How to Store Cheese Properly

That covers most of what separates cheese that is good in week three from cheese that is sweaty or dried out.

Cheese is not inert. Cultures and, in many types, molds keep working inside it, so it loses moisture to dry air and goes slimy in a sealed wrap. Good storage is a balance between those two failures. This page is the overview; the narrower pages linked below go deeper on each piece.

How to store cheese properly in the fridge

Storing cheese properly in the fridge comes down to temperature and position. The USDA says to keep the refrigerator at 40°F or below, and cheese specific advice runs a little colder: Clemson Extension says to refrigerate all cheese between 35 and 40°F, and Dairy Farmers of Wisconsin gives 34 to 38°F.

Put cheese in the produce drawer or a low shelf. Wisconsin's dairy group points to the produce drawer for its humidity and for keeping cheese apart from other foods. Avoid the back wall and the vent, which run coldest, and the door, which warms every time it opens. A cheap fridge thermometer settles the question of what your fridge actually does.

Strong cheeses go in a lidded container so they do not flavor the butter. Wisconsin calls this keeping cheese "clean": away from aromatic food. Pick containers using the best containers for storing cheese.

Wrapping cheese for the fridge

Wrapping cheese for the fridge works best in two layers: a breathable layer against the cheese, then a loose outer cover. Cheese paper, wax paper or parchment folded around the wedge is the inner layer. A loose bag or a container is the outer one, which slows drying without pressing the paper against the cheese.

Each cheese gets its own wrap, so a blue does not seed a cheddar and a washed rind does not scent everything. Write the date on the wrap. Rewrap in clean paper after each use, since the old sheet carries moisture and cheese bits.

Plastic is not forbidden, only worse over time. Wisconsin accepts it for short-term storage of hard cheese, and Clemson advises tight plastic film or foil to avoid air pockets when cheese is out of its package. The comparison, with when each is fine, is in cheese paper vs. plastic wrap.

How long cheese lasts in the fridge

How long cheese lasts in the fridge depends mostly on moisture, so harder means longer. These are the USDA FoodKeeper figures plus Clemson's range for softer cheese, all for cheese kept cold throughout.

FoodKeeper lists no fridge time for soft cheeses such as brie, so treat the Clemson range as a ceiling and use your nose. A date on the package is a quality guide. A sour smell, slime on a hard cheese, or a pink or gray film on a fresh one ends the discussion whatever the table says. The soft vs. hard storage page explains which way each family fails.

For longer storage, FoodKeeper gives hard cheese 6 months frozen, with the quality trade-offs covered in freezing cheese.

What to do about mold on cheese

Mold on cheese is handled differently depending on the cheese, and the USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service draws the lines in its guidance on molds.

• Hard cheese: cut off at least 1 inch around and below the spot, and keep the knife out of the mold so it does not spread through the cheese. Clemson gives the same 1 inch rule.
• Soft cheeses such as cottage cheese, cream cheese, Neufchatel, chevre and Bel Paese: discard if moldy.
• Crumbled, shredded or sliced cheese: discard if moldy, since the mold can reach through the pieces.
• Brie or Camembert with mold that is not part of the cheese: discard.
• Gorgonzola and Stilton: surface mold can be trimmed 1 inch like hard cheese, since the blue veins are the cheese's own mold.

The molds used to make cheeses are safe, which is why a blue vein or a white bloomy rind is not a warning. For why mold shows up and how to slow it, see how to prevent cheese mold.

Cheese storage mistakes that cost you money

Cheese storage mistakes usually come from habits rather than ignorance. The first is reusing the same sheet of wrap or tucking the cut face against a plastic tub, which moves moisture and mold spores around. The second is buying a large amount of a cheese that peaks this week. The third is serving: the USDA says perishable food should not sit out more than 2 hours, or 1 hour above 90°F, and Clemson says to throw out soft cheese left at room temperature for more than 4 hours.

Cold flattens flavor, so cheese tastes better after a short rest. Wisconsin suggests about 30 minutes, and the room temperature guide has the details. Put the rest of the cheese back in the fridge while guests eat, then see leftover cheese for what to do with the ends.

Cheese just bought has its own first day routine in how to store cheese you just bought.

Questions about storing cheese properly

These questions about storing cheese properly are the ones people ask most, answered briefly.

Where is the best place to store cheese in the fridge?

The best place to store cheese in the fridge is the produce drawer or a low shelf, away from the back wall and the door.

What temperature should cheese be stored at?

The temperature to store cheese at is 40°F or below per the USDA, and 35 to 40°F per Clemson Extension, with Wisconsin's dairy group preferring 34 to 38°F.

How long does cheese last after opening?

Cheese lasts 3 to 4 weeks after opening for hard types per USDA FoodKeeper, and 1 week for cottage cheese and ricotta.

Can you cut mold off cheese?

You can cut mold off hard cheese by removing at least 1 inch around and below the spot, but soft, crumbled, shredded and sliced cheese should be thrown out.

Should cheese be wrapped in plastic?

Cheese wrapped in plastic is acceptable for a few days, but for longer storage paper with a loose outer cover is better.

Store your cheese this week

To store your cheese this week, rewrap each piece in paper, date it, put it in the crisper and eat the fresh and soft ones first. Keep a thermometer in the fridge, and cut 1 inch past any mold on hard cheese only.