The Masters of Cheese at the UK-based Academy of Cheese have stepped up to explain exactly how to enjoy cheese, the rookie storage mistake that will “suffocate your cheese,” whether you can eat cheese if you’re lactose intolerant, what happens to cheese if you freeze it, whether it gives you nightmares, and whether it’s dangerous to eat the mold on cheese. So, read on to find out the answers to these burning cheese questions.
- Wrapping it in plastic wrap — Cheese is a living thing, which will essentially suffocate in plastic wrap. If you bring home cheese from a farmer’s market, re-wrap it in wax paper or store in a plastic tub with ventilation
- • Keeping it in the wrong part of the refrigerator — Never leave cheese in the main compartment, as cold circulating air is not a friend of cheese and will dry it out. The experts recommend storing it in the vegetable drawer instead, where it's more humid.
- • Freezing cheese — The dairy connoisseurs say that while all cheeses can technically be frozen, freezing alters the delicate mix of fats, proteins and water in an irreversible way, leaving it with a grainy texture once thawed and missing some of its flavor. For the best flavor, cheese needs to be brought to room temperature before serving.
- • Cutting the rind off the cheese — This is a definite no-no. In most artisanal cheeses, the rind is edible, and because many cheeses ripen from the outside in, the flavors will evolve from the center outwards. The flavors toward the middle are completely different.
- • Can cheese give you nightmares? The professionals say that this is an unfounded myth. Cheese is a complex food that takes time for the gut to fully digest, which is most likely the cause of restless sleep.
- • Can you eat cheese if you're lactose intolerant? Most cheeses contain only trace amounts of lactose. During the cheese process, lactic acid bacteria, which is naturally occurring in milk or has been added by the cheesemaker, converts the lactose to lactic acid. In hard, aged cheeses, such as Cheddar, Alpine cheeses and Parmesan cheese, there's virtually zero lactose left. Cheeses to avoid are the high moisture, fresh cheeses such as mozzarella, ricotta and soft, creamy cheeses.
