preservation

When you buy a cheese, theoretically it should be at its peak, that is in good condition, balanced and at the peak of its flavor. A product bearing the Androuët label should ideally be enjoyed within 48 hours. Still, it’s a good idea to know a few basic rules and tips for keeping cheeses at home under the best possible conditions.

Basic rules

First of all, certain cheeses naturally keep better than others. An extra-vieille or long-aged mimolette, for example, will keep with no problem, while a brie or camembert won’t stand waiting and should theoretically be eaten as soon as curing has ended.

Cheese should be kept in a cool, humid location (between 5 and 10°C). Since not everyone has a cellar that’s cool, humid and well aired, the most practical place is the vegetable bin in your refrigerator. At all costs, keep cheeses away from the freezer compartment.

Les pressed cooked-curd cheeses (beaufort, comté, emmenthal, etc.) keep best at 5-6°C: keep them in their original wrapping to avoid contact with air.

Les pressed semi-hard cheeses (port-salut, saint-nectaire, tommes, etc.) are best kept at 8-10°C: keep them in their original wrapping to avoid contact with air.

veined soft ripened cheeses (blue cheeses, fourme d’ambert, Roquefort, etc.) keep best at 6-10°C: wrap them in a damp cloth and keep them in a plastic food container.

soft ripened bloomy white rind cheeses (brie, camembert, neufchâtel, etc.) and soft ripened washed-rind cheeses (livarot, maroilles, munster, etc.) should be kept at 10°C: keep them in their original wrapping to avoid contact with air. Note that these cheeses, when sold in their original box, keep better in their original packaging outside the refrigerator (not longer than 3 days), in a cool place.

Remove your cheeses from the refrigerator early enough so that they’ll be at room temperature when served.

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A few tips

Never buy too many cheeses in advance – especially blue cheeses, because they dry out too quickly.

For wrapping uneaten portions, plastic stretch wrap is better than aluminum foil.

Remove mildewed portions from the rinds.

Never expose cheese to the sun.

Always leave room for air to circulate between cheeses.

If you store your cheeses on a balcony, wrap them carefully and keep then on the north side, away from light.

Avoid variations in temperature.

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