Throwing away expensive cheese because it’s spoiled can be painful. But what if we said it can be preserved for a long time by simply switching the storage method?
Cheese is a diet staple in most cultures. It boasts several health benefits – it’s high in protein, calcium, healthy fats, vitamins, and more. However, it isn’t recommended for those suffering from bloating or gas issues, which can be treated with gut-friendly substitutes.
The right way to store cheese
Dr. Karan Raj posted a video in response to a storage hack for cheese, explaining the damage regular bags do to the food item.
The video depicts a cheese full of mold in a zip lock – precisely what the doctor recommends you not to do. Storing it in a plastic bag is the worst idea.
Softer cheese has a higher water content, which makes it susceptible to bacteria. Cheese such as Havati, Mozzarella, and Gouda easily develop mold when kept in a plastic bag as it locks the moisture – the perfect condition for growing bacteria.
He recommends using cheese paper to avoid the above mistake as it’s coated with wax and polyethylene, forming a barrier that absorbs excess moisture from the cheese while still allowing it to breathe.
Another easy alternative suggested by the doctor is to finish the soft cheese quickly, so you don’t have to store it.
Is it safe to eat cheese with mold?
Say you stored semi-hard cheese such as cheddar in a zip lock pouch and it’s formed mold. You may be wondering if it’s still safe to consume by removing the contaminated part. Well, the answer is yes and no.
Dr. Karan was prompted to warn of the dangerous practice when one TikTok user claimed the cheese was safe to eat once the contaminated part was removed. She simply cuts the mold off the cheese, but the doctor doesn’t recommend following it.
He explains: “The visual mold you see is just like the tip of an iceberg. You can’t see what’s below the surface – in this case, the fungus penetrating the cheese.”
While you may think the cheese is safe to eat after getting rid of the mold visible to your naked eye, it may still harness bacteria. While cutting the mold off isn’t recommended for soft cheese, you must do it a certain way on hard cheese.
According to the doctor, 1 inch or 2.5 centimeters around the mold in all directions is the “safe margin” to cut off. Furthermore, this is safe to practice only if there is a single colony of mold spotted on the cheese. If the entire block is covered in mold, don’t think twice before disposing it.
Dr. Karan is best known for his videos related to medicine and health across different social media platforms. His expertise combined with entertainment has gained him millions of followers. He is a certified NHS surgeon from London, currently serving as a lecturer at Sunderland University. Dr. Karan boasts over seven years of experience.
