You must apply your mind when it comes to storing cheese which is no ordinary dairy product and requires proper storage conditions to retain the original taste, flavors, and softness or hardness. It is easy to spoil cheese due to the wrong method of storing, especially by wrapping it in plastic that cuts off the air supply and damages the cheese in no time. Allow the cheese to breathe while in storage, and the best way is to double-wrap cheese in baking parchment or wax paper and then put it in a plastic container lined with J-cloth or moist kitchen towel. Close the lid of the plastic box tightly and place it in the upper compartment of the refrigerator, where the temperature remains constant. The cheese will stay fresh for any period until you consume it fully.
Keep cheese fresh for a longer time
To extend the storage period of cheese without affecting the freshness, you must do something more than just wrap and pack the cheese in a plastic box as described above. It’s a trick that only a few about, but the simple trick can work wonders in prolonging the storage life of cheese. Put two surge cubes (bog-standard) along with the cheese in the plastic box before sealing and refrigerating it. The sugar cubes help regulate the atmosphere inside the plastic container to ensure that the cheese stays fresh for a longer duration.
However, the primary wrapping of wax paper is critical for keeping cheese intact for a long time by allowing the exchange of air which is essential for preserving the freshness of the cheese. Moreover, there must be sufficient space between the wrapped cheese and the surface of the plastic box in which you keep it because tight plastic packing can make cheese suffocate, degrade and turn moldy.
Choosing the right warp for your cheese
You must know how to select cheese paper because there is no room for making any mistake as it would spoil the cheese. When choosing wax paper for cheese wrapping, you must get it right the first time and every time. The type of cheese does have a role to play in the selection of the wax paper. Assuming that you have proper moisture control and cool storage, you should use wax-coated paper for wrapping cheese, including homemade cheese. This paper is suitable for storing finished cheeses, and you can use it for maturing wash-rind cheeses. Ensure that the paper has a wax coating on both sides that helps better moisture retention while allowing the cheese to breathe and develop further without drying. Wax paper wrapping is ideal even for gifting cheese that remains fresh for some time without refrigeration. However, only refrigeration ensures long storage.
Micro-perforated cheese wraps
When developing mild blue cheeses and other blue molded cheeses, experts recommend using micro-perforated cheese wrap to allow the cheese to breathe in a controlled environment during the process of maturation that can be as high as 10 weeks.
The micro-perforated wrap is also ideal for brie, camembert, and other white molded cheeses. The cheese stays intact for 10 weeks as it can breathe easily during storage.
