Tips for preserving cheese

27 February 2024

We
love cheese
But in order for it not to lose its essence, aroma and flavor when it has been at home for a few days, it is necessary to preserve it well. Do you know what temperature cheese should be kept at to preserve it? Can it be frozen? Where do we store it: inside or outside the refrigerator? Let’s answer these questions and pay attention to these tips for preserving cheese.

Tips for preserving cheese

Tips on cheese storage temperature

The ideal temperature to preserve our cheeses will vary according to the type of cheese, hard cheeses should be kept between 8 and 12 degrees, while soft cheeses are best kept at lower temperatures, between 4 and 8 degrees. You will notice it in your cheese tastings, its aromas and its flavor potency.
In case we keep it in the refrigerator, we must use the vegetable drawers, that is to say, the less cold part of the refrigerator.

The preservation of cheese at room temperature at the time of its — La Antigua “hard paste” cheese with more than 12 months of aging.

Tips on cheese packaging

To prevent the cheese from cracking and cracking when stored in the refrigerator, it is necessary to wrap it well.
The easiest way is to use the original packaging of the cheese or plastic wrap, but be careful not to press the cheese too tightly with the paper to prevent it from overheating and mold. If we prefer, we can also use aluminum foil to wrap our cheeses.
Another option is to keep the cheeses in airtight containers, such as tappers, but if we opt for these containers we must be careful with soft cheeses, as they can ferment due to the lack of oxygen and the smell it causes is not at all pleasant.
If the type of cheese we want to preserve has mold on the surface, it is best to wrap it in a cotton cloth, which we have previously moistened a little, and if the water with which we moisten it is salty, it also dries and cracks the rind.

Cheese storage time

We cannot keep all types of cheese for the same length of time.

The smallest cheeses, slightly cured cheeses, soft cheeses and low-fat che eses are those that can be conserved for the shortest time. These types of cheeses should not be kept refrigerated for more than 15 to 20 days.
In the case of cakes should be consumed as soon as possible and in no case should they be kept for more than one month.
Pressed goat cheeses, for example of 1 kilo, can be conserved between 1 and 2 months, and somewhat longer if they are larger.
Pressed pastesheep cheeses are the ones that can be preserved for the longest time, 1 kg can be preserved for months, and the harder the paste and the more fatty the milk, the better preserved it will be.

La Antigua Cream Cheese, raw sheep’s milk cheese

Cheese freezing

There are all kinds of opinions about freezing cheese, although the truth is that freezing soft and creamy cheeses is a good option so that they do not spoil, taking into account that by freezing them some of the original cheese aroma and flavor will be lost.
If we freeze hard cheeses, once thawed, it will crumble when cut.
If we are going to freeze cheese, a good idea is to make several portions to thaw only the amount we are going to consume.

The cut of hard cheeses may crumble when frozen. — When cutting hard cheeses that have been frozen, they may crumble in the cut.

Tips for consuming cheese that has been kept cold

Before eating a cheese that has been stored in the refrigerator or that has been defrosted, it must be tempered so that it is in its optimum state. Their aromas and flavors re-emerge and are at the right temperature to provide the experience we are looking for.
The ideal temperature to consume cheese is between 18 and 20 degrees for soft cheeses and between 22 and 24 degrees for hard or semi-hard cheeses. In addition, we have to take into account that the harder the cheese paste or the larger the size of the cheese, the more time we will need to temper it.
If we are going to consume a cake, the ideal is to leave it at room temperature for a whole day, so that when we are going to consume it, it will have all its aroma and flavor, and the corresponding texture.

Ready-to-eat La Antigua Sheep Cheese, Azafrán specialty.

Now that you know our tips for preserving your cheeses, you will surely enjoy them much more. In Quesería La Antigua we have a wide range of varieties to enjoy the most authentic flavors, from our traditional line, to refined or specialty, where you can experience through raw milk sheep cheese unique flavors.