How to properly store cheese to prevent it from going hard or moldy

There’s nothing worse than having to throw away a big block of cheese because it’s dried out and gone crusty or hard, but there’s an easy way to keep it from spoiling.

Cheese often spoils prematurely because it quickly loses moisture when exposed to air, which often happens if the wrapper is cut incorrectly or if someone forgets to cover it.

Some people may think that the solution is to simply wrap the cheese in cling film or store it in a plastic bag, but this is one of the worst ways to store cheese.

Wrapping cheese tightly in plastic will trap moisture in the cheese, which will encourage mold and bacteria growth and take all the flavor out of your favorite cheddar.

Instead, the best way to store fresh cheese is very simple and takes less than five minutes, since all you need is the packaging the cheese came in and a knife.

How to Make Cheese Last Longer

Cheese should always be stored in its original supermarket packaging, as it has been designed to provide the appropriate environment for the specific cheese you have purchased.

The material will regulate humidity levels and prevent the cheese from drying out if covered properly.

Culinary expert and content creator Julianne Taylor explained that the best way to cover cheese is to cut the wrapper so that it acts as a protective barrier.

The next time you open the package of cheese, simply use a sharp knife to cut off the portion of cheese you want to eat and slice the package.

Save the cut wrapper and place it over the exposed end of the cheese to cover it and prevent the cheese from being exposed.

Julianne said: “Don’t avoid buying those big blocks of cheese for fear of them going bad, as you can save a lot of money by buying cheese in bulk.

“I cut the edge of the wrapper to create a little hat, cut off a little cheese and then put the end back in place to prevent the block from deteriorating.”

She added: “I’ve tried zip lock bags and they don’t allow the cheese to ‘breathe’. It always goes bad. This trick works every time for me.”

This may seem obvious, but taking the time to do this rather than simply opening the package of cheese will protect the cheese from the dry environment of the refrigerator and prevent bacteria from causing it to go moldy.

This simple covering will also allow the cheese to retain enough moisture to stay fresh for several weeks.

However, this food storage tip will only work on hard cheeses typically purchased in supermarkets, such as cheddar, and softer deli cheeses need to be stored differently as they have different moisture content.

If you have lost the original packaging of the cheese, do not fear because there is a strange but effective sugar cube storage trick that will also keep the cheese fresh for a long time.

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