Does Gorgonzola Go Bad?

Gorgonzola is a unique cheese that is marbled or veined with blue color. This is the reason it is also known as “blue cheese.”  Made from unskimmed cow’s milk, it tastes quite salty from the blue-veined part. Gorgonzola is produced and used worldwide in various recipes.

It mostly doesn’t finish with a single-use, and you wonder if you can store the remaining cheese for future use or not. As with all the edible things, especially dairy products, the Gorgonzola can go bad. However, you can increase its shelf life and use it for a longer duration by storing properly. Read on to know-how!

How to Store Gorgonzola

Fortunately, you can store Gorgonzola for a longer duration and keep on using it frequently. This cheese has the characteristic blue veining made by inserting and removing metal rods, quickly creating air channels. In this way, mold spores start to grow, giving the cheese its specific texture and taste.

These already present molds are safe to eat as they are produced by an edible mold (Penicillium) culture. The question arises: Can the blue Gorgonzola go bad so that it is not safe to eat? Yes, it does; thus, the following are the ways to store it.

Preconditioning

Unlike most cheese varieties, you don’t have to store Gorgonzola in the fridge casually. Rather you can keep it outside for some time till the cheese gets firmer as it ripens.

Don’t Wrap Tightly

The Gorgonzola has living bacteria on its surface; thus, it needs air. Wrapping it tightly in a plastic bag or wrap is not a good idea as it can deteriorate the taste. It would be best if you reuse the foil which comes with the cheese. Otherwise, use wax paper or parchment.

Refrigerate It

Put the moderately wrapped cheese inside the fridge to lasts for longer. Wrapping helps in retaining the taste of edibles as other odors from the fridge get mixed within.

Freeze It

Freezing is another method that can make it last longer. If you didn’t freeze it first and now the bacteria started to appear, you better discard such cheese.

In another case, if the mold is on the surface, then you can cut that contaminated part carefully and use the rest.

Can You Freeze Gorgonzola

You can certainly freeze your leftover Gorgonzola to use it in complementing your recipes later. However, we mentioned that you must not wrap it in a plastic cover, but the same thing won’t be implied if you store the cheese in the freezer.

Cut the larger cheese bar into smaller chunks of about half a pound. Wrap these portions in freezer wrap or keep them in a freezer bag to freeze for longer. A freezer bag is important because it prevents the ice crystals from growing inside the foodstuff retaining its natural condition.

Typically, it remains good for use for a maximum of 3 months in the freezer.

How Long Does Gorgonzola Last

The going bad of Gorgonzola depends on various conditions. If you bought it right after manufacturing, it could go well outside for 2-3 days (keeping the temperature cold to moderate). It is never recommended to place the cheese on the kitchen counter on hot days.

The refrigerated cheese can easily live for about 3 to 4 weeks having no change in its taste and quality. The cheese must not be wrapped tightly to make it breathe in the refrigerator, retaining a longer life.

Other than these two ways, you can make Gorgonzola last for almost 2-3 months by freezing it. Freeze it by the method we mentioned above and enjoy its longer shelf life. Ensure that the cheese is covered in its foil and carton package or the freezer bag in the freezer. Make sure to use this frozen cheese after thawing in cooked dishes only.

How To Tell If Gorgonzola Is Bad

As you get to know that Gorgonzola already has a blue texture which is healthy bacteria. This unique blue cheese can get other bacteria which is unsafe to eat. If not stored properly, the cheese is likely to get it. You can notice the Gorgonzola go bad by the following signs:

• Presence of non-native Mold: Other than the blue cheese’s native mold, if you notice a greyish fuzzy mold, then the cheese is going bad. Slice it half a centimeter away from the creamy part with the help of a knife to use the rest. If the shredded cheese got this mold, then there discard it.
• Unpleasant Smell: If the creamy or off-white part of the cheese turned green, pink, brown, or yellow, it would start producing an ammonia-like smell. It is a strong indicator that Gorgonzola is bad.
• Altered Texture: The dry, or crumbly, cheese texture directs that it is past its prime.

Sources

• Can It Go Bad
• Does It Go Bad
• Still Tasty