parmesan cheese shelf-life?

Kate253

hi,
i have a new packet of grated parm cheese. can't find info anywhere on packet as to how long it lasts after opening.
any ideas?
thanks.

The Sweeper

Until it's used up really.

Whole blocks - even when it goes hard and nobbly, you can still use it. If it goes green, you can cut the green bits off and still use it.

It's difficult to salvage if you've stored it so it's gone sweaty and the outsides are fuzzy mush, but with determination and a paring knife you could still get back to a usable piece.

It's indestructible cheese. Not sure how grating it will affect that, but if it's not green and furry, rock on.

antoniosicily

Minesajackdaniels wrote: »

Until it's used up really.

Whole blocks - even when it goes hard and nobbly, you can still use it. If it goes green, you can cut the green bits off and still use it.

It's difficult to salvage if you've stored it so it's gone sweaty and the outsides are fuzzy mush, but with determination and a paring knife you could still get back to a usable piece.

It's indestructible cheese. Not sure how grating it will affect that, but if it's not green and furry, rock on.

...

Can you confirm that the taste is still the same when the outside part of the parmesan is green? It is an indestructible cheese only if you have an indestructible taste.

The block lasts 3-4 weeks in the upper part of the fridge (the one where you should store cheeses), during this time it will lose the taste and it will become harder, but it's still usable. When it's too hard I don't even eat it, probalby it's to be grated and used in some sauces where its flavour is mixed with many other things.

If you have a cellar with controlled temperature and humidity it can last forever, but the fridge is too dry to keep cheeses for a long time

The grated parmesan is not the best choice in terms of taste, anyway IMHO it can last up to 2 weeks; I'm not a fan of grated parmesan though.

If you don't believe me just do your blind taste, buy the 24-months aged parmesan from Sheridan's (i.e.: parmigiano reggiano, which is a protected name, not other imitation) and try it as soon as you buy it. Then try to do the same with a block stored in the fridge for more than 3 weeks.

Dizzyblonde

If you buy a big piece and don't think you'll use it all within the use by date, you can freeze some of it

rocknchef

Kate253 wrote: »

hi,
i have a new packet of grated parm cheese. can't find info anywhere on packet as to how long it lasts after opening.
any ideas?
thanks.

if its grated i would give it 10 days max but transfer to a sealed container as bags sweat the cheese. after 10days if there is no mould it will still be fine

Kate253

Dizzyblonde wrote: »

If you buy a big piece and don't think you'll use it all within the use by date, you can freeze some of it

u can freeze cheese?? jeez! (in keeping with the eeze there ) i did NOT know that!

Dizzyblonde

I didn't know either until last year when someone I know brought home a huge piece of parmesan from Italy and divvied it out. She said we could cut it up and freeze it, and we did - it was fine. I don't know what other cheese would freeze like but it worked with parmesan

CombatCow

Yeah I freeze the bags of grated chedder/mozzarella cheese all the time.


CC

Weedikins

Buy a block of good parmesan and put it straight in the freezer. It grates perfectly from frozen.

antoniosicily

Why don't just buy what you need for the coming week or two without humiliating a great cheese by putting it into the freezer?