Cheese. Delicious, glorious, tasty cheese. Whether you like them old and hard, soft and smelly, or everywhere in between, you are not alone in your love for cheese. As Canadians, we consume nearly 12 kilograms of cheese each year and that number is slowly growing each year. We’re trying more types of cheeses and more artisanal cheeses in recent years, thanks to a boom in the popularity of the classic charcuterie platter.

While most of us are likely to have some cheddar or mozzarella in the fridge (those two make up over 60% of cheese sales in Canada), we are also increasingly likely to include some brie, feta, blue cheese, or something smoked with flavour.

The key to a great cheese eating experience is making sure you are storing it properly when you get it home from the store or cheesemonger. You’ll be the big cheese with the following tips.

Pick the Right Drawer or Shelf

Today’s modern refrigerators quite often come with a specific cheese drawer. Like your vegetable drawers (which can be used if you don’t have a cheese drawer), these keep cool and stable with a temperature between 35 and 45 degrees Fahrenheit. For cheeses like feta that may come in a moist brine or water, keep these containers on the top shelf for easy access and no chance of spilling.

Ditch the Plastic Wrap

Plastic suffocates your cheese. Cheese paper and parchment paper are the best options for helping your cheese stay moist and breathe. Stored properly, most hard cheeses can stay in the fridge for a month or more. Website Wonder How To has a great list of food hacks for keeping cheese stored perfectly.

We love this handy video on how to wrap your cheese with cheese paper.

Upgrade Your Appliance

Just like wine, great storage is key to the enjoyment of your cheese. If you’re in the market for a new fridge and LOVE cheese, be sure to pick the appliance that will help feed your cheese needs by providing the right drawer or storage solutions. The new KitchenAid five-door/drawer refrigerator is a great one for cheese lovers with easy access to a temperature controlled spot.

The next time you go to cut the cheese, you’ll reach in knowing it’s been stored properly and is waiting for you to enjoy.

PS: Want some ideas for enjoying your cheese? We love this video for assembling a charcuterie board.

Isabelle, Your Appliance Expert