This weekend, in search of a snack, our resident Cheesemonger slid open her refrigerator's dairy compartment, only to find (and taste) a flagrant reminder of what NOT to do with cheese. And the worst part? She had to face the fact that even she can be guilty of the offense.
The Cheesemonger: Don't Store Your Cheese in Plastic!
Don't store your cheese in plastic wrap!
There it sat, a portion of a portion of a wedge from a time long ago, that in a fit of haste and laze, I wrapped in plastic. As I peeled away its filmy layers, despite that the piece remained unscathed visually, the plasticky scent emerged with ease, like when you accidentally heat something up in a non-microwaveable container. Taste-wise, scathed it was, an evil twin in disguise, tasting of a bitter version of its former self, like the rubber sole of a gym shoe.
It's most definitely the quickest way to store leftover cheese pieces, but it's also the fastest way to ruin what you've brought home. In short, the ease of a sheath of plastic isn't worth the sacrifice you'll make in flavor.
You may see reputable retailers who wrap their portioned opened wheels of cheese in plastic, but they're also wrapping and unwrapping their cheeses many times during the day; a cheese must be privy to the suffocative masking of plastic for about two days before taking on those plastic flavors.
The best way to store cheese is with cheese paper. You can find a great one at Murray's Cheese, $5 for a roll of 15. The next best thing is to wrap first in parchment paper or wax paper, and then in plastic wrap, eliminating contact of cheese and plastic, but still preventing the piece from drying out. If you buy a piece of cheese that's pre-cut and wrapped in plastic, just rewrap it when you get it home.
For more of our tips on cheese storage, see The Cheesemonger's Top Ten Rules for Ultimate Cheese Sanity.
Related
• Cheese is Alive! Formaticum Cheese Paper
(Image: Flickr member mike.negus licensed under Creative Commons)
Comments (12)
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Good to know
view Signe's profile
Interesting. Never knew that before. Thanks!
Emily
view Emily Sneds's profile
Does the same go for plastic bags, or just plastic wrap?
view Damfino's profile
That plastic smell-taste is truly vile, particularly on gooey-rindy brie-like cheeses. It drives me nuts that "gourmet" supermarkets like Zabar's and Whole Foods wrap some of their cheese in plastic wrap. Particularly the basic gooey-rindy brie-like cheeses.
view crepesuzette's profile
If you can't afford that, then tin foil is also good for storing cheese.
view kav122's profile
interesting, i did not know this. i use parchment paper when i have it but cheese typically is eaten so quickly in my home that i did not really think about this. i suppose because i see it done this way, well, just about anywhere that sells cheese in a display case and i would guess that many of those have been sitting there unopened for several days. thanks for this information.
view universal mod's profile
If you can't afford that, then tin foil is also good for storing cheese- Thanks so much Kav122!
view Haunted_Studio's profile
Oops. I have always stored my cheese in plastic, because that's how the cheesemonger sells it. Original packaging is best for other foods...
view Aimi's profile
i always put mine in plastic too! oops :\
view witchbaby's profile
What about plastic bins, like Rubbermaid?
view eaevansmd's profile
Last month I walked into a Fromagerie in Paris where almost all of the cheese was pre-cut and wrapped in plastic wrap.
I was horrified!
And I left immediately.
view Chez Loulou's profile
Plastic tupperware containers are great because they protect cheese from the super-frigid temperatures of a home refrigerator and create a gentle micro-climate with a bit more humidity, which promotes the life span of most cheeses. If you find that your cheese is drying out in the tupperware alone, wrap first loosely in wax or parchment paper and then put it in the container.
view nora s's profile