When cooking, products that can be called delicacies are often used. One of them is Parmesan cheese. This is an ingredient for delicious Italian pasta and classic Caesar salad. Parmesan is not cheap, so it is important not only to know how to use it correctly, but also how to store it. How to store Parmesan cheese? The question is by no means an idle one, because not all of it is always used during preparation; it’s a pity to waste such an expensive product on familiar sandwiches! Let's look at the basic methods of how to store Parmesan at home and how long this product can be stored.
How to store Parmesan
Conventional production involves production from 50 grams to a whole head. In this regard, it is important to know how to properly store the product at home. If certain conditions and rules are met, cheese can be stored for a long time.
An excellent solution would be to place the product in a vacuum bag and store it in the refrigerator. Such packages are used not only for professional purposes. More and more often they are purchased for home use.
Sometimes the product is packaged from 20 to 50 grams in vacuum bags in portions. This packaging will preserve the cheese for a long time. The chopped Parmesan is wrapped in parchment paper and stored in the refrigerator. This method is appropriate when grating a large amount of cheese when it has not been completely used up. In this case, make a paper bag and store it in it for 14 days.
How to store Parmesan.
Special properties of Parmesan
The ripening period of this cheese is quite long - from one to three years, it is during this period that it becomes the desired consistency: grainy and dry. Therefore, this product is not difficult to store and will easily be stored for several months. However, it needs a cool place with moderate humidity. Many sources indicate different times for how long to store Parmesan. However, professional chefs say that if the cheese is cut, it is not advisable for it to sit for a long time. After two weeks it loses its taste and aroma. It's okay if the cheese gets a little moldy after being in the refrigerator for about a week. You just need to cut off the damaged area and this product can be safely eaten. If the cheese floats due to excessively warm temperature, the situation is much worse. This product is best thrown away.
Tips for storing Parmesan
Some tips for storing cheese:
Tip 1
After purchasing the product, the cheese is removed from the packaging and placed on parchment paper. Cover the top with foil. Such manipulations will not allow the Parmesan enzymes to be destroyed.
Tip 2
It is not recommended to store more than 6-7 months after opening. It is better to indicate on the parchment the date of opening.
Tip 3
Grated cheese cannot be stored for a long time. It is better to use all the grated Parmesan or grate just the right amount. The grated product is stored for 7 days.
Tip 4
When a white coating appears, wrap the cheese with a damp cloth. After this, wrap it in plastic wrap and put it in the refrigerator overnight.
Tip 5
Storage in polyethylene or plastic container is possible. But many people think that Parmesan can become so foggy.
Storing cheese in the freezer
You can freeze Parmesan cheese for long-term storage. If the product was originally carefully processed, storing it in the freezer will not affect the taste. Parmesan is divided into portions and placed in sealed bags. The air should be released as much as possible and the bag should be closed and placed in the freezer. Store in the freezer at a temperature of -15-20 degrees. At home, freezing time is 90-100 days, maximum period is up to 7 months.
Advice! Do not defrost and freeze the product twice. To do this, the cheese is cut into pieces and divided into bags so that you can remove and use 1 bag at a time.
Parmesan cheese expiration date
Parmesan is classified as an old cheese that crystallizes. The product matures up to 3 years. It's not that easy to spoil it. A cut piece stored for more than 3 months loses its taste.
Foil, cold, and cling film help preserve the taste of hard cheeses. Sprinkle cheese slices with flour or starch to prevent them from sticking together. When parmesan dries, simply grate it and add it to pasta, pizza, and soup.
Storing Parmesan at home.
What determines the shelf life?
The safety of the product is affected by:
- integrity of original packaging;
- humidity and temperature at the storage location;
- integrity of the cheese head;
- quality of materials for making cheese shells;
- microbiological indicators.
A product in undamaged primary packaging, subject to storage conditions, retains its properties the longest. Violation of the integrity of the cheese head includes packaging and slicing. It is recommended to cut before use.
The casing must be made of materials approved for contact with food. Cheese in paraffin is stored in the refrigerator for 30 days longer than its counterpart in polymer packaging. The product must be stored under conditions that prevent microbial contamination of the product.
Before opening the manufacturer's packaging
The period of time when a food product can be used for its intended purpose is determined from the moment the technological process for its production ceases. It includes the stages of storage at the warehouse of the manufacturer, transportation, storage at retail outlets and at the consumer after purchase.
The shelf life in unopened containers under the right conditions corresponds to the periods indicated by the manufacturer on the label.
For popular semi-solid and hard varieties, while maintaining the integrity of the original packaging, GOST provides for a storage period of about four months. The duration of the period is affected not only by temperature, but also by humidity indicators.
- Soft and pickled varieties have the shortest shelf life;
- Hard types are stored better than all others.
For processed and curd cheeses, the manufacturer can set expiration dates and conditions that guarantee the safety, quality and safety of the product. They depend on the production conditions, the raw materials used, as well as other factors affecting the shelf life of the product.
Professional Parmesan Storing Methods
A larger piece will stay fresh longer. It is wrapped in thick gauze or a towel. Pre-wet the fabric a little. Vacuum packaging is not removed unless necessary. When opened, transfer to a parchment bag.
Shelf life of Parmesan:
- large pieces – up to a month;
- grated cheese – from 7 to 10 days;
- in a vacuum container – up to 2 months;
- in the freezer - 6 - 9 months.
Vacuum is considered one of the best storage options. A special device pumps out air from the bag containing the product. Then the cheese does not change the taste and aroma.
How to best store grated cheese
Several stages of checks are performed during the production of the delicacy. The mature head is carefully examined, fingers are tapped on it, and the sound is listened to. Dairy products are sent to be grated if a specialist has doubts about the quality. Crushed products are always inferior in properties to whole ones, and the shelf life is also different. The grated pulp is removed from the packaging, transferred to an airtight tray, placed in the cold, and consumed as soon as possible.
Products are often delayed on the shelf, and unscrupulous sellers pass them off as fresh. Tips for identifying expired products:
- A label indicating the expiration date must be on the package.
- There is no mold or white coating.
- The release of moisture under pressure indicates spoiled food.
The law prohibits the sale of expired Parmesan cheese. Losses are reimbursed to the buyer if he purchased a damaged product.
How long does frozen cheese last?
The shelf life of a product depends on its variety. Hard and semi-hard varieties, cut into large pieces, last the longest - up to six months. The soft ones will have to be removed from the freezer after a couple of months.
If you plan to store cheese in the freezer to prevent it from spoiling, wrap the product in foil or parchment paper and place it in a container. If storing in plastic bags, add some sugar cubes. This will prevent mold from forming.
Place each variety in a separate package, as some of them have their own original smell. Indicate the shelf life on it (start, end). To prolong it, change the packaging more often. If your cheese has lost its presentation after being frozen, dip it in milk. In 2-3 hours you will receive a delicacy that can be safely served.
Interesting. The largest number of cheese gourmets live in France. Here, a foul-smelling product is a sign of high quality. In Russia, cheese production began on an industrial scale in 1886, after N.V. Vereshchagin opened the first cheese factory in the Empire. In Switzerland, he learned the craft from European cheese makers, and at home he adjusted overseas recipes to the taste preferences of the Russian consumer.
Freezing processed cheese
Processed cheese is almost never frozen: it is inexpensive, not very popular, it is not bought in kilograms, so it rarely disappears in the refrigerator.
As a rule, it comes in a foil wrapper - there is no need to pack it additionally for freezing. But be prepared for the fact that the defrosted delicacy will turn into a paste that you will have to spread on bread or add, for example, to meat in French.
Interesting. Every cheese that was produced in the USSR had black or blue plastic numbers fused into it. They indicated the production date of the cheese wheel and carried other information about the product. Now this data is printed on the packaging. In the USSR, processed cheese was especially revered. In Moscow there is even a monument depicting a fox and a crow holding processed Druzhba cheese.
Implementation time
According to Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation dated June 16, 1997 No. 720, for their intended use after the expiration date
According to the rules and regulations of SanPiN 2.3.2.1324-03, products that require special storage conditions and rules to preserve their quality should be considered perishable. Cheese is one of these products and is intended for short-term sale.
Cheese products after packaging have been damaged should be sold within a period of no more than 12 hours, subject to storage conditions.
- Soft and pickled varieties have the shortest shelf life;
- Hard types are stored better than all others.
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Which varieties can be frozen?
There are more than two thousand varieties of cheese in the world. It is classified according to several criteria:
- Hardness. The product can be so hard that it breaks - it cannot be cut. Semi-hard, soft and fused are also found.
- Technology. Depending on the type and country of the manufacturer, the main enzyme in the recipe changes. It ferments the product, allows it to harden and gives it a special taste.
- Excerpt. There is quick cheese, which immediately after preparation goes to the consumer. They also prepare a mature delicacy, which first lies in a special room at a special temperature and humidity and only then becomes a treat for your table.
Hard and semi-hard varieties tolerate cold well without losing their taste. If you freeze cheese and then defrost it, you can eat it, but it will become crumbly and it will be difficult to cut it even with a slicer.
The following types of cheese can be frozen:
- Parmesan;
- Russian;
- Edam;
- Colby;
- Cheddar;
- Gouda;
- Mozzarella;
- Provolone;
- Monterey Jack.
