Cheese care

TALI EICHNER

As long as a wheel of cheese remains intact it has the best form of protection against the elements and foreign microbes: its own rind. As soon as the wheel is cut, the exposed surfaces are vulnerable to moisture, drying and microbes. 

There is an eternal dilemma with packaging hard cheeses. Vacuum packaging in plastic gives it a longer shelf life and prevents anything unwanted getting in, but it also prevents the cheese from breathing and can affect the texture as moisture can't evaporate, especially on the rind and cut surfaces where, over time, it can get a bit soggy. Not to mention the problems with plastics. Waxed paper is the best thing for the cheese to maintain its characteristics for a short time, but being permeable it also means it is affected by the conditions it's stored in. Depending on the type of cheese and the storage conditions, it can last well for two to four weeks, but surfaces can become dry or grow mould much earlier. Fridge units tend to dry the air within, which draw moisture from the cheese. Conversely, waxed paper retains moisture, so if it is a damp environment or gets at all wet, it can hold the moisture against the surface of the cheese and encourage moulds to grow. The good news is that if this happens, the affected surfaces can just be scraped off. Cheese and moulds are good friends and if mould develops it won't be harmful.

My best advice to get the best qualities from your cheese is to eat it quickly. When storing, keep the cheese well wrapped in waxed paper inside a Tupperware box in the fridge. If the paper becomes damp or ripped it can be replaced with parchment paper. I have also been experimenting with beeswax food wraps and it seems like they work well. It's worth getting to know how cheese responds to the microclimate in your fridge and adapting how you store it accordingly; the rewards will be worth it! And don't forget to take it out of the fridge an hour before eating to get the best flavour and aroma, although only the amount you'll eat as warming it up will activate those microbes that will shorten its life. 

Halloumi is another thing altogether. It is stored in brine, and when we packed it, we leave a layer of brine around it to help preservation. If you don't like it salty, this can be rinsed from the surface just before you cook and eat it. Halloumi doesn't need to breathe and is happiest in airtight packaging.

Happy cheese eating!