Cheese, as hardy and tough as it seems to be, is still food. It is delicate. It needs its own space, and it needs its own ways of caring for it, storing it and serving it. From when the cheese is delivered to the shop for display and service, the customer should know proper choosing and handling of cheese to promote storage longevity and maximum preservation of taste, nutrients, consistency, aroma and overall appearance.
When choosing cheese from a store, always look for one thing first before even considering to select that particular wheel, or block, or even a slice of cheese. Look for the Wisconsin Cheese ID. Wisconson Cheese quality assurance only stamps the WCID to cheeses that have passed their requirements and their rigorous tests to assure you that you get the best of the best quality cheeses the state has to offer. The eye can be a good judge too. Make sure that when selecting cheese, it should look fresh, clean and as much as possible, have little cracks. Cracks are a sign that the cheese has been exposed too long in the air (dried out) and indicates the gradual loss of cheesy freshness.
There are the three C's when it comes to handling cheese that has been bought and brought home. Clean, Cover, and Cold. Clean: make sure that the cheese is wrapped well and kept away from other foods, especially aromatic ones like onions, apples, dried fish, etc. Cheese, like a sponge, is very absorbent with other food's smells and this may influence your taste if you eat the cheese (half of eating cheese is through aroma).
Cover: make sure to keep cheese away from as much air exposure as possible. Cheese turns hard and rancid if left out in the open too much. Hard cheeses like Parmesan and Mozzarella, should be kept in plastic wrap at all times to prevent drying out. Soft cheeses, in air-tight plastic containers for longer shelf life and smoother texture, as compared to leaving it out. Store in cool places as well, to discourage bacterial growth. Semi-hard cheese would depend but will go well with parchment or even with its original wrapping.
Finally, cold: if planning to refrigerate cheese (though not strongly encouraged), keep temperatures between 34 to 38 degrees Fahrenheit. Cheeses really don't do well with too much coldness.
When choosing cheese from a store, always look for one thing first before even considering to select that particular wheel, or block, or even a slice of cheese. Look for the Wisconsin Cheese ID. Wisconson Cheese quality assurance only stamps the WCID to cheeses that have passed their requirements and their rigorous tests to assure you that you get the best of the best quality cheeses the state has to offer. The eye can be a good judge too. Make sure that when selecting cheese, it should look fresh, clean and as much as possible, have little cracks. Cracks are a sign that the cheese has been exposed too long in the air (dried out) and indicates the gradual loss of cheesy freshness.
There are the three C's when it comes to handling cheese that has been bought and brought home. Clean, Cover, and Cold. Clean: make sure that the cheese is wrapped well and kept away from other foods, especially aromatic ones like onions, apples, dried fish, etc. Cheese, like a sponge, is very absorbent with other food's smells and this may influence your taste if you eat the cheese (half of eating cheese is through aroma).
Cover: make sure to keep cheese away from as much air exposure as possible. Cheese turns hard and rancid if left out in the open too much. Hard cheeses like Parmesan and Mozzarella, should be kept in plastic wrap at all times to prevent drying out. Soft cheeses, in air-tight plastic containers for longer shelf life and smoother texture, as compared to leaving it out. Store in cool places as well, to discourage bacterial growth. Semi-hard cheese would depend but will go well with parchment or even with its original wrapping.
Finally, cold: if planning to refrigerate cheese (though not strongly encouraged), keep temperatures between 34 to 38 degrees Fahrenheit. Cheeses really don't do well with too much coldness.
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