Whether you’re making a charcuterie board, don’t have fridge space, or don’t like the taste of cold cheese, you need a cheese that can stay at room temperature. This idea may sound odd, as dairy products typically shouldn’t remain at room temperature. Fortunately, with the wonderful science of cheese, some allow for just that. Whatever your cheese needs are, here are four great cheeses that don’t need refrigeration.
Pecorino Romano
Pecorino Romano is a hard Italian cheese made entirely from sheep’s milk, iconic for its hard crumbly texture and salty tang. Classic meats, such as salami and prosciutto, go well with this cheese and pair best with sweet, fruity wines. To keep this cheese fresh and ready for munching, wrap it in aluminum foil and keep it in a cool, dry place until ready to serve.
Aged Gouda
Similar to parmesan in terms of texture, aged gouda sports a deliciously buttery and nutty flavor. Some even liken the taste to \caramel or butterscotch, given its sweetness. Bold meats go well with this cheese, including chorizo or calabrese. You can also pair it with sweet fruits and baked goods. Wrap aged gouda in parchment or wax paper, cover it with plastic wrap, store it in a lidded container, and place it in a cool, dark place.
Asiago D’Allevo
You may start to notice a texture theme here, and there’s a reason for that! The harder the cheese is, the less moisture is in the cheese, and the better it lasts outside of the fridge. Asiago d’Allevo is no different and, in fact, comes in three graduations of hardness: mezzano (aged for 6 months), vecchio (over 10 months), and stravecchio (2 years). This cheese often features on salads, pasta, and pizza due to its almond and buttery flavor.
This cheese is tricky to keep, but those dedicated to its deliciousness can manage it. You must cover Asiago d’Allevo with a moist cheesecloth, wrap it in parchment, seal the item with tape, and store it in a cool dark location. However, you should moisten the cheesecloth every day to prevent it from drying out.
Appenzeller
This straw-colored hard cheese is actually from Switzerland and, depending on how long cheese makers age it, can vary from a mild to a very sharp tang. It smells rather strong and usually has an aromatic-fruity flavor. This cheese suits gourmet pasta and pairs well with smoky meats. But if you’re looking for a good drink to pair it with, hard cider or Riesling are the perfect matches.
While these four great cheeses don’t need refrigeration, they do need delicious meat to go with them, and that’s where we come in. Vincent’s Meat Market is a butcher shop in NYC dedicated to providing you with high-quality, fresh meat shipped right to your door. With us, you never have to search high and low for the perfect meat and cheese pairing—we’ll send it right to you.
FAQs
Soft cheeses such as cream cheese, cottage cheese, shredded cheeses, and goat cheese must be refrigerated for safety. As a general rule, hard cheeses such as cheddar, processed cheeses (American), and both block and grated Parmesan do not require refrigeration for safety, but they will last longer if kept refrigerated.
What cheese stays good without refrigeration? ›
Soft cheeses such as cream cheese, cottage cheese, shredded cheeses, and goat cheese must be refrigerated for safety. As a general rule, hard cheeses such as cheddar, processed cheeses (American), and both block and grated Parmesan do not require refrigeration for safety, but they will last longer if kept refrigerated.
What cheeses are best room temperature? ›
Hard cheeses, such as cheddar and Parmigiana Reggiano, have a a much lower moisture content and consequently, are safe for up to eight hours.
What cheese stays fresh the longest? ›
Parmesan. If you're looking for one sturdy cheese that will last in your fridge for as long as you need it, go with Parm. Thanks to a long aging process and higher salt content, your Parmesan will be just fine for just about as long as you need it. Even if it dries out a bit, it will still be "grate" over pasta.
What cheese is shelf stable? ›
Processed Medium Cheddar has a hint of sharpness, smooth and firm in texture. It is completely shelf stable and does not require any refrigeration.
Do Babybel cheeses need to be refrigerated? ›
Does the cheese need to be refrigerated? Mini Babybel® cheese should be refrigerated at all times when not being consumed. We advise that when taken on the go, cheese is safe unrefrigerated for 2-4 hours, and remaining cheese, if there is any, can then be safely returned to the fridge.
Can gouda cheese be left unrefrigerated? ›
Gouda cheeses remain perfectly fine outside the refrigerator. When the cheese is hot, 'sweaty' or soft at delivery, simply put the cheese in the refrigerator and you will see that the cheese becomes 'hard' again (the heat during transport will not compromise the quality and / or the taste of the cheese).
Does brie cheese need to be refrigerated? ›
It is desirable but not necessarily essential to refrigerate the likes of brie, camembert and blue cheeses but it is likely to make it last just that little bit longer.
How long will cheddar cheese last unrefrigerated? ›
As cheddar cheese is a type of hard cheese, it can be kept at room temperature for up to 8 hours before it starts to lose its exquisite taste. Keeping your cheddar in the fridge maintains its freshness for longer and helps to prevent spoiling and the growth of harmful bacteria.
Does Swiss cheese need to be refrigerated? ›
Swiss cheese doesn't actually have to be refrigerated. Refrigeration only keeps the cheese from getting moldy as fast. It may “sweat” or get hard around the edges if you leave it out for too long, but it won't hurt you to eat.
Aged Cheddar
Cheddar, in general, is higher in acidity and salt than other cheeses, meaning that it's almost invincible when it comes to bacteria. Even younger Cheddar will last pretty well in your fridge (especially when stored properly), but anything aged more than a year will be quite hardy.
When should you throw out cheese? ›
After opening, you can safely store most soft cheeses in the fridge for at least 7 days and most hard cheeses for 3–4 weeks. Carefully inspect hard cheeses for mold and cut off any spots, but toss soft cheeses and crumbled, shredded, or sliced cheeses (whether hard or soft) if you see mold.
What cheese has the best shelf life? ›
Semi-hard and hard cheeses have lower moisture content due to their longer aging process, and this lower moisture content lends to a longer shelf life than other types of cheese. These cheeses can last anywhere from two to four months unopened and properly refrigerated.
What is the best cheese to keep unrefrigerated? ›
4 Great Cheeses That Don't Need Refrigeration
- Pecorino Romano. Pecorino Romano is a hard Italian cheese made entirely from sheep's milk, iconic for its hard crumbly texture and salty tang. ...
- Aged Gouda. ...
- Asiago D'Allevo. ...
- Appenzeller.
The "Original", most popular, Mini Babybel is an Edam-style cheese made from pasteurised milk, rennet, lactic ferments, and salt. It is made using traditional Edam-making processes, except that rennet from vegetarian – rather than animal – sources is used. It is also naturally lactose-free.
What Parmesan cheese doesn't need to be refrigerated? ›
Parmigiano Reggiano
You may know it as Parmesan, which is how many people outside of Europe identify this cheese. Parmigiano is a hard, dry cheese that many people often grate into shredded cheese. Due to how dry it is, you won't need to refrigerate this cheese, though refrigeration can help it last even longer.
How long can cheese be unrefrigerated and still be good? ›
How long can cheese sit out before it becomes unsafe to eat? For the best taste and quality, cheese should not be left out for longer than two hours at room temperature. Hard cheeses can be left out longer without becoming unsafe, but the quality and taste may change.
How do you keep cheese fresh without a refrigerator? ›
06/7Use wax or parchment paper for storing cheese
For those who cannot find cheese paper, wrap the leftover cheese in wax or parchment paper and then put it in a partially sealed plastic bag. Doing so will create a barrier between the cheese and the plastic, while the plastic keeps it from getting dry.
What dairy doesn't need refrigeration? ›
Milk is made shelf-stable (refrigeration not required for storage) by it at a higher temperature. Which is called ultra-high temperature pasteurization, or UHT pasteurization. Traditional milk is heated up to at least 161 degrees for 15 seconds to kill harmful bacteria in the milk.
Does vacuum sealed cheese need to be refrigerated? ›
For example, cheese in vacuum-sealed packaging not stored in the refrigerator will only last a maximum of a few days. In fact, there is only one specific case where cheese can be stored without refrigeration, which is the whole cheese.
