How To Store Real Parmesan, According to a Cheese Expert

As a granddaughter of Italian immigrants, the importance of a good parer was drilled into me at a young age. My grandparents devoted themselves to reality that they had blocked us from Brooklyno from Parmigiano Reggiano. The cheese usually arrived intact, but it would occasionally be shaped overnight.

I recently took a tub with grated Parmesan and wondered why this stuff stays so fresh when the cheese blocks of my childhood were much more perishable. So I consulted chef Michele Casadei Massari, US brand ambassador for Parmigiano Reggiano. ask some memory questions.

The best way to store Parmigiano Reggiano

Massari always recommends “buying Parmigiano in a wedge or a whole piece instead of buying it before grip”, since the taste and texture of the cheese decrease in pre -found options.

Store the cheese in a glass or plastic container or in adhesive packaging. “Always store your Parmigiano in the refrigerator, far away from other foods because the cheese absorbs other smells in your fridge,” he advises.

While Massari refers to Parmigiano Reggiano, parmesan and other similar hard cheese can be saved in the same way and should always be cooled.

How long will Parmigiano Reggiano last?

In vacuum packaging, the cheese can take several months in the fridge. Check how all foods like all foods the best of date in your package to get instructions.

Apart from that, when buying a freshly cut piece Parmigiano, depending on ripening, it vary from 12 to 18 months (so that a higher moisture content) can be kept for about 15 days. Parmigiano Reggiano with a maturation of 24 months can be kept for about a month for about a month. ”

In other words, the more mature or “aged” the Parmigiano, the longer it will last.

What are treacherous signs that Parmigiano Reggiano has become bad?

If your cheese has a sharp fragrance, throw it. Otherwise, “is a small mold that develops on the cheese is not necessarily a sign that it has become bad in quality or has worsened in quality, but a side effect of a small humidity.” As long as you cut off every shape, you can still enjoy the cheese.

With the pre -cheese cheese, the presence of mold means.

If your cheese is hard or dry, you cannot “save” it, but there are many ways to use the shells. You can add them to soups and risotto to infuse them with taste and reject the bark before serving.

Ultimately, “if you take care of your Parmigiano,” says Massari, “it should” take the best “before the date.

What is the difference between Parmigiano Reggiano and Parmesan?

Massari reminded me that there was a difference between Parmesan and Parmigiano Reggiano (just as Nonna said!), Even if the terms are sometimes used interchangeable.

“Parmigiano Reggiano has the EU name of the protected origin designation (PDO),” he says, “which indicates that it has distinguishable features with its area of ​​origin. It must be manufactured in the provinces of Parma, Reggio Emilia, Modena, Mantua or Bologna.”

This protected cheese is also characterized by unique aging processes. Parmigiano’s production is made from just three ingredients (Lennet, salt and non -pasteurized milk) and is strictly “established craftsmanship and natural methods”.

This explains why this Parmesan bought in the shop is not as easy as Hunken from Parmigiano Reggiano: Anti-Molding active ingredients are often added to extend its durability (they will never find those in real Parmigiano Reggiano).

In addition, Massari says: “Every single bike by Parmigiano Reggiano is inspected by a master of the Consorzio del Parmigiano Reggiano, the official management committee of the product.”

Similar cheese in the United States, such as Parmesan, “are not subject to strict aging requirements, regulations and quality standards from Parmigiano Reggiano,” explains Massari. “The taste of the two products varies greatly.”