It’s a good idea to give blue cheese a smell when you’ve just brought it home. That way, you’ll know what it smells like when it’s fresh and be better able to detect when the scent begins to change.
Just as with the scent of the cheese, make sure to note the color of your blue cheese when it’s fresh so it’s easier to spot changes if it goes bad. In addition to color changes, study the cheese to see if its surface appears slimy or fuzzy, and discard if you notice changes in texture.
In most cases, eating a small bit of spoiled blue cheese isn’t going to make you sick, so tasting it isn’t dangerous.
To keep your blue cheese fresh as long as possible, make sure your refrigerator temperature isn’t set above 40 degrees.
Keep in mind that the taste and texture of blue cheese can change slightly when it’s thawed. It loses some of its sharp flavor and usually crumbles more easily.
You can freeze blue cheese that you’ve already opened or served. Just make sure to cut the remaining cheese wedge or divide crumbles into the ½ pound portions as directed.
If you are freezing the cheese, place the double wrapped piece into a plastic freezer bag to protect it from freezer burn. If you’re concerned about the cheese picking up the scent or flavors of other items inside your refrigerator, you may want to place it in an airtight container after it’s been wrapped for additional protection.
