How to store Parmesan cheese?

The increasing popularity of modern cookery recipes gain Mediterranean cuisine, especially Italian.Many recipes for pasta, pizza and Caesar salad are unthinkable without the use of hard Parmesan cheese, so many housewives are increasingly faced with the questions of its storage. How to properly store Parmesan cheese at home? Is it worth it to freeze and how long can it not deteriorate?

The original name of Parmesan cheese in Italian is Parmigiano Reggiano, which means “Parma-Reggian”. Thus, in the very name of this variety are the regions of its origin. In the European Union, it is stipulated in law that only cheese produced in Northern Italy, specifically in Parma or other cities of Emilia-Romagna, can be called Parmesan.

This cheese is made from cow's milk according to an ancient recipe, the creation of which is attributed to the Benedictine monks. The main properties of this variety are high hardness, brittleness with the formation of crumbs, delicate taste accompanied by a piquant aftertaste. The composition of Parmesan is rich in milk proteins, phosphorus, potassium, iron, magnesium, vitamins A, B12 and D. Cheese also contains large amounts of monosodium glutamate.

Caloric value of 100 grams of a product reaches 432 kilocalories. There are many options for packing this product - his whole head can weigh up to 40 kg, and the minimum portion of the goods is usually 50 grams.

Despite the fact that Parmesan is usually attributed to cheeses with a long shelf life, so that it does not moldy and does not spoil, it must be stored properly. The storage procedure depends on the type of packaging and its preservation. In sealed vacuum packaging, this product can be stored in the refrigerator for up to eight months from the date of purchase. The main thing with this is to prevent sudden changes in temperature, otherwise the appearance of mold.

After opening the store packaging, the cheese may deteriorate, for example, become covered with mold, absorb unwanted odors of neighboring products. In addition, the plastic that makes up the store packaging can contribute to an undesirable change in the composition and texture of the cheese due to the decomposition of enzymes. Therefore, when the tightness of the package is broken, Parmesan needs to be repackaged.

The combination of parchment paper and foil proved best: first, the cheese was wrapped in parchment, and wrapped in top foil. In this form, this cheese can be stored in the refrigerator for a very long time, namely for six months. To navigate the shelf life of a product, be sure to record the repacking date with a marker on the surface of the foil or on a sticker.

Slices, slices and just pieces of Parmesan weighing less than 50 grams are usually stored for a short time because of their relatively large specific surface area, which facilitates interaction with pathogens in the air. They can also be wrapped in parchment, but even in this form they can be stored for no more than two weeks. The grated cheese is stored even less: even in the refrigerator, its expected shelf life does not exceed a week.

Another way to keep this cheese is to wrap it in a slightly damp cloth, and wrap it with foil on top. Finally, you can put the cheese in a tightly closed plastic container, but even this method is best combined with wrapping in parchment, otherwise the cheese can lose its qualities.

If your refrigerator is packed to capacity, and you constantly get something out of it, then it will not be possible to provide the conditions necessary for storing Parmesan. In this case, you can try to keep it in the freezer. Interestingly, with this method of storage, its useful life is even reduced: this cheese can be stored in the freezer for no longer than three months.

The temperature must be between -20 and -15 ° C. As in the case of cold storage, pieces of cheese should be wrapped in parchment.

• Store Parmesan during the week can be even at room temperature in a dry dark place. To do this, put it in a sealed tray, pre-wrapped with a cloth moistened with strong salt solution. If the parchment is unavailable, it can be replaced with wax paper.
• If, on the surface of a piece of cheese, a mold still appeared, but the rest of it retained its presentation, then it is acceptable to cut off the affected area and eat the rest. The main thing - to prevent the lesion of the entire piece of the product. In this case, it is best if such slightly spoiled cheese undergo heat treatment after pruning.
• As in the case of other cheeses, it is best not to buy Parmesan in large portions, but to buy pieces of the desired mass as needed.

You will learn about what a real Parmesan cheese should be and how to cut it correctly, in the next video.