Content

• To step
• Method 1 of 3: Examining the cheese
• Method 2 of 3: Stick to the expiration date
• Method 3 of 3: Preserve blue cheese
• Tips
• Warnings

Blue cheese contains an edible fungus that gives it a pungent taste and smell. Not everyone likes it, but it is completely safe to eat. However, blue cheese can spoil like any other cheese, and knowing how to spot it is important if you want to enjoy the cheese safely.

To step

Method 1 of 3: Examining the cheese

1. Smell the cheese. The best way to tell if your blue cheese has gone bad is to smell it. Fresh blue cheese has a strong odor, but it changes as it starts to spoil. Smell the cheese; if it has an ammonia-like odor, it is probably spoiled.
   • It's a good idea to smell the blue cheese if you've just brought it home. That way you know what it smells like when it's fresh and you can better understand when the smell starts to change.
2. Look at the color (s). Fresh blue cheese already contains mold that is usually blue or green in color. However, pay attention to the color of the creamy part of the cheese. Normally this has a white, beige or yellow tone. If you notice that it has turned pink, brown, or green, your blue cheese has probably gone bad.
   • As with the smell of the cheese, you should pay attention to the color of your blue cheese when it is fresh so that it is easier to spot changes when it goes bad.
   • In addition to looking for color changes, examine the cheese to see if the surface is slimy or grubby, and discard if you notice changes in texture.
3. Taste the cheese. If your blue cheese still smells the same and hasn't changed color, you can usually tell if it has gone bad by tasting a piece. While fresh blue cheese has a strong, tart flavor, aged cheese becomes especially caustic when it starts to spoil. If you taste some of the blue cheese and the flavor is too strong to enjoy, discard it.
   • In most cases you won't get sick from eating just a little bit of spoiled blue cheese, so tasting isn't dangerous.

Method 2 of 3: Stick to the expiration date

1. Discard any uncooled cheese after two days. Blue cheese needs to be refrigerated to keep it fresh, so leaving it on your counter will cause it to spoil faster. In most cases you will notice that it spoils after a few days.If you accidentally leave blue cheese outside of the refrigerator, it is wise to throw it away if it has been two days or more.
2. Discard refrigerated cheese after three to four weeks. When stored in the refrigerator, blue cheese can keep for a while. Check the expiration date of your cheese - in most cases it will keep for one to two weeks after the date. That usually means it will keep in the fridge for three to four weeks.
   • To keep your blue cheese fresh for as long as possible, make sure your fridge temperature is not above 5 ° C.
3. Discard frozen cheese after six months. If blue cheese is kept in the freezer at -18 ° C, it can keep indefinitely. That means you can freeze leftover cheese if you don't plan on using it within a month to keep it from spoiling. However, for the best taste and texture, don't keep it frozen for more than six months.
   • Keep in mind that the taste and texture of blue cheese can change slightly after thawing. It loses some of its tart flavor and usually crumbles more easily.

Method 3 of 3: Preserve blue cheese

1. Cut the cheese before freezing it. If you want to keep your blue cheese in the freezer, cut it into pieces no larger than 250 grams. Divide crumbled blue cheese into portions of similar weight. Use a food scale to weigh each slice or part before preparing it for storage.
   • You can freeze blue cheese that has already been opened or served. Just make sure to cut or crumble the leftover cheese into 250-gram portions as directed.
2. Pack the cheese well. Whether you want to keep blue cheese in the fridge or freezer, it needs to be packed well to ensure it stays fresh for as long as possible. First wrap the cheese in wax or baking paper. Then put plastic or aluminum foil over the paper to keep it from drying out.
   • If you are freezing the cheese, place the double-wrapped piece in a plastic freezer bag to protect it from freezer burn.
   • If you are concerned that the cheese will pick up the smell or flavors of other foods in your refrigerator, you can put it in an airtight container after wrapping for added protection.
3. Store the cheese on the bottom shelf in the refrigerator. The colder the blue cheese, the longer it will stay fresh. Since the bottom part of the refrigerator is usually the coldest, keep it on the bottom shelf to keep it good for that long. If your refrigerator has drawers at the bottom, that's an ideal place to store blue cheese. The drawers probably won't open every time you look inside the fridge, which will keep the temperature stable.

Tips

• If your blue cheese shows signs of spoiling when you first open it, don't hesitate to return it to the store. Bring proof of purchase and request a refund or exchange the product.
• Blue cheese with a high moisture content will spoil faster than a drier variety.

Warnings

• If only part of the cheese appears discolored, slimy, or grubby, do not cut it off and eat the rest of the cheese. It is best to discard the entire piece as bacteria or fungi may still be present.
• If you have eaten blue cheese that you suspect has gone bad and you are starting to feel ill, it is wise to see a doctor.