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expired cheese

cloudy_christine

13 years ago

So if a sealed packet of fresh goat cheese from France expired three months ago, do I need to throw it out? Or is this just more of the nanny state stuff that protects us from real Reblochon and real Camembert?

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Comments (14)

lindac
13 years ago
Cheese is spoiled already....unless it's got red mold it's just more of what it was....
readinglady
13 years ago
With a fresh French cheese I would be inclined to hew to the recommended date. That date is mandated by French law; it's not an "American thing." When it comes to soft cheeses I trust the French.

American Cheddar is a whole other story.

Carol
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pkramer60
13 years ago
I had a package of Silver Goat chevre cheese that got "lost" in the basement fridge. Nine months past the date and the stuff was phenomanal. Aged a bit more than others so it was stronger but WOW!
cloudy_christine
Original Author
13 years ago
Carol, I agree about trusting the French on cheese. But since the label is in English, it was made for export, and I was thinking the date may be set to comply with American requirements. On the other hand, fresh goat cheese should be quite fresh.
So I guess the question is, how much of a preserver is that kind of package? If it tastes fine, is it safe?
lindac
13 years ago
No.....that date is to taste like a mild whatever it is...
And there is a law that prohibits importing cheese made from unpasteurized milk which is younger than a certain age....Aging of cheese increases the acidity and makes it even safer.
the difference, mainly, between fresh cheese and aged cheese is time....and moisture content. Cheddar starts out as fresh cheese curds....Blue cheese as cottage cheese...without the added cream, and swiss starts as cheese curds before it's cooked.
I don't believe cheese in France "expires"...it is the custom in French homes not to refrigerate cheeses....they sit out under a dome until consumed...getting stronger and more well aged daily.
Your cheese is perfectly safe to eat.....it might not have that fresh milk taste,,,it may taste more well aged....but really REALLY...unless it's got red mold, it's safe.
Linda C
cloudy_christine
Original Author
13 years ago
Thank you. I will report back.
Peppi, I'm glad to hear that you braved it successfully. I have a very nice Sauvignon Blanc and I would like to have some of this among the other cheeses.
Islay_Corbel
13 years ago
Goat's cheese eaten here would more often than not be made with raw milk so would have been mouldy and inedible long ago. If you aren't allowed raw milk cheese from France, there's a good chance that it's been pasturised to within an inch of it's life so well may be fine. look at it and smell it.
As an aside, we do keep cheese in the fridge - even the french have noses hahaha!
laceyvail 6A, WV
13 years ago
The other day I heard Jacques Pepin say on the radio that every 6 months his wife goes through all the cheese in the fridge, cuts off the moldy bits, mixes what's left with garlic and white wine and heats it all until it melts. Then they eat it on toast. Sounded great to me.
lindac
13 years ago
Raw milk cheese doesn't mold faster then cheese made from pasteurized milk.
I believe the goat cheese Cloudy has is that which comes in a cryovac tube. And since it's a short aged cheese, likely pasteurized.
Our laws say that a cheese made from raw milk can't come into this country unless it has been aged a minimum amount of time. I believe that time is 60 days.
I have some French Brie in my refrigerator, but it's not nearly as good as a good domestic brie, because it's made from pasteurized milk. Brie has a short shelf life and by the time it can enter this country, it's nearing "over ripe". I had a "forgotten" brie once...it had gotten buried in the back of the walk in refrigerator. When I poked it with a knife, it squirted! Pee...ewe!!
cloudy_christine
Original Author
13 years ago
Sorry I forgot to report back abouot the cheese. It wasn't good. It had become more liquid aznd unpleasantly sour. I had only a tiny taste and then threw it out.
So why do I let a nice cheese go bad? I think it might be because I'm the only one who eats goat cheese, so I don't open it until I think I'll eat it all pretty quickly. So by trying to keep some of it from being wasted, I end up forgetting it until all of it is wasted!
lindac
13 years ago
It had aged inside the cryovac....and not in a good way!! Like my brie that squirted.

And just so the spammer doesn't pass on bad information...green mold is good! Red mold is bad!!
And as for blue cheese....the mold grows after it is "sealed up"....and exposure to the air greatly increases the mold growth.
papanda
13 years ago
"When in doubt, throw it out."
grainlady_ks
13 years ago
No comment, but an interesting web site that might come in handy on another occasion when we wonder about an "expired" item. -Grainlady

Here is a link that might be useful: Still Tasty
readinglady
13 years ago
I am sorry the cheese was so disappointing. I can't count the number of times when I've cleaned out the fridge only to discover some long-expired morsel I wish I'd consumed on time.

Carol

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