Why wrapping matters
Cheese is a living thing, at least in the microbiological sense. The cultures, moulds and bacteria that give a good cheese its character keep working after it leaves the cheesemonger's counter, and they need air to do it. Seal a piece of Stilton or Montgomery Cheddar tightly in cling film and you cut off that airflow, trap moisture against the paste and create exactly the sodden, ammoniated conditions that accelerate genuine spoilage.
The standard advice from cheesemongers — consistent across the trade — is to wrap cheese in waxed paper or baking paper first, then place it loosely in a container or box. The paper lets the cheese breathe while protecting it from drying out. The container adds a buffer against fridge odours and keeps humidity more stable. It is a small change, but the difference in how long a cheese stays agreeable is considerable.
Where in the fridge to put it
The vegetable or salad drawer at the bottom of the fridge is your best option. It tends to be slightly warmer than the shelves above and holds a little more ambient moisture — a reasonable stand-in for the cool, humid conditions of a proper cheese larder.
Avoid the coldest zones: the back of the top shelf or directly beneath the freezer compartment. Temperatures that drop too low affect hard cheeses in ways that aren't always recoverable, leaving a dry, crumbling texture rather than the pleasant crystalline crunch of a well-aged Comté. Always bring cheese out of the fridge at least an hour before eating. Cold mutes flavour; a cheese served at room temperature has an entirely different aromatic range from the same piece served straight from the fridge.
Hard, soft and everything in between
How long a cheese keeps depends largely on its moisture content. Hard, aged cheeses — a well-made Cheddar, Parmesan, Manchego — lose most of their moisture during maturation, which is why they keep well. Properly wrapped and stored in a cool spot, a firm hard cheese can stay in good condition for several weeks.
Semi-soft and washed-rind cheeses have more moisture and more active surface cultures, making them more volatile. Eat them within a few days of bringing them home, a week at most. Fresh cheeses such as ricotta or chèvre are straightforward perishables: use them quickly and keep them in a sealed container rather than wrapped. Soft-ripened cheeses such as Brie or Camembert are best kept in their original box where possible, which provides both airflow and structural support as the paste softens.
Bloom versus spoilage
This is where many people go wrong, either discarding perfectly good cheese or occasionally eating something they shouldn't.
A white, powdery or slightly furry bloom on the rind of a Brie or a washed-rind is almost always the cheese doing what it is supposed to do. These surface moulds are intentional and edible. A little additional white or blue-grey mould on the cut face of a hard cheese is also generally harmless — cut it away with a margin and the rest is fine.
Genuine spoilage looks and smells different. Black or pink mould, a slimy surface that lacks the characteristic stickiness of a washed-rind, or a sharp ammonia smell that doesn't dissipate once the cheese has had a few minutes to air — these are signs that something has gone wrong. Trust your nose as much as your eyes. A cheese that smells strongly unpleasant, as opposed to robustly pungent in the way it is meant to be, is telling you something clear.
On freezing
Freezing cheese is possible, but it changes the texture. Ice crystals break down the structure of the paste, leaving it crumbly once thawed. This is acceptable if the cheese is going into a sauce or a toasted dish where texture is secondary to flavour. For eating as cheese, freezing is not recommended. Keep it in the fridge, wrapped properly, and eat it while it is still itself.
