Cheese can be one of the priciest items on a shopping list, and many people do not realise they are wasting money by storing it wrong. The storage experts at The Modern Milkman have shared one big mistake is keeping cheese in any plastic packaging.
They said: “Plastic can suffocate and alter the taste of your cheese, snatching away flavour and freshness. It may also pose the risk of leaching microplastics into your food.”
Cheese needs to be stored in the fridge to keep fresh but any exposure to the cold air can harden it to make it crusty and mute its natural flavour.
Low-quality plastic will not seal the cheese properly which causes it to dry out and there is also the risk of it leeching chemical residues or less appetising flavours onto the food.
This is why you should also be wary of wrapping cheese in cling film or tin foil as they are not made of the right material to protect cheese from cold temperatures.
Plastic can also trap too much moisture into the cheese which can create bacteria which makes cheese slimy and mouldy.
However, storing cheese is actually very simple as the best way to keep it fresh is to wrap it up in baking paper.
The expert said: “You can buy waxed paper designed specifically for cheese but baking paper (also known as parchment paper) will also do the trick. Just cut off a square of baking paper and fold it around your cheese as if you’re wrapping a present.”
Storing cheese can sometimes be a delicate balance as you need just enough moisture to stop the cheese drying out but not too much as it can cause mould.
Baking paper is semi-permeable, which means it keeps out just enough moisture and air to stop the cheese hardening but still protects the enzymes that give cheese its flavour.
Using baking paper is an easy and effective way to store cheese properly as it allows the cheese to breathe, shields it from harsh cold air and doesn’t leave behind any plastic-like taste.
Simply wrap the cheese up and then place it in the crispier drawer of your fridge as it is cold enough to keep it fresh and is a more enclosed space which helps slow down moisture loss.
However, if you store cheese in a drawer then consider moving strong-smelling produce like lemons to a separate space in the fridge as cheese can absorb the flavours which can make it taste a little funky.
