How to store cheese
Ha, cheese lover! Do you actually know how best to store cheese so that you can enjoy it for as long and optimally as possible? No? That starts with how we ship the cheese and how it arrives to you. Piet knows ‘it! And explains including do's and don'ts.
“Good to know, but how long does cheese last after opening?”
Hard cheese has a shelf life of approximately two weeks after opening. In the case of semi-hard and soft cheeses, these are best eaten as soon as possible after opening.
Although freezing (semi) hard cheese is possible, we do not recommend this. When freezing cheese, the taste can be affected and it may become crumbly during thawing. This reduces the flavor intensity and structure. And you want to continue to taste the freshness of the cheese, as if it just came from the farm.
➜ Tip: store the cheese at the bottom of the refrigerator where the temperature is the lowest, for example in the bottom drawer.
Another additional advantage of cheese paper is that it prevents unpleasant odors in the refrigerator. Cheese can give off unwanted odors and you don't want your entire refrigerator to smell like a cheese shop. But conversely, you also don't want odors from other foods to get into your piece of cheese. This is prevented by using cheese paper.
Now there are of course also other materials in which you can package cheese, such as aluminum foil, cling film; you name it. However, these hinder the quality of the cheese because the cheese cannot 'breathe'. That is why it is recommended to use cheese paper (and in emergency) baking paper.
You may be familiar with the process of vacuum-packing clothes so that more fits in your suitcase and you can take more with you when traveling ;-)
How long can you keep cheese?
Cheese is a naturally fresh product and this requires a special storage method. Because how long you can keep the cheese depends not only on the type of cheese, but also on the storage method. There are numerous ways to package these. Which one is best then?The shelf life of cheese
In general, (semi) hard cheeses have a longer shelf life than soft cheeses. For example, hard cheeses (such as old cheese) has a shelf life of up to four months. Semi-hard cheeses (such as Appenzeller), retain their quality for up to about two months. For soft cheeses this is up to about one to two weeks (think of this Kernhem). These cheeses must be unopened and properly packaged.“Good to know, but how long does cheese last after opening?”
Hard cheese has a shelf life of approximately two weeks after opening. In the case of semi-hard and soft cheeses, these are best eaten as soon as possible after opening.
Can you freeze cheese?
Of course! You can certainly store cheese in the freezer. And especially hard and semi-hard cheeses. Here too, hard cheese can be stored the longest. However, freezing soft cheeses is not recommended because of their moisture content, which can cause unwanted ice formation.Although freezing (semi) hard cheese is possible, we do not recommend this. When freezing cheese, the taste can be affected and it may become crumbly during thawing. This reduces the flavor intensity and structure. And you want to continue to taste the freshness of the cheese, as if it just came from the farm.
Why you shouldn't store cheese outside the refrigerator
I am often asked whether it is possible to store the cheese outside the refrigerator. You can officially store hard cheeses outside the refrigerator at the correct temperature, but we recommend not to do this. You have to pay close attention, especially above 20 degrees! The heat can cause the cheese to ‘’sweat’’ and becomes more susceptible to fungi and bacteria. And you don't want that...hellip;The suitable temperature in which you can store cheese
Officially, you can store hard cheeses at a temperature of 8 to 15 degrees outside the refrigerator. But the best temperature for storing cheese is around 5 to 8 degrees. This applies to all types of cheese!➜ Tip: store the cheese at the bottom of the refrigerator where the temperature is the lowest, for example in the bottom drawer.
Cheese wrapped in paper
Cheese paper has a protective layer on the inside that prevents dehydration and preserves the flavor. So you can store your cheese well in the sheet of cheese paper that you get from the cheesemonger.Another additional advantage of cheese paper is that it prevents unpleasant odors in the refrigerator. Cheese can give off unwanted odors and you don't want your entire refrigerator to smell like a cheese shop. But conversely, you also don't want odors from other foods to get into your piece of cheese. This is prevented by using cheese paper.
Store cheese in baking paper
Maybe you recognize it: you went through your cheese paper a little too quickly. Don't worry, because in that case you can easily use baking paper. Just as effective, but without the artistic touch.Now there are of course also other materials in which you can package cheese, such as aluminum foil, cling film; you name it. However, these hinder the quality of the cheese because the cheese cannot 'breathe'. That is why it is recommended to use cheese paper (and in emergency) baking paper.
Vacuum-pack cheese
Every cheese we send is vacuum packed. In other words, airtight. It works like this: The cheese goes into a plastic package, which is sealed and the air is removed.You may be familiar with the process of vacuum-packing clothes so that more fits in your suitcase and you can take more with you when traveling ;-)