and Stilton, follow the 1-inch rule and handling as described above for hard cheese.

Take the Time to Prevent the Mold

Like our health, prevention is always the best solution. But it does take a little time and thought. Taking care of your cheese purchases are no different. After all, cheese is a living product and how you store and wrap it will determine its longevity. Cheese experts recommend storing cheese in your refrigerator’s produce drawer for optimal humidity level. ⁴ But how you wrap it is the determining factor for keeping your purchase at its best. Here’s some basic tips:

• 

  Some cheese wrapped properly and some wrapped improperly in my fridge

  Plastic wrap can be “your enemy” if cheese (soft or hard) is not eaten within a few days after purchase. Cheese counters wrap products in plastic wrap for display, but it’s not good for long term product quality. Plastic will trap moisture within the cheese, creating the opportunity for mold or bacteria to grow more easily. Also, cheese can pick up a “plastic-y” flavor if stored in the original wrap. ⁵ Mozzarella is the one exception. Keeping it in its original plastic and brine, if consumed within a week of opening, is recommended.

• Use parchment, butcher cheese paper or even wax paper to wrap cheese purchases. Then store in another plastic container or plastic bag (with holes) to allow the cheese to breathe.
• Use new paper for storing any leftover cheese. New wrapping can reduce the potential for mold.
• For soft cheeses, store in parchment or wax paper like hard cheeses, but follow with a loose foil wrap rather than plastic.
• Avoiding touching cheese with your bare hands is also recommend ⁶ as even clean hands can transfer bacteria, which in turn can cause mold to grow. (This is one is challenge for me!) To go the extra step, use food handling gloves (plastic or latex), which can usually be found in the grocery or discount stores.

Be Cheese Savvy

While improving our cheese storage knowledge may not save the world, it will save us time and money. That means less food waste and less time for us to ponder if that cheese is “still good” when making a last-minute cheese tray or casserole. With the holidays upon us, being “cheese savvy” can make us “say cheese with a smile”! Enjoy!

Notes

1. “The Average American Eats 42 Pounds of Cheese a Year, and That Number Could Go Up,” Ilena Peng, Bloomberg News, September 6, 2024.
2. “So Your Cheese Has Mold on It — Is It Still Safe to Eat?” Merlyn Miller, Food & Wine, October 31, 2024. https://www.foodandwine.com/can-you-cut-mold-off-cheese-8737098
3. “Molds on Food: Are They Dangerous?” U.S. Department of Agriculture Food Safety and Inspection Service, August 22, 2013.
4. “How to Store Soft, Hard, and Shredded Cheese,” Maria Yagoda and Margaret Eby, Food & Wine, April 9, 2024.
5. Id.
6. “So Your Cheese Has Mold on It — Is It Still Safe to Eat?” Merlyn Miller, Food & Wine, October 31, 2024.