What’s the Best Way to Keep Cheese From Getting Moldy?

Cheese should be stored at about 37° F in your fridge in a crisper or dedicated cheese drawer. Once you’ve broken the original vacuum-sealed packaging, some experts recommend wrapping the cheese in waxed paper or parchment paper instead of plastic wrap, particularly for higher-moisture, softer cheese. This will allow it to breathe without getting dried out. Putting it in an airtight container is also a great option for soft cheese.

For longer storage, hard or shredded cheese can be frozen for up to six months, but the texture after freezing will be better for cooking than for snacking. Soft cheese can also be frozen but might not fare as well.

If you spot mold on a hard cheese, you can safely cut it away as long as you remove at least 1 inch around and below the edge of the mold. Moldy soft cheese should be discarded because mold spreads more easily through it.