Formaticum Cheese Storage Bags - Wax Paper Bags to Keep Cheese or Charcuterie Fresh - Professional Grade Cheese Paper for Wrapping Cheese - Porous Brown Paper Bags From France - 6.25 x 11 (15 Pack)

Product Information

Translucent plastic also lets light in, which can oxidize the cheese and create off-flavors on its outer surface. That’s why it’s always a good idea to lightly scrape a knife against the cut surfaces of plastic-wrapped cheeses, especially if they’ve been sitting under bright fluorescent lights at the grocery store for who knows how long. But for most varieties, plastic wrap is the least desirable cheese storage option . That’s because a tight seal of plastic doesn’t allow your cheese to breathe the way other storage methods do.

We see cheese vacuum-sealed and wrapped in clear plastic all the time, everywhere from fine cheese shops to supermarket shelves. Depending on the variety, cheeses are aged for anywhere from a few weeks to several months to several years. As long as the wheels remain whole, they’ll keep aging and developing. Once your neighborhood cheesemonger or cheesemaker cuts into that cheese, the aging process stops. Cheese is a living food. It needs to breathe. That’s the guiding principle of storing cheese, and here’s why.

New customer?

While wax wraps are reusable, you have to wash them between uses, which means more work. And eventually, they lose the waxy coating that protects the cheese. They can be composted, if that’s something you have access to, but you still have to replace them regularly. Not the most sustainable option. Because of this, it’s important that your cheese storage method allows your cheese to breathe without letting it dry out. In our experience, these wraps—a piece of fabric coated with beeswax, resin, and jojoba oil—work okay for storing cheese when used correctly. But that doesn’t mean your cheese stays static. It’s still teeming with the beneficial microbes—bacteria, yeasts, and molds—that transformed it from pale, flavorless curd into rich, aromatic cheese. Because of this, the cheeses you buy will continue to grow and change in your refrigerator or on your counter, and how you store them affects how soon they develop off-flavors, undesirable textures, premature molding, or other issues that make them less delicious to eat.

The Cheese Grotto can also be used to store cheeses in your refrigerator for longer-term storage. It’ll stay fresh for up to 3 weeks unwrapped. When you’re ready to serve your cheese, simply take the Grotto out of your refrigerator at least an hour before you want to dig in to allow the cheese to come up to room temperature. That way, it will taste lively and flavorful, with smooth, supple textures when you’re ready to eat. The best part? There’s no wrapping needed—which means no waste and no ongoing costs. Just delicious, fresh-tasting cheese in a beautiful box that you can store on your counter or in your refrigerator.

Already a customer?

Despite the name, cheese paper is actually made from a layer of paper and a layer of plastic fused together. The plastic has teeny tiny perforations, essential for allowing air and moisture to flow out. This paper-plastic combo works great for protecting your cheese from the off-flavors and drying air of your fridge while also letting it breathe. Of course, there are some exceptions. The mozzarella you’re about to put on pizza, or the cheddar you’re grating up for mac ‘n’ cheese? Those don’t need to come up to room temperature before eating, since you’re getting ready to melt them anyway. We developed the Cheese Grotto to be the perfect home for all your cheeses. It creates the humidity your cheese needs to taste its best and extend its shelf life, and it looks great while doing it. Think of it as a humidor for cheese, simulating the high-moisture , protected conditions of the cheese cave If you have a cool space in your home between 45 to 60 degrees, like a cellar or basement, you can even use the Grotto to age your own cheese. It’s like having a cheese cave in your home. How cool is that? This means it can’t release gases like ammonia, which can build up and create unpleasant flavors and aromas in your cheese. Plastic wrap traps moisture, which can promote the growth of undesirable bacteria—not the good bacteria native to the cheese, but the kind of microbes that can create off-flavors or lead to potential food safety issues.