In general, the harder the cheese the longer it keeps. Of course, it lasts for a shorter period of time if it is not stored properly. But remember, cheese, like a lot of other dairy products, usually has a "sell by date" or a "best by date" which are simply the last date by which a manufacturer will vouch for a product's quality, not its safety. Because of this distinction, you may safely use cheese to compliment your favorite meals even after a "best by date" has lapsed.

How to tell if Hard Cheese is bad, rotten or spoiled?

Practicing proper hygiene and food safety techniques will help prevent foodborne illness.

Although not a perfect test, your senses are usually the most reliable instruments to tell if your its gone bad.

Some common traits of cheese going bad are a darker color and harder texture accompanied by a stronger smell. Your cheese has gone bad when you see or smell mold growth. Once mold is visible, you should throw away any of the softer cheeses. Likewise, if there is mold on some of your shredded cheese, the entire container should be thrown out. For firmer cheeses, if you cut away the mold and an inch of the cheese surrounding the mold (without touching the mold with your knife) it is still fine to cook with .[1] Although some molds on cheese are harmless (as with blue cheese), some produce very dangerous toxins.

There are, of course, certain health risks associated with spoiled foods so always remember to practice food safety and enjoy your foods before their shelf life has expired!

How to store Hard Cheese to extend its shelf life?

You can help cheese keep fresh longer by storing it in your refrigerator at 40°F or lower immediately after each use. It should also be stored either in its original wrapper or a tightly closed container to keep out moisture and other contaminants. Bacteria can't grow as readily in dry environments, which is why hard cheese keeps longer than soft. Cheeses should be kept out for no longer than two hours at a time as it will quickly degrade as its temperature increases.

The exception is containers of Kraft dry parmesan cheese which do not have to be refrigerated. In fact they last just as long in a pantry and actually better since it tends to form clumps if left in the fridge.

For a long-term option, with the exception again of parmesan blocks, you can freeze your hard cheese for a few months while preserving its taste if you use a freezer safe container that is void of oxygen. While letting the formerly frozen cheese thaw in your refrigerator is the preferred method, some may be used in their frozen state for baking. Cheeses may change texture when frozen and appear to be dry and crumbly when thawed. Some cheeses, like semi-soft mozzarella, freeze better than others and can be baked from their frozen state.

Some benefits of proper food storage include eating healthier, cutting food costs and helping the environment by avoiding waste.

Interesting facts about Hard Cheese :

How long is Hard Cheese good for when prepared in a dish?

How long does cheese last? That depends. How long do eggs last? In general, hard, semi-hard or processed cheese lasts only as long as the quickest expiring ingredient it is mixed with.

What are our shelf life resources?

In determining how long Hard Cheese lasts, our content incorporates research from multiple resources, including the United States Department of Agriculture and the United States Food & Drug Administration. In addition, we scoured the web for informative articles and reports related to food safety, food storage and the shelf life of Hard Cheese .

*An important note about expiration dates...

Although the Hard Cheese shelf life information on Eat By Date is generally reliable, please remember that individual cases will vary and that our advice should only be taken as an opinion and not a replacement for your health care professional. Please eat responsibly!