Cheese lovers, rejoice. There's a handy way to preserve cheese longer so you can enjoy it more.
A doctor shared his cheese-saving hack on Instagram, which may help you save money on groceries while eliminating wasteful, single-use plastic bags.
The scoop
In a viral video, Dr. Karan Rajan (@drkaranrajan) shared how cheese is alive and how sealing it in a plastic bag suffocates it. A better alternative is putting it in cheese storage paper, especially for softer varieties with a higher water content.
According to the USDA, soft cheeses can typically only be refrigerated for one week and don't freeze well.
"This is because the moisture can get trapped by the plastic bag and cover the cheese surface. And this provides a breeding ground for bacteria and mold," Dr. Rajan said in the video.
He recommended cheese paper or wax or parchment instead of a plastic bag.
"For most cheeses, plastic bags fail to provide the right balance of moisture and air flow, making them less than adequate homes for your lovely cheese," Dr. Rajan said.
How it's helping
Dr. Rajan's hack effectively helps cheese last longer and reduces food waste and unnecessary plastic usage.
Food waste is a real problem worldwide, especially as Americans toss around $1,200 of food annually. Keeping your food fresh longer is an excellent way to save money and keep your food out of landfills, where it contributes to planet-heating pollution.
Cheese paper is typically compostable, biodegradable, and sustainable, unlike plastic bags, which cannot be recycled, never decompose, and break down into microplastics that pollute our water and impact our health.
When you store your cheese in cheese paper, you reduce your household's reliance on plastic and contribute to a healthier and more sustainable future for your family and the planet.
What people are saying
Instagram followers loved this hack, although they jokingly pointed out that delicious cheese rarely lasts very long in their homes anyway.
"Very good information!!!" one Instagrammer wrote in the comments.
"More sustainable too," a user commented,
"Parchment paper is also fine," another responded. "No need to spend more money on 'cheese storage paper' if you already have parchment paper."
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