Parmigiano-Reggiano

[Dawgluver]

I recently read somewhere......don't know if it was here or not.....to never touch cheese with your bare fingers. It seems that even the cleanest fingers can cause mold to start on cheese. I really never thought of it before, but it makes sense. I'm very careful now when grating cheese to be sure the cheese is protected from my bare hand with plastic.
Has anyone else heard about this?

I saw something like this too. I can't remember where. Was it on one of the cooking shows?

 

[Claire]

I figured I must have responded to this, but guess I haven't. One thing I heard or read really DOES help, and that is when you use the cheese and re-wrap it, use new baggie or wrap every time. It isn't the cheapest way to go, but I've found it does work. Any micro-organisms on the wrap are tossed, discouraging further growth. With a cheap cheese, not a biggie, but expensive cheese it's worth the extra bother. As far as not touching it? Me not touching my food as I cook isn't going to happen. I guess I could get used to wearing surgical gloves in the kitchen, but I'm not gonna try!

I use wrap or baggies, but if I find it getting slimy-ish, I let it sit out and dry out a bit.

Another good trick is to shave (a potato peeler works) or slice from different surfaces of the cheese each time you use it, exposing a "new" side. Once again, you're removing the not-yet-visible mold spores (or whatever they're called) and creating a new, clean surface.

 

[justplainbill]

Good question. I was reading up on this a while back. Most folks I found say to wrap in butcher paper, loosely, so the cheese can breathe. Others mention working in cheese shops that keep the cheeses in plastic wrap. And any chunk cheese I have ever bought has been wrapped in plastic wrap.
I keep my cheeses wrapped in plastic wrap, but I'm not saying that is the right way. Dry parms get wrapped and put in the fridge. Soft cheeses get wrapped and vacuum sealed, then put in the fridge. They all seem to last me until they are used up, so it works for me. I'm interested to follow this topic.

Does this squish the cheese?

 

[pacanis]

Does this squish the cheese?

No, not the cheeses I do this with, like cheddar, jack, Swiss... even American cheese. Maybe I should have said moister cheeses. I didn't mean soft like cream cheese. Although the way the back closes up around the cheese I imagine it would even work with cream cheese, as long as it was wrapped in the foil packaging.
I've opened up a new cheddar cheese without realizing there was one already opened, way in the back, and that one has been just fine after more than a month. No mold, not slimey.

 

[Kayelle]

Back to about touching cheese. According to this article there is something to it. See number 2......

How to Avoid Mold in Hard Cheese | eHow.com

 

[Andy M.]

Thanks for posting the link, Kayelle. Here's a link that explains why cheese should be wrapped differently.

The Caseophile: How To Wrap Cheese

Isn't the internet grand? You can find any explanation you want.

 

[no mayonnaise]

Back to about touching cheese. According to this article there is something to it. See number 2......

How to Avoid Mold in Hard Cheese | eHow.com

I don't buy it. Mold is everywhere, floating in the air.

 

[Kayelle]

I don't buy it. Mold is everywhere, floating in the air.

It's up to you if you want to believe it or not, but for me it's very little trouble to keep my bare hands off of it. Jes sayin.....

 

[justplainbill]

I don't buy it. Mold is everywhere, floating in the air.

+1

 

[Elisabi]

I put it everywher, it is excelen to gratin in the oven

I love Parmigiano!!! I eat it olso for snaks!