Free Wisconsin Cheese guide!
Cheese
ChoosingYou want to start by choosing the best quality cheese, no matter what variety you’re buying. Here are some tips:
Cheese should have a fresh, clean appearance with no cracks or surface mold. Be sure the packaging is sealed properly, without any openings or tears that expose the cheese.
Buy cheese at a store or market where frequent shipments of fresh cheese are delivered. Check the “use by” or “sell by” dates on packaged cheese. If buying fresh cut cheese, ask the clerk how best to wrap the cheese for storage as well as how long the cheese can be kept.
Look for the “Wisconsin Cheese” identification. You’ll know you are buying a product that has to meet the highest of cheesemaking standards.
HandlingAfter arriving home with your new cheese finds, remember the three C’s of cheese handling.
Clean: Because cheese easily absorbs other flavors, keep it away from other aromatic foods in the refrigerator.
Cold: Refrigerate cheese between 34° and 38°F.
Covered: Cheese loses flavor and moisture when it’s exposed to air, so make sure to wrap hard cheeses, such as Parmesan, in tightly drawn plastic wrap. Soft or fresh cheeses, such as Mascarpone, are best stored in clean, airtight containers. Semi-hard cheeses, including Cheddar and Gouda, can be wrapped in plastic wrap as well as a lighter wrapping paper, such as parchment.
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