How Long Can You Keep Blue Cheese in the Refrigerator
It's easy to be tempted into buying more cheese than is possible to eat while browsing your local cheese market or grocery store. The displays of gouda, Parmesan, mozzarella, brie, camembert, goat cheese, and blue cheese are hard to resist. We show you how to store blue cheese in the fridge to keep it fresh, ways to freeze it, and how to use leftover blue cheese to prevent spoilage.
There are many varieties of bleu cheese, or blue cheese, from Roquefort, made with sheep's milk, to gorgonzola made from cow's milk, and their texture and flavor vary depending on the cheesemaker.
Cheesemakers begin by pasteurizing raw milk and adding cultures of the mold spores, penicillium, to convert lactose to lactic acid. This process gives the cheese its bloomy rind and distinct aroma.
This unique and decadent cheese has a pungent, salty, and creamy texture, and its sharpness makes it perfect for dips and dressings for veggies or as a topping on a grilled burger.
While many agree that this cheese is an acquired taste, blue cheese lovers can't get enough of it.
- Ways to Use and Store Blue Cheese
- Storing Blue Cheese at Room Temperature
- Room Temperature Cheese
- Best Way to Store Blue Cheese in the Refrigerator
- Refrigerated Blue Cheese
- How to Store Blue Cheese in the Freezer
- Frozen Blue Cheese
- How to Use Leftover Blue Cheese
- Blue Cheese Recipe Ideas
- How to Tell When Blue Cheese is Bad
- Bad Blue Cheese
- Storing Blue Cheese at Room Temperature
Ways to Use and Store Blue Cheese
How long does blue cheese last, and what's the ideal way to keep it for optimal freshness? We show you how to store this type of cheese in the fridge and freezer and ways to use up leftovers so no bits of cheese go to waste.
Storing Blue Cheese at Room Temperature
While storing blue cheese in the fridge is the ideal way to keep it fresh longer, this cheese tastes better when you store it at room temperature. While it doesn't last as long, here is how to keep your cheese on the counter for immediate consumption.
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An ideal place to keep your blue cheese on the counter is in a grotto. A cheese grotto provides the cheese with the perfect conditions by self-regulating with a clay brick humidifier and a breathable panel.
Keep the cheese on the counter or table, and enjoy it during a gathering of friends and family. If you cannot eat the cheese within four hours, store fresh blue cheese in the refrigerator.
Best Way to Store Blue Cheese in the Refrigerator
The best way to store blue cheese if you plan on eating it within a month is to keep it in the fridge. But, there is a right and wrong way to go about this. Here is the proper way to keep your cheese fresh in the refrigerator.
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Keep the blue cheese in its original packaging or wrap opened cheese in a sheet of parchment paper or wax paper.
Wrap the wedge in plastic wrap or a plastic bag and store blue cheese in the refrigerator crisper drawer. Cheese stays fresh in the fridge for up to two months.
How to Store Blue Cheese in the Freezer
If you're wondering where to store blue cheese if you cannot eat it up within four weeks, the freezer is another option. Can cheese be frozen for storage?
Can you freeze blue cheese? Yes, you can freeze blue cheese. While the cheese's texture often changes during the thawing process, it's still good for cooking and a superb way to extend its shelf life.
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If the hard cheeses are unopened, set them directly into the freezer before the best by date. Freeze a feta cheese block or a chunk of mozzarella or brie. For cheese wedges, cut them into half pound sizes or less and wrap them with heavy duty aluminum foil.
When storing feta cheese or blue cheese, set it into an airtight container or freezer bag and store it in the freezer. For the tastiest quality, use the cheese within six months.
The freezer is the best way to store mozzarella cheese, too, whether it is fresh, shredded, or sliced.
How to Use Leftover Blue Cheese
If you're reaching the end of the storage time after storing blue cheese and don't want the cheese to go to waste, consider using it to make delicious recipes. Here are the many different ways to use leftover blue cheese for tasty dishes.
Blue Cheese Recipe Ideas
Leftover fresh blue cheese is perfect for making a salad dressing or dip. All that's required is a food processor, a cream base, seasonings, and an acidic liquid such as lemon juice or vinegar.
On the other hand, the best way to use up frozen blue cheese is to prepare it in a cooked dish. Consider making blue mac and cheese, blue cheese pasta bake, or blue cheese stuffed hamburgers.
To thaw frozen blue cheese, transfer it from the freezer to the fridge the night before or skip the defrosting process and add it straight to the dish while cooking.
How to Tell When Blue Cheese is Bad
Knowing the best way to store blue cheese is great, but how can you tell when cheese is gone bad? While it's sometimes obvious when other cheeses begin to spoil, like when does cottage cheese go bad, blue cheese tends to be a little trickier due to its color and smell. Does blue cheese go bad like other cheeses?
Bad Blue Cheese
To tell when blue cheese is gone bad, look at it and smell it. Blue cheese naturally has blue mold on the surface of the cheese but darkens in color and develops a strong smell when it is going bad. The creamy part of the cheese is ordinarily white or beige but shows signs of spoilage if it begins to turn pink or brown.
If the blue cheese is a firm-texture variety and has mold on a portion of it, simply cut that section away and toss it out.
The distinct smell and taste of blue cheese is not something everyone enjoys, but as a blue cheese lover, you don't want any of that decadent cheese to go to waste before you get to enjoy every last portion of it.
Fortunately, this cheese is easy to keep in the fridge, and freezing it the right way helps it last even longer.
We hope that learning how to store blue cheese short and long term gives you more time to enjoy delicious and cheesy goodness, and we'd love it if you'd share our blue cheese storage guide with your family and friends on Pinterest and Facebook.
Source: https://www.tipsbulletin.com/how-to-store-blue-cheese/
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