How to Store Cheddar Cheese

How long can you store cheddar cheese?

Experts say that you can store this firm, semi-hard orange, yellow or white cheese for two months or more in the refrigerator under proper care and even longer in the freezer.

Freezing cheddar alters the texture of the cheese, but it will retain its flavor and can be used for cooking in the same way as cheddar that has never been frozen.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

1. 
    

   Before storing your cheddar cheese, examine the cheese block to make sure that it does not have any mold on the surface. Do not eat or attempt to store cheese that has become contaminated with mold.

2. 
    

   For best results, store cheddar cheese in its original packaging or in a sturdy plastic wrap. You might find it best to wrap the cheese block in plastic wrap and then place the wrapped portion of cheese in a zipped storage bag or freezer bag.

3. 
    

   The ideal temperature for storage cheese in the refrigerator is about 40 degrees. Cheese frozen in the freezer will last longer than refrigerated cheese, but you can expect the cheese to acquire a dry, crumbly texture after prolonged freezing. The change in texture does not affect the flavor of frozen cheese, which is most suitable for cooking.

[chava812]

on 5/5/2009 You are right about the crumbling part and about its not affecting the cheese at all (don't we melt or crumble it before we tend to eat it?) when frozen. Thanks for sharing your tips on how to store cheddar cheese in the fridge and freezer. It's a great way to store cheeses you may not be able to find locally and therefore stock up a bit more on. We used to get Amish cheeses from Ohio when I lived in Georgia and would buy more than we needed for a short-time, thereby needing to freeze them.