Storing Cheese

[mcnerd]

I use my Handi-Vac to vacuum-seal all my cheese and they last much longer. I don't know how a bumble bee flies, but it does, and the same goes for sealing the cheese. It works and that's all I concern myself with.

[MexicoKaren]

Well, it seems to me that air and moisture are the enemy, at least in my environment. That's why I vacuum seal everything this time of year, and it works.

[Lamb&Guinness]

Don't freeze cheese. I read that in my America's Test Kitchen cookbook.

Also- beware of cheese sold pre-shredded. Drying chemicals are added to keep
the shreds from sticking to each other, so you end up with unnaturally dry cheese.

[Jeekinz]

I'm another plastic wrap user. I used to store cheese in small zip bags, those suck. Then I used plastic wrap, which was a tad better but still not the best. Now I use Press and Seal which works the best so far. When I get a vacuum sealer I probobly use that. Like you said, that's how it comes.

[jennyema]

There is a big difference between vacuum sealing cheese in an anaerobic environment and wrapping it up in plastic wrap.

Plastic wrap will encourage mold growth. That's just a fact. You can cut the mold off, yes, but why give it a head start?

Wax paper or parchment or foil and then into a ziplock is the best way to store it.

It's ok to freeze harder cheeses but it's texture will suffer, so it's really only appropriate for cooking after it's thawed.

[bethzaring]

i have been freezing ricotta and chevre for decades with no changes in texture. You can not freeze cream cheese without major textural changes, but I freeze about 60 pounds of ricotta and chevre yearly with no problems.

[sattie]

Originally Posted by bethzaring

i have been freezing ricotta and chevre for decades with no changes in texture. You can not freeze cream cheese without major textural changes, but I freeze about 60 pounds of ricotta and chevre yearly with no problems.

Awesome to know! I like to keep ricotta on hand for lasanga or what not, but it always goes bad before I ever get to it!

[Jeekinz]

Do you just put the unused portion in it's original container in the freezer? Or do you repack it?

Ricotta is one of those things that when I really need it, I don't have it.

[bethzaring]

Originally Posted by Jeekinz

Do you just put the unused portion in it's original container in the freezer? Or do you repack it?

Ricotta is one of those things that when I really need it, I don't have it.

LOL, I make the dern stuff. It doesn't come with any packaging. I re-use cottage cheese and sour cream containers, just pack it in, leave a little space cause it hooves up a bit, label and freeze.

Does store bought ricotta have any fluid to it? If it does, store the container upside down in the frig. The liquid will seal off any air from getting in around the lid and greatly prolong the frig shelf life.

[sattie]

Originally Posted by Jeekinz

Do you just put the unused portion in it's original container in the freezer? Or do you repack it?

Ricotta is one of those things that when I really need it, I don't have it.

Me too, or it's bad!!!! So the freezing option has my interest piqued!