How and how much can you store different types of cheese at home

The problem of proper storage of cheese worries both ordinary people and novice cooks. It would seem that the answer is simple: in the refrigerator. Place on a shelf and take out as needed. But, according to professional chefs, this is the wrong decision. Non-compliance with certain rules will lead to the death of beneficial bacteria, the fermented milk product becomes tasteless. Or it may even deteriorate. Therefore, it is necessary to turn to other storage options.

General storage rules

Cheese is a snack made from milk (usually cow or goat), using special microorganisms or by melting. Over the years, people have learned to produce original cheeses with different tastes and different hardnesses.

All varieties have their own storage characteristics. But there are also universal recommendations that require mandatory compliance:

1. The best place to find a fermented dairy product is in the refrigerator.Inside, microorganisms quickly settle on the cheese and multiply, the cheese spoils. And in the summer heat it melts, the subsequent cooling adversely affects the taste and structure.
2. The appetizer is first wrapped in parchment paper and then placed in a plastic container. This procedure will help to maintain the desired percentage of moisture and remain soft for a long time.
3. Smoked cheeses keep longer than usual, they cannot be stored in the same container.
4. If mold is found on an ordinary fermented milk product, it is immediately cut off and the cheese is used to make hot sandwiches or pizzas, the remaining piece is put in the freezer. It should be remembered that the appearance of even a small area of ​​mold indicates the contamination of the entire product, since the spores penetrate inside at high speed.
5. Especially advanced housewives buy cheesecakes of the latest generation with a device that guarantees the required humidity inside (about 80-90%). After all, these parameters are not stored inside the refrigerator. In addition, the device does not let in odors, which means that the natural flavor of the original snack will remain for a long time.

In order not to confuse the date of purchase of the cheese, you need to write it on a sticker and stick it on the container in which the treat is located.

How to store it in the fridge

Most often, a refrigerator is chosen for storing cheese. In order for the product not to lose its useful qualities, it is worth remembering the rules and regulations.

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Optimal conditions

There are places in the fridge that are best for cheese.

Place

The door is not the right place for a snack.The combination of a cold snap and warming will cause its taste to deteriorate. If you place a treat near the freezer, it may freeze and will only be suitable for baking.

Many types of cheese keep best on middle shelves.

Humidity

For an original snack, a moisture content of 70-90% is suitable.

Temperature

The best temperature for dairy products is + 3… + 5 °C. It is this that is created in the refrigerator on the middle shelves.

Storage in a closed container

An original snack is placed in a special container, which is considered the best place for cheese. If not, glass or plastic containers are used.

In open packaging

In an open package, the delicacy will only keep for a few hours. For example, before a feast.

Cut into portions

If a purchased product has already been cut by sellers and wrapped in film, it is consumed as soon as possible. Such cheese lies without access to air and quickly loses its taste. If the film is removed, the delicacy will harden and become unusable.

Suluguni

The white suluguni is placed in the refrigerator, completely immersed in the brine, in a glass container. It is sealed with cling film. It is stored for 2-3 weeks. The vacuum-smoked product lasts 2 months. It is better to eat the delicacy quickly, while it is fresh and tasty. Inside, the original snack is kept for no more than a day. And if placed in brine, then for 3-4 days.

Storage methods without a refrigerator

Without refrigeration, the fermented milk product can be kept for about a week. And only solid. It is wrapped in a cloth (not synthetic, but made entirely of natural fibers) soaked in a concentrated saline solution. Placed in the darkest and coolest place.

Every day the material is moistened with freshly prepared water with rock salt.

In winter, the dairy product can be stored outside. It is wrapped in foil and taken out to the balcony. But do not forget that at this time of year frosts are often replaced by thaws. This means that the product is sometimes saturated with water, then it turns into ice. The consistency and taste of the cheese suffers.

The storage specificity of the different varieties

Different kinds of fermented milk snacks require completely different storage conditions.

Solid

Solid types of dairy products are stored the longest. The best temperature regime for them is -3 to 0 ° C. This means that it is precisely those parts that can be arranged closer to the freezer.

French cheeses cannot be stored without plastic wrap. And for the Swiss, a closed container made of enamel or glass is suitable. The crust present in the aperitif is removed before consumption.

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marinated and sweet

Some of the original snacks are sold in brine or whey. They are not stored without liquid. The freezer is not suitable for them either. The best place is the back of the refrigerator. Consumed within 2-3 weeks.

Adyghe cheese retains its taste, and even less - about 5 days. Vacuum packaging extends the duration up to one month.

The smoked delicacy lasts 3-4 months.

With mold

The original noble mold appetizer is stored at a temperature slightly below zero for about 30 days. And with a plus - two weeks. In addition, the cheese is placed in a tightly closed container, otherwise the dairy product will deteriorate, and the inside of the refrigerator will smell bad.

Welcome

Homemade products retain their useful properties for 3-5 days. The plastic bag is not suitable for storage. The product is placed in a glass container with a lid.

Fine and expensive parmesan

Parmesan cheese is best placed in a sealed vacuum package. Thus, it stays in the refrigerator for 7-8 months. The period is reduced to six months if the treat is wrapped in parchment paper and then wrapped in aluminum foil. Parmesan, cut into pieces and slices, retains its taste for 10-14 days. And rubbed - only a week.

In the freezer, in parchment, the cheese does not keep for more than three months. And at room temperature, in the dark - 6 days if the product is wrapped in a cloth soaked in saline solution.

Junk neighborhood

The original snack has a porous structure and quickly absorbs flavors from other foods. Therefore, it is not placed next to smoked products, herbs (dill, mint, lemon balm). Moldy delicacies have a pungent smell, so they are placed in a tightly closed container. Do not place raw meat and fish next to cheese.

After all, the first rule of good housewives is not to store ready-made products and those that will be boiled or fried nearby.

Advantages and disadvantages of freezing in a freezer

You can freeze dairy products, but remember the well-known rules:

1. Hard cheese is cut into thin pieces. Small portions are packed in a plastic bag. After all, all thawed fermented milk products will need to be used immediately. In addition, it will only be suitable for use in hot dishes.
2. Parmesan is perfectly resistant to the freezer for 1.5 to 2 months.
3. The shelf life of pasty varieties in the frozen state increases from a week to several months.But then the cheeses can only be spread on slices of bread.
4. The quality of soft varieties does not suffer from being in the freezer. But on one condition - to be in an airtight container, so that the original snack is not saturated with odors and is not saturated with moisture.
5. Blue cheese can also be frozen in commercial packages.
6. The grated dairy product is folded in a plastic bag, tightly wrapped so that there is no air. It is not defrosted, but used to prepare hot meals.

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The shelf life of a fermented milk product in the freezer should not exceed 5-6 months. After this period, the taste of the cheese is significantly reduced.

Defrost the cheeses in several stages. First - in the refrigerator, then - at room temperature. The microwave cannot be used for this purpose. In it, the dairy product will simply melt. Hot water is not used either. In it, the fermented milk product will turn into an inedible porridge.

How to extend the shelf life

The original aperitif retains its properties longer, subject to the following rules:

1. One piece storage, not sliced.
2. Several pieces of refined sugar are placed in a container with a solid and semi-solid delicacy, which removes excess moisture.
3. It is best to wrap the dairy product in linen or cotton soaked in salt.
4. Placement in a hermetically sealed container.

It is best to eat soft fermented dairy products as soon as possible.

Tips & Tricks

To keep the taste of pickled varieties for a long time, you need to change the liquid every three days.

Some housewives use this trick to keep hard and semi-hard cheeses fresh.Parts are wrapped in a plain paper towel. And they take copies of white. The cheese is placed in a plastic container with a closed lid and refrigerated. When the fermented milk product is removed, the container is wiped with a dry towel and the towel is replaced.

Some families prefer to buy processed cheese. They are heat treated when cooked and are good because they cannot deteriorate for three to four days even at room temperature. But, like all dairy products, it is best to place them in the refrigerator and store them according to the period indicated on the label. If the original package is opened, the processed product should be consumed within a few days.

More importantly, you shouldn't buy a lot of dairy products. After all, supermarkets operate seven days a week and offer a huge range of cheeses for different tastes, for people with different financial capabilities.

And in almost all settlements, the lights are often turned off. This means that it warms up in the refrigerator. Temperature changes are bad for any type of cheese.

An original starter is used to create hot or cold sandwiches or to prepare hot dishes. The taste of the finished product will depend on how the cheese is preserved.