She’s A Chef Warning You That Putting Cheese In A Ziploc Bag Ruins It And Wastes Your Money
The cheese section is my absolute favorite supermarket area to hit every time I go grocery shopping.
Whether I’m picking up pecorino romano for my pasta recipes, grabbing fresh mozzarella for a Caprese salad, or buying aged gouda, cheddar, and brie for charcuterie boards, cheese is a staple in my house.
But if you’re a cheese fan like me, then you know prices have been on the rise, and preserving your leftovers is critical for keeping the enjoyment going without breaking the bank.
So, imagine my shock when I learned that I’d been storing my cheese blocks wrong for years. Unfortunately, you might be, too.
Think about it: after you slice into a nice wedge of parmesan or crack open some gruyère, how do you package it back up? I’d argue that most of us throw the remaining cheese in a plastic bag, like a Ziploc, toss it in the fridge, and call it a day.
According to Eden Grinshpan, a chef, TV host, and author with over 37,000 followers on TikTok, plastic bags supposedly “ruin” your cheese. On her account @edengrinshpan, she shared a better method to “stop throwing money (and cheese) down the drain.”
More specifically, Eden detailed how, since cheese is “alive,” it needs to breathe. So, she advised her viewers to use parchment paper or wax paper instead, saying these tools will be your “best friend.”
All you have to do is rip off a sheet of either kind of paper and fully wrap your cheese, allowing it “room to breathe.”
“When you trap it in plastic, you’re creating a moisture-rich environment where mold will live and grow,” Eden explained.
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In the caption, she detailed how using parchment paper or wax paper to store cheese “changed the game” for her household. Eden also added a disclaimer for cheese enthusiasts looking to try out this hack.
“Make sure not to leave any parts of the cheese exposed (fridges are actually dehydrators!) And if you’re nervous it’ll dry out, you can place it in a plastic or glass container,” she noted.
Eden’s video has amassed over 2.2 million views and more than 62,000 likes. However, numerous commenters expressed confusion as to why cheese is sold in plastic packaging in the first place. Others stated that, after using the hack, their cheese became dry.
“Cheese is sold in plastic? I think we’ll live,” wrote one user.
“I tried this, and it goes bad faster than in a plastic bag. Dries out so fast,” added another.
Nonetheless, other cheese authorities have echoed Eden’s cheese storage suggestions. For instance, Dairy Farmers of Wisconsin advised consumers to “generally avoid wrapping your cheese in plastic wrap.”
They recommend following the “three C’s of cheese storage” to ensure your block remains clean, cold, and covered. First, keep your cheese away from other aromatic foods in your fridge since the dairy product can actually absorb other flavors.
Next, most cheese can be comfortably stored between 34 and 38 degrees Fahrenheit. Finally, since “cheese loses flavor and moisture when exposed to air,” the non-profit organization says to use cheese paper or parchment paper to wrap up your leftovers.
So, there you have it! If you’ve previously stored cheese in paper as opposed to plastic bags, were you pleased with the results?
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