How to "Handle" Cheese

Often times, I purchase large quantities of cheese at warehouse prices because I have one picky child whose physical existence is largely due to her love of dairy products. Occasionally, I will open one of these enormous blocks of cheese for a snack and then not come back to it several days later.

Hard and semi-hard cheeses, like Cheddar and Romano, left unopened in their original packaging can be kept under refrigeration for many months without concern. However once the seal is broken and the cheese is exposed to air, the process for spoilage can be rapid. One way to stave off bacteria is to avoid directly touching the cheese with your hands. Ever. This presents a dilemma... how to use something without touching it.

When I open a package of cheese, I completely remove it from the original wrapping. I take care not to touch the cheese with my hands or place it directly on the counter as no matter how much washing I have done, there will always be some bacteria on the counter or on my hands which will transfer to the cheese causing spoilage. It hurts to admit that, but it's the truth. Once the package is opened, I transfer the cheese directly onto a large piece of wax paper that completely covers the cheese twice. I loosely wrap the cheese in the wax paper and then place the wrapped cheese in a zip-top bag, which is sealed and placed in the refrigerator along with the original packaging for identification.

To use cheese in smaller quantities and for recipes not requiring the whole block, I use the wax paper to hold the large block of cheese (to avoid direct contact with my hands) and taking a sharp knife, I slice off a piece of cheese roughly the size required. Then I rewrap and refrigerate the unused cheese and shred or slice the smaller piece as needed. This keeps the lesser used (and expensive) hard cheeses such as Romano or Parmesan from spoiling for several months until I can use it all.

Soft and semi-soft cheeses such as Brie, Bleu, and Feta spoil much more quickly and are purchased on an "as needed" basis.