Every Cheesemonger We Spoke to Said Storing Your Cheese This Way Is Ruining It

If you click on links we provide, we may receive compensation. Here’s what to use instead. Food & Wine / Amazon My happy place is the local cheese shop, where I get plenty of free samples and always

If you click on links we provide, we may receive compensation.

Here’s what to use instead.

Food & Wine / Amazon

My happy place is the local cheese shop, where I get plenty of free samples and always walk away with an armful of new cheeses to try. But as someone who’s lactose-sensitive, I can’t have all the cheese I want without paying the price, so I tend to eat through my cheeses at a slower pace. For years, when I still used plastic wrap to store my cheese, I had to say sad goodbyes to ones that went bad before I could eat them. Then, I found out from professional cheesemongers that there’s a better way to store cheese, and it doesn’t involve a single bit of plastic.

In fact, plastic wrap is the enemy of your fresh, beautiful cheese, according to all of the cheese experts I spoke to. They all recommend, and sell at their own stores, Formaticum cheese storage bags, which keep cheeses fresh for longer thanks to its porous, waxed paper material. It’s how the French do it, and the French know a thing or two about cheese.

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Formaticum cheese storage bags create the perfect storage environment for cheese. One pack comes with 10 bags that regulate humidity so your cheese doesn't dry out or develop unwanted molds. Each bag measures 5 x 11 inches, so while it can’t fit an entire wheel, it can still hold a generous wedge of your favorite cheese, whether it’s soft or hard. The bags even have a printed-on label so you can name and date your cheeses. At $20 for a pack, each bag is only $2 apiece.

Bags like these are important because cheese begins to deteriorate once a wheel is cut and the rind is broken. “Formaticum cheese storage bags and papers are the best way to keep your cheese fresher for longer,” says Angie DiMeo, co-owner of East Side Cheese in Providence, Rhode Island. “We wrap all our cheese that’s cut and sold from the case in Formaticum paper.” DiMeo explains that the micro-perforations in the paper cultivate a cave-like environment, allowing the cheese to breathe a bit while still allowing them to maintain a level of moisture. “It keeps it fresher for weeks longer,” DiMeo adds, “Absolutely do not use plastic wrap to store your cheese long-term.”

So, why is plastic so bad for cheese? “It hinders the ability of the microorganisms in cheese to flourish by preventing breathing,” says Marc Hernandez, head cheese buyer at Formaggio Kitchen in Cambridge, Massachusetts. “Plastic can also impart an off flavor to the cheese, a flavor associated with, you guessed it, plastic.” Hernandez also says that Formaticum cheese storage bags “work great and are easy to use,” advising cheese lovers that it’s their best option for keeping cheese fresh, though parchment or wax paper could also work in a pinch.

Importantly, these storage bags also keep your cheeses from developing mold quickly as it sits in your fridge. Laura Downey, cheesemonger and owner of Fairfield Cheese Company in Greenwich, Connecticut, says, “Cheese is a living, breathing food.” She explains that the oxygen exchange is crucial to keep undesirable molds at bay. While we love moldy cheese, not all mold is great for cheese.

Ready to ditch the plastic wrap that’s keeping your cheese from living its best life? Grab yourself a pack of cheese storage bags and enjoy your favorite cheeses for longer. At $20 for a pack of 10 bags, they’ll also save you money when you don’t have to toss your beloved cheese.

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Every Cheesemonger We Spoke to Said Storing Your Cheese This Way Is Ruining It