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2 weeks ago
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Whether it's a mature cheddar or a crumbly feta, cheese is one of the most beloved foods around the world.
But in news that will concern fans of the moreish treat, an expert has revealed that you're probably storing your cheeses wrong.
Many of us keep different varieties in the same container in the fridge.
However, Jill Allen, Director of Product Excellence in Research and Development at Tillamook, has called this the 'worst mistake you can make'.
'The worst mistake you can make when storing cheese is storing different types of cheeses in the same container,' she told Southern Living.
'For example, if you put blue cheese and Cheddar in the same container, there are different yeasts and molds.
'And that Cheddar cheese is the perfect medium for those blue mold spores to feed on.'
Here's what you should do to make sure your favourite blues, cheddars and bries stay fresher for longer.
In news that will concern fans of the moreish treat, an expert has revealed that you're probably storing your cheeses wrong
According to Ms Allen, it's best to store cheeses in their original packaging, with the open end secured with a rubber band.
'When opening hard or semi–hard cheese, keep the packaging,' she advised.
'Once you're done with what you need at the moment, fold the original wrapper back over the end and secure it with a rubber band.
'If you need backup, use parchment paper, wax paper, or cheese bags, which help keep cheese in the ideal storage environment.'
Alternatively, you can freeze cheese – just not in big chunks.
'Another major mistake is freezing chunk cheese, which will stop the aging process, changing the flavor and texture,' Ms Allen added.
'We recommend only freezing shredded cheese if you must freeze for preservation, and then use the shreds in cooking, as it will melt.'
While hard cheeses can withstand freezing conditions and will last well up to two months in the freezer, soft cheeses don't fare so well, according to Which?.
While hard cheeses can withstand freezing conditions and will last well up to two months in the freezer, soft cheeses don't fare so well
'It's safe to freeze soft cheese, but this is not recommended as it ends up very watery when defrosted,' it explained.
'This includes cheeses such as brie, feta and cream cheese.
'That said, if you have soft cheese in a recipe – such as a pasta sauce – this will freeze much better.'
WHEN DID PEOPLE START MAKING CHEESE?
During excavations of ancient pottery, researchers found residues of a feta-like cheese on the remains of rhyton drinking horns and sieves dating back to 5300BC.
Access to milk and cheese has been linked to the spread of agriculture across Europe around 9,000 years ago.
The two villages, Pokrovnik and Danilo Bitinj, were occupied between 6000 and 4800BCE and have several types of pottery across that period.
The residents of these villages appear to have used specific pottery types for the production of different foods, with cheese residue being most common on rhyta and sieves.
According to the latest findings, cheese was established in the Mediterranean 7,200 years ago.
Fermented dairy products were easier for Neolithic humans to store and were relatively low in lactose content.
It would have been an important source of nutrition for all ages in early farming populations.
The authors thus suggest that cheese production and associated ceramic technology were key factors aiding the expansion of early farmers into northern and central Europe.
