It’s simple. The first way to face cheese: ScrapeIf mold only affects a small area of the cheese, use a small paring knife to scrape it off. About the Author: Amanda Demsky is the mother and personal chef of two boys, the domestic technician of a three-bedroom desert home, and occasionally, a freelance writer and editor. Cheddar and Provolone are semi-hard, while Swiss is hard. Some prefer super expensive gourmet cheeses, others are fine with the cheaper processed stuff. The remainder should be edible. However, it is usually okay to simply cut away the mold from the outside of a block of cheese. If it doesn’t taste moldy, I’ll use it. Of note: Facing can also be an effective technique for cheese that’s been kept in plastic for too long.

Offers may be subject to change without notice. What do you do if hard cheese gets moldy? The second way to face cheese: Slice With a sharp knife (or even better, a great cheese knife), slice 1/16″ off the planes of the offending faces of your cheese wedge.You’ll lose much more of the cheese this way, but if the mold growth is pretty prolific, you’ll have to make some sacrifices. Whether it's an imported wedge from the cheese counter or pre-sliced from the deli, you want it to stay fresh for as long as possible. (We can’t help but wonder if people fear their cheese.). Apartment Therapy is full of ideas for creating a warm, beautiful, healthy home. According to food safety specialists from Clemson University, "Remove at least one-inch around and below the mold spot," adding that you should, "Keep the knife out of the mold itself so it will not contaminate other parts of the cheese.".

Until recently she was a TV chef on The Martha Stewart Show. If you plan on eating that block of Monterey Jack in a day or two, you can get away with keeping it wrapped up in plastic wrap. If you’ve faced your cheese and the cheese tastes bad, it’s time to say sayonara. You heave a sigh of relief and renounce your porcelain throne. "If you do not plan to consume these cheeses within a few days after its original package is first opened," and are looking to extend the shelf life of hard cheese, note the experts from the CMAB, "consider removing their original plastic wrap and re-wrapping in parchment or wax paper, which allows the cheese to breathe." MyRecipes may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Yes, but should you?

After all, that's how most cheese are sold in the supermarket. Once you have removed the mold, re-wrap the cheese and return it to the fridge if you’re not going to use it right away. The cheese experts at the Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board recommend that you refrigerate your cheese, between 34°F and 38°F, and keep it away from other foods that smell strongly because "cheese easily absorbs other flavors." "If you accidentally ate moldy bread or moldy cheese," concludes the author, "don't panic." Well, if your block of cheese is big enough, and the mold is only on the surface of the cheese, you can probably get away with slicing off the moldy bit before eating. Some say the part without any obvious mold can safely be eaten, while others say that the invisible threads and spores of the mold are still dangerous. Find recipes with ingredients that you have on hand. They then recommending putting that re-wrapped cheese in a "covered plastic container or an open resealable-type food storage bag," and opening the bag or container a couple of time a week to let in fresh air. And for the record, “facing” is actually a technical term in cheese speak.

You’ll lose much more of the cheese this way, but if the mold growth is pretty prolific, you’ll have to make some sacrifices. Got a tip, kitchen tour, or other story our readers should see? These should be discarded if mold develops. Please contact for permissions.

Isn’t the whitish powder the start of mold, it might turn green later? © 2017 MyRecipes.com is part of the Time Inc. Food Collection and the Time Inc. Lifestyle Network. The mold removal rule goes for soft ripened cheeses like brie, Camembert, or Limberger as well as hard and very hard cheese like cheddar, Gouda, Parmesan, Romano, etc. "If you see mold on the outside of hard cheese like Parmesan or Cheddar, cut away at least one inch of the cheese around and below the mold to salvage the cheese," says Michelle Dudash, RDN. You should not eat cheese that has mold on it. Now go forth, and enjoy that cheddar without worrying about mold. The rule of thumb for mold on aged hard cheeses is to cut away the mold and cheese within one inch of the mold. Each product we feature has been independently selected and reviewed by our editorial team. As above, blue cheese and Roquefort cheese have special mold (Penicillium roquefortii) already in them. You also need to try not to transfer mold from your finger to the newly cut cheese. You also want to keep your cheese covered, because exposure to air will dry out the cheese and make it look brittle. So you can cut away the moldy part and eat the rest of the cheese. Do Dietary Supplements Require FDA Approval Before Being Sold? All Rights Reserved. What People Want from a Healer in the Midst of a Pandemic, A Middle School Math Teacher Planning Lessons and Lunch, The Columbus, OH-based Forager Who's Become a TikTok Star, A Food Justice Advocate and Mother Talks Breastfeeding and Herb Gardens, Bryant Terry's Sautéed Cabbage and Roasted Potatoes, Vivian Howard's Baked Pimento Cheese and Sausage.