Randy Chandler
Blue cheese is made using cultures of Penicillium, a type of mold. While most molds are toxic to humans, the varieties of Penicillium used to produce blue cheese are safe to consume. Blue cheese can go bad if it is not stored properly. When stored properly, blue cheese can last 3-4 weeks in the refrigerator. It can also be frozen to extend its shelf life. To know if blue cheese has gone bad, you can smell it, look at its color, and taste it. If the blue cheese has an ammonia-like smell, it is probably spoiled. If you notice any signs of spoilage on your blue cheese, you should discard it immediately.
Does raw milk blue cheese go bad?
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Shelf life | 3-4 weeks in the refrigerator; indefinitely in the freezer |
| Signs of spoilage | Fuzzy white, green, pink, or grey spots on the surface; slime on the surface; ammonia-like smell; stale smell; change in taste |
| Ways to delay spoilage | Tightly wrap the cheese; keep the refrigerator temperature below 40 degrees |
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What You'll Learn
How to store raw milk blue cheese
Raw milk blue cheese can be a little tricky to store. The cheese paste is often delicate, with its pierced blue veining, making it more susceptible to oxidation and loss of surface moisture. If you wrap the blue cheese too tightly in plastic or cheese paper, it may develop unwanted bacteria (usually pinkish in colour) due to trapped moisture.
To store raw milk blue cheese, it is best to keep it in a climate with high humidity. The Cheese Grotto is a good option for this, as it self-regulates high humidity with an included clay brick humidifier and has a breathable back panel, allowing fresh air to circulate around the cheese gently. The Cheese Grotto does not require you to wrap your cheese, so it can live in a gently aerated, humid climate that preserves its freshness.
If you do not have a Cheese Grotto, you can still store your raw milk blue cheese in the refrigerator. Make sure your refrigerator temperature is not set above 40 degrees Fahrenheit. You can also store it in the freezer, which will last for up to six months. If you choose to store it in the refrigerator, make sure to wrap it loosely to avoid trapping moisture, which can cause degradation and the growth of unwanted bacteria.
Additionally, it is important to note that blue cheese has a strong scent and sharp taste when fresh. As it ages, it becomes stronger and more biting. If your blue cheese has an ammonia-like smell or tastes too strong to enjoy, it has likely gone bad and should be discarded.
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How long does raw milk blue cheese last?
Blue cheese is made using cultures of Penicillium, a type of mold. Certain types of mold produce compounds called mycotoxins, which are toxic to humans. However, the varieties of Penicillium used to produce blue cheese don't produce toxins and are safe to consume. Blue cheese contains an edible mold that gives it a pungent taste and scent. It's not to everyone's liking, but it's safe to eat.
Blue cheese can go bad if it's not stored properly. To keep your blue cheese fresh for as long as possible, make sure it's tightly wrapped and refrigerated. The refrigerator temperature shouldn't be set above 40 degrees Fahrenheit. If stored properly, blue cheese can last 3–4 weeks in the refrigerator.
If you leave blue cheese unrefrigerated, it will spoil more quickly. It's best to throw it away if it's been left out for two days or more.
You can also freeze blue cheese to extend its shelf life. Freezing may slightly alter its texture and appearance, but it remains safe to eat indefinitely when frozen.
How can you tell if blue cheese has gone bad? The best way is to smell it. Fresh blue cheese has a strong scent, but it changes as it starts to go bad. If it has an ammonia-like smell, it's probably spoiled. Another way to tell is to look at the color of the creamy part of the cheese. If you notice any fuzzy white, green, pink, or grey spots growing on the surface, it has likely gone bad.
In most cases, blue cheese will be safe to eat one to two weeks past its expiration date if it's been stored properly. That means it will typically last about three to four weeks in the refrigerator.
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Signs of spoilage
Blue cheese is made using cultures of Penicillium, a type of mold. While most molds produce mycotoxins, which are toxic to humans, the Penicillium mold used in blue cheese production is safe to consume.
Blue cheese can go bad if not properly stored. If wrapped and refrigerated, blue cheese can last 3–4 weeks. If stored in the freezer, it can last indefinitely, although its texture and appearance may be altered.
The best way to tell if your blue cheese has spoiled is to smell it. Fresh blue cheese has a strong scent, but it changes as it starts to go bad. If it has an ammonia-like smell, it is probably spoiled.
You should also pay attention to the color of the cheese. Fresh blue cheese already has blue or green mold in it, but you want to pay attention to the color of the creamy part of the cheese. If the surface appears slimy or fuzzy, and there are changes in texture, it has likely gone bad.
Tasting the cheese is another way to tell if it has gone bad. Fresh blue cheese has a strong, sharp taste, but old cheese becomes especially biting when it starts to spoil. If it is too strong to enjoy, you should throw it away.
In most cases, eating a small bit of spoiled blue cheese won't make you sick, so tasting it isn't dangerous. However, if there are signs of spoilage, you should discard it immediately.
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Is it safe to eat mouldy blue cheese?
Blue cheese is made with mould, specifically Penicillium roqueforti, which gives the cheese its distinctive blue-grey colour, sharp flavour, and pungent smell. This type of mould is safe for human consumption and may even be healthy.
Blue cheese can go bad, however. The best way to tell if your blue cheese has spoiled is to smell it. Fresh blue cheese has a strong scent, but it changes as it starts to go bad. If it has an ammonia-like smell, it is probably bad. Another way to tell is to look at the colour of the creamy part of the cheese. If its surface appears slimy or fuzzy, it has likely gone bad. You can also taste the cheese, but this should be a last resort. If the blue cheese is too strong to enjoy, it has probably gone bad, and you should throw it away. In most cases, eating a small amount of spoiled blue cheese won't make you sick, so tasting it is usually not dangerous.
Blue cheese should be refrigerated to keep it fresh. If left unrefrigerated, it should be discarded after two days. When refrigerated, blue cheese can last for three to four weeks. If frozen, blue cheese can last for up to six months.
In general, blue cheeses do not really "go bad" but rather age and become stronger in flavour. Over time, the blue mould in the cheese produces ammonia, which reduces the cheese's acidity. This reduction in acidity means that other things can start to grow on the cheese, causing it to spoil.
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Raw milk blue cheese vs. pasteurised milk blue cheese
Blue cheese is made from either pasteurized or raw milk. Raw-milk blue cheese is made from milk that has not been pasteurized, i.e., heated to a certain temperature. Raw milk blue cheese has a unique flavour – a rich array of well-defined flavours and aromatics, depth of complexity, and a unique sense of place. When milk is heated, many naturally occurring flavour-rich enzymes are destroyed, and the cheese loses its flavour-building foundation.
Raw milk blue cheese has live cultures, which can prolong the shelf life of the cheese by keeping away pathogens. However, raw milk cheeses are susceptible to harmful pathogens, and in the US and Canada, the sale of raw milk cheese is forbidden unless the cheese is aged at least 60 days. This aging process is meant to protect consumers from potentially harmful pathogens.
Some popular raw milk blue cheeses include Roquefort, made from unpasteurized sheep's milk, and Great Hill Blue, Bartlett Blue, Bayley Hazen Blue, Maytag Blue, Rogue Creamery Blues, Pt. Reyes Blue, Beenleigh Blue, and Harbourne Blue.
On the other hand, pasteurized blue cheese is made from milk that has been heated to a certain temperature. Pasteurization can destroy or denature the flavour-rich enzymes in milk, but it also ensures that the cheese is safe for consumption.
Some popular pasteurized blue cheeses include Stilton Blue Cheese, made from pasteurized cow's milk, and Comte Cheese, a French cheese with a firm, buttery texture and a sweet, nutty flavour.
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Frequently asked questions
Raw milk blue cheese can last 3–4 weeks in the refrigerator if it is stored properly. It should be wrapped tightly and the refrigerator temperature should not be set above 40 degrees.
The best way to tell if your blue cheese has gone bad is to smell it. Fresh blue cheese has a strong scent, but it changes as it starts to go bad. If it has an ammonia-like smell, it is probably spoiled. You can also look at the colour of the cheese. If you notice fuzzy white, green, pink, or grey spots growing on the surface, it has likely gone bad.
In most cases, eating a small bit of spoiled blue cheese isn't going to make you sick, so tasting it isn't dangerous. However, food spoilage is often caused by mould, and some types of mould can produce harmful toxins.
You can extend the shelf life of raw milk blue cheese by freezing it. It will remain safe indefinitely when frozen, although freezing it may slightly alter its texture and appearance.
Blue cheese is made using cultures of Penicillium, a type of mould. The varieties of Penicillium used to produce blue cheese don't produce toxins and are considered safe to consume.
