Storage and Handling
Storage and handling for cheese at home: how to wrap it, where it goes in the fridge, what freezes well and what to throw out.
30 articles
Can You Eat Cheese Rind? Which Rinds to Eat and Which to Skip
Can you eat cheese rind? Eat bloomy rinds on Brie and Camembert, taste washed ones, try natural ones, and never eat wax, cloth, paper or bark.
Cheese Caves: What They Are and Why Cheese Is Aged in Them
Cheese caves are cool, humid spaces for aging cheese: natural ones like Roquefort's Combalou, sandstone caves in Minnesota and built vaults in Vermont.
Cheese Knives: Types and Which Cheese Each Is For
Cheese knives explained: the soft cheese knife, hard cheese knife, Parmesan knife, plane, wire and girolle, and which cheese each one is for.
Cheese Paper vs. Plastic Wrap for Storing Cheese
Cheese paper vs plastic wrap: paper lets cheese breathe and holds moisture, plastic is fine for a few days. Compare wax paper, parchment, foil and containers.
How Long Cheese Lasts in the Fridge: Times by Type
How long cheese lasts: hard cheese keeps 3 to 4 weeks opened, cottage cheese and ricotta 1 week, quark 7 to 10 days. USDA FoodKeeper times by type.
How Much Cheese Per Person: Appetizer and Main Event Amounts
How much cheese per person: about 2 oz as an appetizer, 5 oz as the main event. Totals by guest count and how to adjust for crowd, time and other food.
How to Age Cheese at Home: Temperature, Humidity and Setup
How to age cheese at home: hold it near 50 to 55°F in a humid, controlled wine fridge, turn and wipe it, and start with firm cheeses. Setup and safety.
How to Bring Cheese to Room Temperature: Timing and Safety
How to bring cheese to room temperature: take it out of the fridge 20 to 30 minutes before serving, and never leave it out more than 2 hours total.
How to Arrange a Cheese Board: Layout, Spacing and Labels
How to arrange a cheese board: place cheeses first, space them apart, cut a few pieces ahead, then add bowls, crackers and fruit. Includes labels and layouts.
How to Grate Cheese Without Clumping
How to grate cheese without clumping: grate it cold, match the grater to the cheese, and keep the shreds loose with a light dusting or a quick freeze.
How to Plate Cheese for Photos: Light, Angle and Styling
How to plate cheese for photos: use soft window light, shoot overhead or at 45 degrees, cut a few pieces, and style the board last, just before shooting.
How to Prevent Cheese Mold (and What to Do When It Appears)
How to prevent cheese mold: wrap in cheese paper, keep the fridge at 40°F or below, use a clean knife, and know what to trim or toss when mold shows up.
Dried Out Cheese: How to Revive It, Use It and When to Toss It
Dried out cheese is usually safe. Trim the hard edge, grate it into cooking, or rest it in the fridge. Learn when mold or slime means throw it out.
How to Serve a Whole Wheel of Cheese
How to serve a whole wheel of cheese: cut soft wheels like a cake, break hard ones into chunks, rotate pieces, and keep cut cheese within the 2-hour limit.
How to Shred Cheese for the Best Melt
How to shred cheese for the best melt: shred size, cold versus room temperature, and low heat, for sauces, pizza and bakes. A practical guide by dish.
How to Slice Mozzarella, Fresh or Low-Moisture
How to slice mozzarella cleanly: pat fresh mozzarella dry, chill it briefly and use a thin sharp knife or wire; use a sharp knife or slicer for low-moisture.
How to Store Cheese Properly
How to store cheese properly: wrap it in breathable paper, keep it in the crisper at 35 to 40°F, and use USDA times and mold rules to know when to toss it.
How to Store Cheese Without a Fridge: Which Cheeses and How Long
How to store cheese without a fridge: hard, aged and waxed cheeses hold up for a short while, soft cheeses do not. Includes the 2-hour rule and outage advice.
How to Store Soft vs. Hard Cheese
How to store soft vs hard cheese: hard cheese fights drying and keeps weeks, soft cheese fights moisture and spoils faster. Wraps, times and mold rules.
How to Tell If Cheese Has Gone Bad
Signs cheese has gone bad: slime, sour or ammonia smell, off mold. USDA rules for cutting mold off hard cheese by 1 inch and which cheeses to throw out.
How to Transport Cheese to a Party or Picnic
How to transport cheese to a party or picnic: wrap it, pack it in a cooler with ice packs, and watch the 2-hour rule, or 1 hour above 90°F.
Crystallized vs Spoiled Cheese: How to Tell the Difference
Crystallized vs spoiled cheese: hard white crunchy specks are calcium lactate or tyrosine crystals, not mold. Learn what spoilage looks like and what to do.
Freezing Cheese: Which Cheeses Freeze Well and How to Do It
Freezing cheese works best for hard cheeses like cheddar, Swiss and Parmesan, which keep 6 months frozen. Learn what to freeze, how to wrap it and how to thaw.
The Best Cheese Storage Container for Every Kind of Cheese
The best cheese storage container depends on the rind: airtight for hard cheese, paper plus a vented box for soft. With USDA storage times and mold rules.
How to Cut Cheese by Shape for Rind and Center
How to cut cheese by shape: wheels, wedges, logs, pyramids and blocks, so every guest gets a fair share of rind and creamy center. Includes blue cheese.
Travel With Cheese
Travel with cheese: solid cheese is allowed in carry-on and checked bags, creamy cheese only up to 3.4 oz carry-on. How to pack it and declare it at customs.
Vacuum Sealing Cheese: Pros, Cons and How to Rewrap It
Vacuum sealing cheese suits hard cheeses and freezer storage, but not soft or ripening ones. See the pros, cons and how to rewrap cheese after opening.
What to Do with Cheese Rinds: Soups, Sauces and What to Toss
What to do with cheese rinds: simmer Parmesan rinds in soup, beans and sauce, freeze them, and throw away wax, cloth and bark. Includes a rind-by-rind chart.
White Mold on Cheese: Which Is Safe and Which Is Not
White mold on cheese is safe when it is the bloomy rind on Brie or Camembert. On cheddar or a soft cheese it is unwanted mold: trim hard, discard soft.
How to Make Pre-Shredded Cheese Melt Better
How to make pre-shredded cheese melt better: warm it first, melt it low and slow, add it by the handful, blend in fresh-grated cheese, and use a stable base.