How nice it is to cook truly tasty and healthy homemade products: butter, ham or cheese. But in crafting it is important not only to produce it correctly, but also to preserve the results of painstaking efforts. Today at the Craft School we are learning how to store cheese correctly. I will tell you everything you need to know about the rules and features of storing various types of cheese at home.
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Different types of cheese are stored differently
General rules for storing cheese
Craft cheese is distinguished by the absence of artificial preservatives, therefore, like all natural products, it has a short shelf life. Cheese does not tolerate sudden changes in storage conditions. It must be protected from moisture and dryness, open sun and temperature changes.
In a city apartment, cheese will have to be stored in the refrigerator, but the ideal place to store the product is a separate ventilated cellar with a low temperature of −4 to 0 degrees and a humidity of about 90%.
Soft, semi-hard and hard cheese in whole heads can be stored for a long time even in a household refrigerator (up to 2–4 months). The cheese is protected from drying out and spoilage by a natural crust or a wax (latex) protective coating. Today we will talk about the features of storing cheese not in whole heads, but cut into pieces.
There are several general storage rules.
- Store different types of cheese separately to prevent flavors from mixing.
- Cling film is not the best material for storing cheese. It creates conditions for high humidity and can provoke the development of pathogenic microflora, especially during long-term storage. But if you have no other options but to wrap the cheese in cellophane, then wrap the cheese with a piece of refined sugar. It will absorb excess moisture.
- The optimal temperature for storing cheese is from −2 to +6 degrees. Any home refrigerator can easily provide a temperature of 3–5 degrees; this is quite enough for storing most types.
- The larger the piece of cheese, the longer it will last.
- The main problem with a conventional household refrigerator is changes in humidity and temperature, which can damage the taste of cheese. Therefore, it is best to have a separate drawer for cheese, just like for vegetables and fruits. He'll be safer there.
- The place for cheese is in the lower section of the refrigerator. If the refrigerator has a “cellar” compartment, then store the cheese in it.
Each type of cheese has its own storage rules and features, and I will talk about them further.
Can cheese be frozen?
I do not recommend using blast freezing for homemade cheese. Only for very dense varieties with a perfectly uniform structure, and then only as a last resort. The remaining types are guaranteed to lose texture and aroma, since when frozen, microcrystals of ice are formed, which disrupt the structure of the cheese, and when defrosted, impart excess moisture to it.
These experts know exactly how and where to store cheese!
Factors that lead to spoilage
Even the freshest and highest quality cheese can lose its taste characteristics or deteriorate if the following factors are allowed to influence:
- Temperature too high. It has a particularly detrimental effect on varieties with high humidity. Such conditions favor the development of pathogenic bacteria. For drier cheeses, the risk is less. But, with prolonged exposure to high temperatures, they can also deteriorate. This factor also has a bad effect on appearance and taste. The surface becomes sticky and the taste becomes rancid.
- Temperature too low. Cold environments can dry out the product. The maturation process slows down. Cold can also ruin the taste. Even using a refrigerator, you should place the cheese in a special place with an appropriate temperature regime.
- Incorrect packaging. Cheeses for sale are offered in vacuum packages. If consumed immediately after purchase, vacuum or plastic packaging should be removed. For further storage, wrap it in special breathable paper. You can use aluminum foil.
How to store fresh cheeses
Fresh spreadable cheeses are mascarpone, ricotta, mozzarella, Philadelphia and other soft cheeses. They are easiest to prepare at home; you don’t even need a cheese press.
They are stored for 3 to 5 days. The easiest way is to put fresh cheese in a glass jar with a tight lid. During storage, the cheese will likely release some liquid. There is no need to drain it, it moisturizes the cheese and preserves its delicate texture. Place the jar on the bottom shelf and make sure it is sealed. Fresh cheese instantly absorbs all odors.
The storage temperature for spreadable cheeses is no higher than 5 degrees Celsius; it is best to keep them at a temperature of 0 to 3 degrees.
Store fresh cheeses in a glass jar with a tightly sealed lid.
At room temperature
These conditions provide for a minimum storage period. To extend it, you need to know the following:
- The storage place should be dry and dark;
- The product must be wrapped in a napkin moistened with a salty solution. This will prevent it from becoming airy and dry;
- At room temperature it can be used no later than 7 days;
- If possible, prepare a dry, ventilated place with a wooden surface;
- Home conditions also include storage in a cellar (if there is one).
How to store pickled cheeses
Brine cheeses are prepared in salt brine. The most famous are mozzarella, suluguni, feta cheese. They have different shelf life.
- Mozzarella can be stored for 3 to 5 days, just like fresh cheeses.
- Cheese cheese can be stored for up to 2 months in the refrigerator.
- Suluguni – up to 3 weeks.
Their storage temperature should not exceed 8 degrees.
It is best to store brined cheeses in salt brine. Its salinity should be from 16 to 18%.
Pickled cheeses are stored in enamel containers or in the same wooden barrels or kegs in which the pickling took place. The brine needs to be changed to fresh one every two to three weeks, this will extend the shelf life of the cheese.
Mozzarella and other brine cheeses are stored in brine
Freezing
Freezing soft types of cheese is not the best idea , since during the process of freezing and thawing the product loses its taste.
However, if they are not important (the cheese will serve as a dressing or will be subjected to heat treatment), then it can be frozen.
Hard varieties, in principle, can be frozen without loss of taste. For example, grated Parmesan can be stored in the freezer in portions.
In this case, cheese can be stored in the freezer for up to six months, and elite products can be stored for up to several years.
How to store soft cheeses
Soft cheeses include Camembert, Brie, and Limburg cheese. They usually have a soft crust, and in some varieties it has a moldy crust. For long-term storage, whole, uncut soft cheeses are left in the same forms in which they matured.
To store in the refrigerator, such cheeses are wrapped in special cheese paper and placed in a ceramic or glass container larger in volume than the portion of the product. This is necessary in order to ensure that the desired level of humidity is maintained.
Modern refrigerators have good ventilation systems to combat odors, but multi-channel ventilation reduces air humidity, which is harmful to cheese. A large container provides the cheese with a more stable microclimate than a cramped piece-sized package.
You can use parchment or wax paper instead of cheese paper.
There is another way - wrap the cheese in several layers of gauze and place it in an enamel bowl with a lid. The lid should not be airtight so that natural ventilation does not stop.
During storage, turn cheese with a white and washed rind twice a week. These cheeses may still be undergoing the ripening process, and turning them over will help ensure that the ripening process occurs evenly.
In the refrigerator at a temperature of 3–5 degrees, freshly prepared soft cheese with a white or washed rind can be stored for up to 4 weeks.
Soft cheeses with rind are stored in gauze or paper
Common Mistakes
Even true cheese lovers and those who always have it in their refrigerator often encounter premature spoilage of the product or loss of its rich taste and aroma, even when fresh.
This is due to a number of mistakes:
- Storing cheese in open store packaging, cling film or plastic bag. Such placement of the product can only lead to faster spoilage and loss of properties and taste.
- Storing in sliced form. The product should be cut immediately before serving, so it will retain its appearance and taste, and will be stored longer.
- Combined storage of different varieties. They must be packaged in separate containers and packages to avoid mixing of aromas, tastes and premature spoilage.
Taking into account such mistakes, you can make the storage of cheese more reasonable and correct, which will help avoid its spoilage and preserve its taste and aroma longer.
Storing hard cheeses
The name speaks for itself. Hard cheeses have a dense body that breaks easily. Examples of hard cheeses: Parmesan, cheddar, Kostroma, Swiss.
They are stored wrapped on the cut side with natural cloth, slightly moistened in lightly salted brine. The cheese is wrapped in foil or wax paper over the fabric. The cheese is then placed in a glass or ceramic container, which is placed on the bottom shelves of the refrigerator.
You can also use a lightweight storage option: wrap the cheese in a regular paper napkin and put it in a container. Each time after using cheese, the napkin must be changed and the container wiped dry.
A compromise packaging option could be a glass or enamel bowl covered with foil or a thick linen napkin. Place the cheese in it in parchment or cloth.
Hard cheeses are stored at temperatures from 0 to 5 degrees. If all requirements are met, this product will easily withstand storage for 4-5 weeks.
Hard cheeses are wrapped in parchment, cloth or wax paper for storage.
Implementation time
According to Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation dated June 16, 1997 No. 720, for their intended use after the expiration date
According to the rules and regulations of SanPiN 2.3.2.1324-03, products that require special storage conditions and rules to preserve their quality should be considered perishable. Cheese is one of these products and is intended for short-term sale.
Repackaging, re-vacuuming of perishable food products after opening and breaking the integrity of the primary packaging in order to change the expiration date is prohibited.
Cheese products after packaging have been damaged should be sold within a period of no more than 12 hours, subject to storage conditions.
Storing semi-hard cheeses
Examples of semi-hard cheeses: Gouda, Colby, aged cachota. They are best wrapped in parchment or wax paper and placed in a container. A glass or ceramic mold is suitable; you can use a cheese pan with a glass domed lid. The container should not be sealed hermetically, otherwise the natural processes that continue in cheeses, especially homemade ones, are disrupted.
Store semi-hard cheeses at temperatures from +2 to +6 degrees for 2–3 weeks. If you can maintain the temperature at 0–1 degrees, then the period can be increased to 4 weeks.
Storing blue cheeses
These types of cheeses owe their mold veins to special fungi. In the refrigerator, these cultures will readily try to spread to other dairy products, so blue cheese should be packaged with special care. Roquefort, Gorgonzola and Dor Blue are stored in tightly closed containers, first wrapped in parchment. Glass jars with tightly sealed, airtight lids or containers are suitable for storage.
Every 2-3 days the cheese should be allowed to breathe. To do this, take it out, unwrap it and place it on a plate, leave it in the refrigerator for 30–40 minutes, then wrap it again in fresh parchment and put it in a container.
Blue cheeses cannot be stored for long. They require a storage temperature of −4 to +2 degrees and are stored for up to 3 weeks.
Blue cheeses are stored in tightly closed containers, periodically allowing the cheese to “breathe”
No plastic films
This may come as a revelation, but cheese can be called a living being: it breathes, sweats and ages. When the cheese is wrapped in plastic, it stops breathing without being able to do so. At best, its taste will be disgusting, at worst, it will harbor harmful bacteria.
Jake Lane, who studies different types of cheese, explains that plastic packaging often turns the taste of the cheese into the taste of plastic. So, if you don't want to eat plastic after spending several hundred on cheese, it's best to remove it from the plastic wrap immediately after you get it home.
