Fresh cheese

Storage

Plain, with vegetables or fresh fruit, spread on bread, used in cooked meals and in desserts, on canapés and as a garnish for salads, they’re very versatile and always ready to lend their delicate taste and rich texture to any of your culinary whims.

The shelf life of fresh cheese is the shortest of all cheese categories: 2 weeks or more according to the cheese. So put your trust in the "best before" label on the package.

Freezing

Fresh cheese do not freeze well. Given their very high moisture level, freezing alters their texture, but their taste remains the same. It is preferable to use previously frozen fresh cheese in cooked dishes. Freezing will not affect dishes cooked with fresh cheese.

Soft cheese

How to enjoy them

Ontario soft cheese are often enjoyed at the end of a meal with crusty bread, a few grapes or with a glass of red wine. They also are favourites at "Wine and Cheese" tastings. But, these cheese also delight numerous gourmets and cheese lovers who eat slices in sandwiches, add them to hot soups or incorporate them into everyday dishes.

To fully appreciate all the qualities of these cheese, remember to take them out of the refrigerator about 45 minutes to an hour before eating them. They will then be at their best!

Storage

Your cheese will stay fresh for many days if it is well wrapped in aluminum foil or plastic wrap. As an example, young Brie and Camembert cheese will keep for about a month. If the cheese is ripe and kept under good conditions, it will last for about 2 weeks.

Store your soft cheese in the lower shelf of your refrigerator, far from foods with strong odours, to avoid absorption of unwanted tastes and smells. If you follow these rules, your refrigerator’s vegetable drawer will make a good storage place.

Freezing

The delicate texture of soft cheese with bloomy rinds may be altered by freezing, but the taste will remain intact. You might want to use leftover pieces of Brie or Camembert in a soup or a salad! If, however, you freeze them for a short period, make sure they are carefully wrapped in aluminium foil and place them in an airtight freezer bag. As with all types of cheese, it is important to cool them before freezing, and to allow them to thaw slowly in the refrigerator, letting the cheese to regain the humidity lost while frozen.

Semi-soft

How to enjoy them

On pizza, in lasagna, in pasta dishes, in quiches or in sandwiches. They give taste to soups, they garnish salads and add considerable nutritional value to any meal. And they’re wonderful in fondues to warm those cold winter evenings!

For the simple pleasure of appreciating their aromas and tastes, semi-soft cheese are great additions to a tray, either for a tasting or to end a good meal. Their variety is so vast that one of them is sure to please any type of cheese lover, from the timid to the most expert.

Storage

These cheese keep very well in their original packaging, if you take care to place them in the least cold section of the refrigerator. It is recommended to rewrap certain cheese when necessary: if no aluminum foil is available, plastic wrap will do. The vegetable drawer is a good place to store them, as long as they don’t come in contact with other foods.

Well wrapped, they will keep from one week to one month. To know more on how to store these different cheese, refer to their description. If mould starts to form (whitish traces), remove the affected area and then wrap the cheese in paper towel before repackaging.

Freezing

Almost all semi-soft cheese can be frozen, but their delicate texture may be slightly altered. However, their taste will not be affected. Remember that cooking with leftover cheese is always a delicious alternative! If you wish to freeze them, make sure they are well wrapped in aluminum foil. Place them in freezer bags and remove the air.

Before freezing, allow them to cool in the refrigerator. It is also preferable to let the cheese thaw in the refrigerator to allow it to regain the humidity lost when frozen.

Firm Cheese

How to enjoy them

Ontario firm cheese offer a great flexibility of use. They keep very well. They are delicious by themselves and can also be used in a thousand different ways in the kitchen. Pastas, cooked dishes, quiches, omelets, gratins, sandwiches and salads couldn't survive without them! At any meal, these cheese add taste and nutritional value.

Storage

Firm cheese keep very well, from a few weeks to several months. In fact, cheeses continue to ripen and to develop the different tastes appreciated by a growing number of consumers. To learn more about shelf life for the different cheese, you can access their respective description from this list.

Store your cheese in their original packages, in aluminum foil or in airtight plastic containers. If whitish traces appear on the cheese, indicating the beginning of mould, cut off the affected part and wrap the cheese in paper towel before repackaging it. Your fridge’s vegetable drawer is always the best place to store your cheese.

Well wrapped, set apart from the vegetables contained in the drawer, they will keep for a long time.

Freezing

Once grated, firm cheese like Cheddar, Swiss or Emmental survive well in the freezer. Their texture is slightly altered, but they become more brittle and are easier to use in dishes such as gratins. If you prefer to grate the cheese before freezing, make sure to place the cheese in a freezer bag and to cool it in the refrigerator before placing in the freezer.

After a thawing period in the refrigerator, your cheese is ready to be used! Its taste is not affected by freezing done under proper conditions.

Hard cheese

How to enjoy them

Pasta dishes seem bland without Parmesan! Ontario hard cheese add that little something that never goes unnoticed and heightens the taste of vegetables, omelets, gratins, quiches, pizza and soups.

Combined with Cheddar, Mozzarella or Emmental, they add a sharp bite that will make your favorite dishes a success.

Storage

If stored under good conditions, the quality and taste of hard cheese ripen and become more pronounced. Nevertheless, any prolonged exposure to air or to temperatures over 4°C will accelerate ripening, forming of moulds and colour changes to the surface.

So, change the packaging frequently, wrap them carefully in aluminum foil and keep them in an airtight plastic container. The refrigerator’s vegetable drawer is the ideal place to store your hard cheese.

Parmesan, for instance, has a shelf live of several months. You can learn more on storing Parmesan by clicking here.

Freezing

You can safely freeze small quantities (500 g) of hard cheese, whether grated, in shavings or in pieces. Freezing can bring some slight changes in texture, but it does not alter the taste.

Remember to let the cheese cool in the refrigerator before placing it in the freezer, and also to let it thaw in the refrigerator after freezing.

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