ShelfLife
How long does cheese last?
An unopened block of hard cheese like cheddar keeps about 6 months in the fridge, and 3 to 4 weeks once opened. Soft cheeses like brie keep only 1 to 2 weeks, and shredded cheese about a month.
| Food | Fridge | Freezer |
|---|---|---|
| Hard cheese (cheddar, Swiss, block parmesan) | 6 monthsfrom purchaseOpened: 3–4 weeks | 6 monthsfrom purchase |
| Soft cheese (brie, goat cheese) | 1–2 weeksfrom purchase | 6 monthsfrom purchase |
| Shredded cheese (cheddar, mozzarella) | 1 monthfrom purchase | 3–4 monthsfrom purchase |
| Grated parmesan, dry | 12 monthsfrom purchase | Not recommended |
| Processed cheese slices | 3–4 weeksfrom purchase | Not recommended |
Fridge at 4 °C (40 °F) or colder, freezer at −18 °C (0 °F). Freezer times are for best quality: food kept frozen stays safe, but slowly loses taste and texture. These times are USDA guidance, not a guarantee. When in doubt, throw it out.
How to tell if cheese has gone bad
- Mold on hard cheese: cut off at least 2.5 cm (1 inch) around and below the spot, keeping the knife out of the mold. The rest of the block is fine.
- Mold on soft, shredded, crumbled or sliced cheese: throw the whole package out, because mold spreads through it easily. Blue cheese and the white rind on brie are meant to be there.
- A sour, ammonia or spoiled-milk smell beyond the cheese's normal aroma.
- A slimy surface, or a hard cheese that has dried out and cracked deeply.
How to store cheese
- Keep cheese in the vegetable drawer or on a lower shelf of the fridge, where the temperature is steady.
- Wrap opened hard cheese in wax or parchment paper, then loosely in plastic or a container. Cheese needs a little air; wrapping it tightly in plastic alone makes it sweat.
- Keep strong cheeses in their own container so their smell doesn't spread to other food.
- Reseal shredded cheese bags tightly and press out the air.
- Take cheese out 30 to 60 minutes before serving for the best flavor, but don't leave soft cheese out for more than 2 hours.
Can you freeze cheese?
Hard and shredded cheeses freeze well for about 6 and 3 to 4 months, but they turn crumbly, so use them for cooking rather than a cheese board. Soft cheeses like brie can be frozen for about 6 months with a softer texture after thawing. The USDA doesn't recommend freezing processed cheese slices or dry grated parmesan. Thaw cheese in the fridge.
Questions
Can you cut mold off cheese?
On hard cheese, yes: cut at least 2.5 cm (1 inch) around and below the mold. On soft, shredded or sliced cheese, no: throw it out, as the mold can spread through it unseen.
How long can cheese sit out?
Soft and fresh cheeses shouldn't stay out for more than 2 hours. Hard aged cheeses hold up longer at room temperature, but they keep their quality best if you put them back in the fridge after serving.
How long does shredded cheese last after opening?
Unopened, about a month in the fridge from purchase. Once opened, follow the time printed on the bag, press the air out and reseal it each time, and throw it out at the first sign of mold.
Add cheese to ShelfLife with its date, and get a reminder before it's past its best.
Related foods
- ButterFridge: 1–2 months
- MilkFridge: until the use-by date
- EggsFridge: 3–5 weeks
- BreadPantry: 14–18 days
Storage times: USDA FoodKeeper (Food Safety and Inspection Service), public domain. Text by ShelfLife.