By Published July 14, 2020.
A: Due to their active molds and relatively high moisture levels, blue cheeses won’t last as long as other cheeses such as cheddar or Parmesan. Buy only what you need or plan to use relatively quickly. When purchasing blue cheese, avoid wedges that have excess moisture in the packaging, as that is a sign that the cheese is past its prime.
A: The mold will die and turn yellow green if deprived of oxygen, so make sure that the cheese can breathe. Experts recommend a variety of wrappers: aluminum foil, parchment paper, or even a loose zipper-lock bag (not a vacuum-sealed bag). We’ve also had good luck wrapping cheese first with parchment paper and then with a loose covering of aluminum foil, which mimics the two-ply construction of cheese paper. Store it in a very cold place to slow its ripening.
A: The cheese shouldn’t have new mold or look very different than when you bought it. You shouldn’t eat blue cheese with any of the following: pink or black mold, a soft fuzzy coating of mold around the cheese, or excess moisture in the bottom of the container. As flavor intensifies with time, strong medicinal, perfumy flavors are a sign that the cheese is past its prime.
A: Yes. Blue mold spores can travel through the air and contaminate other nearby cheeses. This is true of the mold spores on cheeses such as Brie and Camembert as well. It’s OK to store several types of cheese in the same drawer; just make sure they’re all wrapped appropriately and you never store something like a cheddar or goat cheese in a wrapper that was once used for blue cheese.
