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What Cheese Amounts to Buy?

One of the main questions people have in their head while purchasing cheese is how much they should get?  Most cheeses will last a good 2 weeks if you keep them airtight in plastic wrap.  We suggest using new plastic wrap and tightly wrap your hand cut wedge or block of cheese you purchased.  If you are concerned and want extra protection, you can place tightly wrapped cheese in a zip lock bag or sealed container.  We also suggest adding a loose piece of paper towel if you have high humidity in your refrigerator.  This will soak up any moisture that is near your cheese. 

All cheese has different moisture amounts. Aged cheese will have the least amount of moisture, meaning that the time it can be stored before eating is longer.  The softer a cheese is the more moisture it will have, meaning you should finish it sooner than later.  If you are purchasing cheese from a deli or farmers market and its cut right there, we recommend you finish any soft cheese within a week or less.  Especially a cheese like fresh mozzarella or Burrata.  I like to tell my customers that don’t know, the best rule of thumb for cheese is only purchase what you know you will consume in 2 weeks or less.  Most cheeses will last longer than that, but its best to not let your cheese sit too long.  I know some of you have those cheese drawers with multiple cheeses in.  Make sure to go through them and toss anything that has too much mold on it.  They will eventually start spreading, so best to check weekly and trim if your pieces are large enough, if it’s a small piece just toss it.  (A quarter lb or less)

Cheese trays, boards, Charcuterie, whatever you want to call them is a variety of cheese and other goodies if you choose to serve as a snack, horseduvers, or even a meal course.  If you are just having cheese, then you will want to do basically 6 to 8 ounces of cheese per person. If you are serving meats and fruit/nuts along with cheese then cut back to 2 to 4 ounces of cheese per person. 

• (Cheese Only)Three cheeses get 8 ounces of each to serve 2 to 4 people
• (Meat, cheese, fruit/nuts) Three cheeses get 3 to 4 ounces of each to serve 2 to 4 people

      Cheese only – times 6 ounces by the number of people you plan on serving.

      Full Board – times 3 ounces by the number of people you plan on serving.

Remember, Cheese is a fantastic snack.  In moderation you are enjoying multiple health benefits. Great source of Calcium, Source of Protein, great for your teeth, high in Vitamin B12, has healthy fats, benefits the immune system and many more.  We can get into that in the next Blog.