How to wrap and store cheeses so they last longer

by Max Shrem, Posted Jun 6th 2008 @ 2:33PM

wrapped pieces of cheese How many times have you gone home with a bag of delicious cheeses only to discover a week later that they've all gone bad?

There seems to be a lot of confusion regarding how we should store cheese. While some people argue that plastic wrap (Saran, Reynolds, etc) suffocates cheese and distorts its flavor, others believe it keeps cheese fresh by containing its moisture. Cheese mongers highly discourage plastic wrap and promote wax paper, and sometimes aluminum foil. Similarly, in the 'NY Times,' Florence Fabricant wrote an article encouraging people to purchase cheese paper "with a sheer wax coating on the outer layer and a breathable film inside," from a company called Formaticum.

All of these methods (plastic wrap, foil, wax paper, and cheese paper) are excellent ways to store cheese. However, universally applying one of these tactics to all types of cheeses would be a haphazard plan of action. So, how do you know which type of wrap is right for which type of cheese? The good news is that you can determine the most appropriate wrapping and storing techniques based on just two characteristics of the cheese, mainly its texture and moisture. Here's our quick and dirty guide to the best storage materials for different types of cheeses.

PLASTIC WRAP: Saran or Reynolds wrap should never be used on its own as it can distort the flavor of a cheese (unless you like the taste of plastic). Plastic wrap is effective as an additional protection against cheese moisture-loss, but should always be used over an initial wrapping of the cheese in wax- or cheese-paper, which prevents cheeses from quickly getting hard and losing their unique flavor. Plastic plus paper wrapping is ideal for slices of cheese from smaller wheels, as well as for small Goat's milk cheeses, also known as chèvres.

WAX OR CHEESE PAPER: All fresh cheeses should be tightly wrapped in wax or cheese paper to prevent them from drying out. A cheese that is so ripe that its paste is seeping through the cracks should be loosely wrapped in wax paper to delay the cheese from further ripening and eventual spoiling.

ALUMINUM FOIL: This could work for any cheese, except an overly ripe cheese (see "Wax Paper," above) that needs more breathing room. Soft, creamy, crumbly blue cheeses such as Gorgonzolas, Fourme d'Ambert, and Roqueforts are always best wrapped in foil.

Now that you know how to wrap your cheeses, you must learn how to properly store them to prolong their striking aroma and texture. In a nutshell, cheeses should always be placed in the compartment at the bottom of your fridge, furthest from the fridge's fan, which is"the drying agent."

Filed Under: Food Politics, Ingredients, How To
Tags: cheese, cheese paper, CheesePaper, dairy, featured, food storage, FoodStorage, plastic wrap, PlasticWrap

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Reader comments (Page 1 of 1)

6-06-2008 @4:53PM Kat Kinsman said... Hey Max - I just wanted to note how much I'm enjoying your posts. They're incredibly informative and useful and clearly written with a lot of love. How long have you been -- what's the verb here -- cheese monging? Affineuring? Fromagiering? (Help me out!)

I'm look forward to reading more.
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