Can We Keep Cheese At Room Temperature

Repeatedly bringing a wedge of cheese up to room temperature and then putting it back in the fridge can make the cheese spoil faster.

Can we keep cheese at room temperature.

As a general rule hard cheeses such as cheddar processed cheeses american and both block and grated parmesan do not require refrigeration for safety but they will last longer if kept refrigerated. The drawers in your refrigerator have the most consistent temperature and humidity so the cheese won t get too cold or too dry. According to sarah hill manager of cheese education and training for the wisconsin milk marketing board cheese can be left at room temperature for up to two hours as can all perishable foods. As a rule of thumb soft cheeses including cottage cheese should not be kept out of a refrigerator for longer than a couple of hours.

If it s too cold it mutes the flavor and if it s too warm you compromise the texture of a lot of cheeses says werlin. However there is a ticking clock on how long it should stay out. On a layover in amsterdam a few years ago i toured a gouda cheese factory. Some hard cheeses can be left out of the refrigerator nearly indefinitely provided the room in which it is stored is maintained in a temperature range that does not exceed approximately 80 degrees fahrenheit and the cheese is stored appropriately.

If you have leftover cheese at room temperature it s generally fine to leave it at room temperature for a day or so while you eat it. But benjamin chapman food safety specialist at north carolina state university says that people don t end up getting sick from. I bought some to take home with me and never refrigerated it and it was great. Leaving cheese out overnight may impact the quality of the product but would not in most cases result in a food safety issue explains adam brock director of technical services at wisconsin milk marketing board if anything there s a good chance you re over refrigerating your cheese all cheeses besides fresh cheese should be served at room temperature for optimum flavor says brock.

The cheesemaker told us authentic gouda should not be refrigerated. Bringing cheese to room temperature is essential to help the fat loosen up which gives the cheese a better texture and flavor. Room temperature between 67 and 70 degrees is ideal. The best drawer is the one closest to the bottom of the fridge.

However leftover unrefrigerated cheese should be handled differently depending on the type. Cheese does not like multiple changes in temperature.