If stored correctly, cheese is almost forever.
Few of us store cheese the right way. Adobe Stock / AOP
If mature cheese is stored correctly, it will never spoil.
Running the Lentava lehmä cheese shop in the Hakaniemi hall in Helsinki Laura Mauno states that if stored correctly, the cheese only ripens, but does not spoil.
– All cheeses eventually become ripe and dry, like parmesan, Mauno continues.
This means that as it ripens, the cheese hardens even more, but by no means spoils. Mauno reminds us that whenever the cheese ripens, it gets more flavor.
– Ripe cheese doesn’t really become inedible, even if it’s kept in the fridge for 40 years.
But the essential thing is how to store the cheese. First of all, plastic should be forgotten immediately.
Mauno advises that the cheese should ideally be stored in cheese paper with a wax surface. But the cheesemonger knows that few people use cheese paper. So a good option is to wrap the cheese in butter paper and then put it in a plastic bag.
Old-fashioned ceramic and wooden cheese domes are also good. Better plastic hoods might also be good if they have air holes.
When you plan the cheese, always do it from a different side than the last time. Adobe Stock / AOP
The problem is plastic, which does not breathe, because then the moisture condenses in the cheese. And it’s not good for cheese.
Mauno gives a good tip for cutting the cheese. Whenever you plan cheese, plan from a different side. Then the cheese will keep better.
Every time you grate the cheese, do it from a different side. The cheese is at its best for 10 days per cutting surface.
According to Mauno, edams, emmentals and why not goudas should also be eaten that way. This prevents the surface of the cheese from drying out and it is always at its best.
– If mold rises to the surface of hard cheese, the cheese is not going bad. Then someone else has attacked the cheese. The white, mealy cheese mold is simply cut off the surface, after which the cheese can be eaten.
Mauno reminds us that cheese is a preserve that was originally invented because too much milk had to be preserved.
– Cheese doesn’t really go bad. But a fresh cutting surface is essential.