Cheese is certain to brighter up the majority of our meals. No matter if you’re making a pasta, a toastie or even a pot of soup, adding cheese takes it to another level.
The annoying thing about the kitchen staple is how quickly it crusts, even if it’s still in date.
When exposed to dry air in the fridge, cheese quickly moisturises and goes brick hard. This is when it starts to lose it’s flavour, especially when it’s uncovered.
Many of us wrap our blocks in cling film or foil to try to prevent this from happening, but food experts at Virginia Hayward have now said this is actually one of the worst things you can do.
They said: “Tightly wrapping cheese in plastic means it can’t breathe, or release gases within the cheese which can then build up causing rather unpleasant smells and tastes. Plastic also traps all the moisture inside which is then a breeding ground for bad bacteria.”
The expert added: “Another option people often use for storing cheese in their fridge is aluminium foil but unfortunately, while this is marginally better than plastic, it’s still not a great choice if you want your cheese to be at its best.”
Aluminium foil will also trap moisture and bacteria in your cheese but the metal will also give it a slightly metallic taste and destroy the flavour.
Instead, the best way to keep cheese fresh for much longer is to double-wrap it in baking paper, as it will create a small airflow while also protecting it, reports the Express.
Cheese is a living product and needs to be able to breathe to avoid it becoming slimy and mouldy.
However, allowing too much air into the cheese can cause it to become hard and taste bland, but baking paper will allow just enough airflow to allow the cheese to stay fresh.
Baking paper is the easiest material to store cheese in, but you can also use waxed paper or specialised cheese paper if you wish.
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The expert said: “Once you have double-wrapped your cheese in a breathable wrap you can store it in a plastic container, put the lid on, and store it in the top of the fridge as that’s where the temperature usually stays constant.”
Storing cheese in a container stops other food odours from spoiling the taste of the cheese, as it can aboard strong smells from foods such as eggs or onions.
Do not store cheese in the fridge door, as cheese is very sensitive to temperature changes which can risk spoiling it and the air from opening the door can dry the cheese out.
The best place to store cheese is at the top of your fridge or in a compartment drawer as they tend to have the most consistent temperature in the fridge so will avoid allowing it to dry out.
If you store cheese properly it will stay tasty and fresher for much longer, so you do not have to worry about it becoming mouldy or stale.
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