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How to store cheese and cottage cheese.

Milk derivatives such as cheese and cottage cheese have special storage conditions due to the fact that these products are already a dairy dish.

Cottage cheese is the most vulnerable fermented milk product, as it is a breeding ground for harmful bacteria. Despite the fact that cottage cheese production requires high temperatures, it can easily acquire unwanted microorganisms when it cools. Industrial cottage cheese production using sealed packaging and vacuums can delay spoilage to some extent, but not for very long. Opened cottage cheese quickly dries out and becomes hard and unfit for consumption. Cottage cheese made with butter lasts longer after opening without drying out, but it is also a perishable product. Cottage cheese creams, whether made as jelly or as rich creams, such as those made with cream or butter, have a longer shelf life than cottage cheese itself, but even these creams can be stored for up to a week only in the refrigerator.

However, pure cottage cheese can be stored outside the refrigerator for some time, using an old method for storing dairy products. For this storage method, use a small, steamed wooden tub, earthenware, ceramic, or enamel container. Place a layer of dry salt (preferably coarse) on the bottom of the chosen container and place the cottage cheese on the salt layer, ensuring there are no air pockets. Cover the surface of the cottage cheese tightly with a cloth washed without detergents (powder, soap, or liquid detergent), for example, by simply boiling it in water. Pre-soak the cloth in a strong salt solution. Place a lid, a wooden circle, or other convenient device smaller in diameter than the width of the container on the cloth. Place a weight on the circle to press all layers firmly together. Store the container with cottage cheese in a cool place, such as a cellar, basement, or similar (but not in the refrigerator).

The longer the cottage cheese remains moist, the less susceptible it is to hardening, but the more susceptible it is to the growth of microorganisms.

Slightly dried out cottage cheese, unsuitable for eating fresh, can be prepared as a casserole or cheese curds by soaking it first in milk, yoghurt, or water.

Feta cheese is a product similar in consistency to cottage cheese and has a longer shelf life than cottage cheese due to the brine in which it is prepared and stored. Lightly salted varieties of feta cheese have a shorter shelf life than highly salted feta cheese, as the salt and brine act as preservatives. Brine-brine bryndza has the longest shelf life.

If the feta cheese begins to mold, drain the brine, remove the moldy layer, treat the surface of the feta cheese with a cloth soaked in 9% vinegar, and refill with fresh brine. A 15% salt solution is the ideal brine for storing feta cheese. Despite the preservative, it is recommended to store feta cheese in the refrigerator, like cottage cheese, at a temperature of 46 to 50 degrees Fahrenheit (8 to 10 degrees Celsius).

Soft cheeses and curd cheeses have a shelf life similar to that of cream cheese. However, processed cheeses have a much longer shelf life: for example, they can be stored without refrigeration for up to two weeks, and in a refrigerator at a temperature of up to 50 degrees Fahrenheit (to 10 degrees Celsius), they can be stored for up to two months.

Hard or semi-hard cheeses can be stored in the refrigerator for up to one month under proper storage conditions, such as tightly wrapped in waxed paper or a damp cloth rinsed once a day. The lower the refrigerator temperature, the faster the cheeses harden, dry out, and crack, as freezing reduces the humidity in the refrigerator.

Hard or semi-hard cheeses for industrial storage are glazed with wax, which acts as an airtight container. These cheeses can be stored in cool cellars, basements, and similar locations.

Dishes made with cottage cheese, feta cheese and cheese have a much shorter shelf life in the refrigerator than the products themselves (cottage cheese, feta cheese, and cheese). However, sugared or salted cottage cheese can be stored for two days longer than plain cottage cheese, as the salt and sugar act as preservatives.