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Are you tired of cheese that gets moldy only a week after being opened? How many times have you gone to find a slice of cheese to use on your sandwich or burger only to find that it's covered with mold?

Throwing away moldy cheese has always been one of my biggest frustrations, but I recently discovered the secret to storing cheese so that it remains mold free for several months.

Why Does Cheese Get Moldy?

Too much air and too much moisture are the two biggest enemies of cheese, so once you open the vacuum sealed package in which the most popular cheeses are sold the cheese is immediately vulnerable to forming mold. Most cheeses naturally contain moisture, but too much moisture will cause mold. Cheese also needs some air, but, given too much air, it will dry out.

Storing Cheese in Plastic Wrap or Containers

Up until very recently I always stored my cheese in plastic wrap. It turns out that this is one of the worst storage methods for cheese and is a notoriously hated cheese storage method among cheese aficionados. Plastic sandwich bags or ZipLoc bags are also a poor choice because they allow moisture build up, and this leads to quicker mold formation. If you want to use plastic bags to store your cheese you should wrap the cheese in parchment paper before placing into the bags. The same is true if storing your cheese in silicone, plastic or glass containers.

Cheese can last from 4 to 6 months when vacuum sealed.

Vacuum Sealing

Best for Short and Long Term Storage of Hard Cheeses

Vacuum sealing is one of the best ways to store hard cheeses short term, and the best way to store hard cheeses long term. Cheese lasts anywhere from 4 to 6 months when vacuum sealed. I recently vacuum sealed about six slices of swiss cheese and, after three months of being stored in the fridge, found it to be almost as fresh as the day I opened the package. The cheese was a bit drier than it was on the day it had been vacuum sealed, but it didn't contain a speck of mold and was nearly perfect. Wrapping the cheese in wax paper or parcment paper before vacuum sealing will help the cheese retain some moisture.

Please note that vacuum sealing soft, wet, or crumbly cheeses is not a good idea. Cheeses like Brie, blue, goat, ricotta, and mozzarella are apt to mold in an airless environment. When in doubt, check to see if the cheese is fresh, unpasteurized, stored in liquid, wet or sticky to the touch. If the cheese fits any of those descriptions it shouldn't be vacuum sealed.

Soft or crumbly cheeses should be stored in special wrapping paper or bags, such as Formaticum professional grade, two-ply cheese storage paper or cheese storage bags (see below).

Use Special Paper to Wrap and Store Cheese

Best for Short Term Storage of Soft and Hard Cheeses

Cheese requires high humidity, yet must be able to breathe. Formaticum Cheese Paper is a two-ply material designed to maintain optimal humidity while not allowing water to accumulate — thus preventing the growth of surface molds. Formaticum Cheese Paper’s two-ply material allows oxygen exchange. Wax paper, tin foil and plastic wrap aren't suitable for wrapping cheese because they don't regulate humidity and don't allow oxygen exchange. Cheeses wrapped in these materials are prone to drying out and growing surface molds.

Formaticum's professional grade, two-ply cheese storage paper is the same material used by the finest cheese purveyors in Europe. Ensure that your cheese maintains freshness and flavor for longer with a freshness extender from Formaticum that is porous and ideal for any cheese lover.

Formaticum Cheese Storage Bags are made of professional grade, two-ply cheese storage paper which is the same material used by the finest cheese purveyors in Europe.