It’s easy to keep your cheese tasting great and in perfect condition! Storing cheese correctly will ensure optimum flavour and quality. As always, good hygiene is paramount with food preparation or serving.
Always individually wrap cheese tightly in the special wrap provided so it can breathe and retain it’s natural moisture.
Cheese can be enjoyed in many different situations and is best served at room temperature. Ideally it should be taken out of the refrigerator one hour before serving.
It is an excellent alternative to the usual hors-d’oeuvres (ie: dips, frozen snacks or other finger foods) and adapts well at parties. Ideal as a snack with bread or crackers or as part of a cheese platter served at the start or the end of a meal. Specialty cheese can also be used in cooking to create a unique and tasty meal.
For an interesting cheese board selection, choose cheese with a variety of flavours & textures, ranging from soft to firm. The shapes and colours are important for attractive presentation. Allow 60 – 90g of cheese per person on a cheese platter.
Bread and crackers are traditionally served as they can tone down or heighten the taste with very little competition of flavour. Brie and camembert is highlighted well with fresh or lightly toasted fruit and nut bread. Fruits, fresh or dried, are excellent accompaniments to cheese.
Cheese Storage The shelf life of cheese varies from one type to another. Generally, the softer the cheese, the shorter the shelf life. Soft cheeses such as Brie have a shorter life than firm cheeses such as Edam or Gouda, and hard cheeses (Cheddar or Parmesan) will keep longest of all.
As a rule, cheese should be kept refrigerated. The best place for soft cheeses is generally in the vegetable crisper, or in a lidded plastic container in the fridge. This prevents odours from other foods from tainting the cheese.
Blue cheeses should be stored separately from other cheese varieties, because their distinctive flavour and aroma could taint other cheeses.
Cheese is likely to ‘sweat’ if stored in plastic wrap. Either rewrap cheese in its original wrapper, or wrap tightly with waxed or baking paper.
As a rule, cheese is a living product and should not be frozen. Freezing alters the texture of the cheese and may cause it to become soggy or crumbly. However, grated cheese can be kept in the freezer if it is used straight from the freezer for cooking.
Cheese Handling Remember cheese is a living product. Soft cheeses, like Brie, Camembert or Blue cheeses, need to ‘breathe’ and should not be wrapped in plastic. Wrap these cheeses back in their own wrappers, which are usually made of special paper with tiny perforations to allow air to penetrate. This will allow the living cheese to breathe and the ripening process can continue.
If surface mould develops on a cut cheese face, simply cut off the mould and the cheese is fine to eat. Many cheeses develop surface mould with ageing. (This does not apply to fresh unripened cheeses such as Fetta or Ricotta – discard these cheeses if mould appears.)
Cheese is perishable and can dry out quickly, so do not cut cheese until just before it is to be used. If the cheese has been left unwrapped and has dried out, it is possible to grate it and use it for cooking.
To develop the full flavours of cheese, allow to come to room temperature before serving.
When serving soft cheeses as part of a cheeseboard, provide a sharp knife with holes in the blade. This allows the cheese to be cut cleanly without pressure and prevents the cheese from sticking to the knife.
Always provide a separate knife for each variety of cheese on your cheeseboard. In particular, one for soft white cheeses (Brie or Camembert), one for Blue cheese, and one or more for hard cheeses (particularly if there are flavoured varieties).