Storage and safety
Keeping cheese fresh, how long it lasts, and when to toss it.
- Can cheese be frozen? Yes, but freezing changes the texture. Hard and semi-hard cheeses freeze best and are fine for cooking; soft and fresh cheeses tend to turn grainy or watery.
- Can you cut the mold off cheese? Yes for hard cheeses, no for soft ones. Here is how to tell the difference and how to cut it safely.
- How can you tell if cheese has gone bad? Trust your eyes and nose, but know what normal looks like for that cheese. Here are the signs that mean it's time to toss it.
- How long does cheese last? It depends on the type: about a week for fresh cheese, a few weeks for firm cheeses, longer for hard aged ones. A rough guide.
- How should I store leftover cheese? Wrap it loosely in parchment or wax paper, not tight plastic, write the date on it, and keep it in the fridge's vegetable drawer. Change the wrapping every couple of days.
- How to store cheese Cheese keeps changing after you buy it, so it needs to breathe without drying out.
- Should cheese be kept in the fridge? Not always. Hard cheeses are the forgiving ones, but the fridge helps them last longer, and soft, fresh and shredded cheeses should always be refrigerated.