Calling all cheese lovers~ if you want to preserve your block of favorite cheese full of flavor it’s time to look at specially made cheese bags or cheese paper, depending on your preference.
Cheese is a living thing. It needs air and high humidity to thrive and keep the pleasing attributes of texture and flavor. Cheese bags prevent moisture from escaping, allows oxygen to flow freely and lets the cheese breathe. All of this is necessary to keep your hunk of love from drying out.
Formaticum Zero Cheese Bags, our bag of choice when shipping to cheese fans all over the USA, are compostable, biodegradable and recyclable. Plastic free material has a special base coating that makes it grease proof and porous making it an ideal packaging solution for aged cheeses and charcuterie. I especially appreciate that it is made of paper sourced from certified sustainable forests.
Conventional food storage materials are non-porous and contribute to shortening the life span of your favorite cheese. Moisture is trapped, allowing water to accumulate as drops on the cheese and that is what causes surface mold. Spying a fuzzy spot clinging to your cheese isn’t the end of the world, don’t panic. Just cut off the mold and continue enjoying.
Cheese is best served at room temperature, but last longer in your refrigerator. Try to take out only what you think will be consumed in a sitting. While your cheese is pleasing you and guests on the counter it will release oils and sweat, which is all perfectly normal. When you are ready to clean up and put it away, take a moment to face clean with a non-serrated knife removing any oil or debris from the surface. Use clean utensils to do this so you avoid introducing new bacteria. One flavor of cheese per bag is best. You can reuse them several times when you see an oil spot beginning after several uses then it is time to grab a new bag or piece of cheese paper. The cheese will love you for it.
The best place to store cheese is in your crisper in the refrigerator it has the most consistent temperature and humidity. I’m a true fromage fiend and devote an entire drawer to my love of cheeses. Don’t freeze cheese it will muddle your flavor and greatly change the texture. In the end cheese is a living breathing thing… treat it like that and it will treat you back!
