Cheese is an expensive item in everyone’s shopping baskets these days, so it’s important it is stored correctly to ensure it lasts and doesn’t go mouldy.
Express.co.uk spoke exclusively to Sarah Taylor, a food hygiene expert at High Speed Training about the best ways to store cheese.
Sarah said: “Each cheese is unique, and so they each have different requirements in order to keep them at their best.
“Hard cheeses such as parmesan have a low moisture content, and as bacteria require food and moisture to survive, cheese with a lower moisture content tends to keep longer.
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“Because of this low moisture content, hard cheeses are better wrapped in clingfilm rather than in waxed cheese paper (or baking parchment), as the paper will allow the air through, and the cheese will dry out.
“Soft cheeses have a higher moisture content and need to be able to breathe, if soft cheeses are prevented from breathing, they can build up ammonia gases which can taint the flavour and ruin your carefully selected cheese.
“Therefore, soft cheeses should not be tightly wrapped in clingfilm as they will ‘sweat.’” She revealed.
Instead, “soft cheeses are best wrapped in waxed cheese paper, baking parchment, or reusable waxed cloth, and then put in a [plastic] container”.
The expert added: “If you have a particularly tricky cheese, add a piece of dampened kitchen towel to the container and this will help regulate the atmosphere inside the container.
“Keeping cheese in an airtight container will also help prevent the smell from escaping.”
As for where cheese should be placed in the fridge, Sarah said: “Cheese benefits from consistency, for that reason you should keep it at the back of the fridge where the temperature and humidity are the most regulated.
“Try not to keep cheese in the fridge door as the constant opening and closing subjects it to hugely varying temperatures.”