If your block of cheese has gotten moldy, don't worry. Just slice the mold off and then you can use the rest of the cheese. It is very safe.
By Robin from Washington, IA
Editor's Note: Here are some guidelines that can be found the FDA's website.
FOOD
HANDLING
REASON
Hard cheese (not cheese where mold is part of the
processing)
Use. Cut off at least 1 inch around and below
the mold spot (keep the knife out of the mold
itself so it will not cross-contaminate other
parts of the cheese). After trimming off the
mold, re-cover the cheese in fresh wrap.
Mold generally cannot penetrate deep into the
product.
Cheese made with mold (such as Roquefort,
blue, Gorgonzola, Stilton, Brie, Camembert)
Discard soft cheeses such as Brie and
Camembert if they contain molds that are not a
part of the manufacturing process.
If surface mold is on hard cheeses such as
Gorgonzola and Stilton, cut off mold at least
1 inch around and below the mold spot and
handle like hard cheese (above).
Molds that are not a part of the manufacturing
process can be dangerous.
Soft cheese (such as cottage, cream cheese,
Neufchatel, chevre, Bel Paese, etc.)
Crumbled, shredded, and sliced cheeses (all
types)
Discard
Foods with high moisture content can be
contaminated below the surface. Shredded,
sliced, or crumbled cheese can be contaminated
by the cutting instrument. Moldy soft cheese
can also have bacteria growing along with the
mold.
After you trim the mold off of hard cheese, (Cheddar, Jack, etc.,) wipe all the surfaces of the cheese with a paper towel or cheese cloth saturated with vinegar. Use what you need & then wrap your left over cheese in the vinegar saturated towel or cloth, place in a FRESH plastic bag and squeeze out as much air as you can before sealing. Your cheese will keep for a considerable time afterward and the vinegar doesn't make the cheese taste any different.
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