Almost everything goes well with goat cheese. You’ll never run out of recipes to use goat cheese in your meals, whether it’s for breakfast, snacks, lunch, or even dinner.
Cream cheese, blue cheese, cheddar cheese, crottin, American cheese, and many other variants are available. So, whether you want something sweet or something savory, goat cheese has a place for everyone.
Because goat cheese is delicious like cottage cheese because it comes from goat’s milk, you may find yourself unable to resist buying a large quantity at the grocery store.
However, upon purchasing, you are curious about its shelf life and how you can know if it is expired. Don’t worry because we will give you the necessary information about goat cheese. (Learn How Long Do Deviled Eggs Stay Good In The Refrigerator)
What Is the Shelf Life of Goat Cheese? Is Goat Cheese Perishable?
Yes, goat cheese, like other dairy products, can become bad. However, its shelf life depends on a number of things. The type of goat cheese you’re using, how you’ve stored it, and how it was made all play a factor in how long goat cheese will last.
To make things easier for you, we’ll focus on the three primary types of goat cheese that you’re most likely to purchase:
1. Fresh Goat Cheese
This variety comes in various forms and sizes but is most typically fashioned like a rectangle shape. It’s quite simple to disseminate. This can be kept in its original container or a plastic bag.
2. Soft Ripened Goat Cheese
This is a semi-soft cheese. Soft cheeses have been softly ripened and have a bloomy skin comparable to brie cheese. This is also a spreadable goat cheese. This should be kept in a sealed container or a resealable plastic container.
Always secure the cheese in a refrigerator. Once it’s been refrigerated, all goat cheese has a similar shelf life.
3. Aged Goat Cheese
This has a harder texture and a stronger taste than freshly made goat cheese. These are kept in storage for up to 11 to 12 weeks to ripen.
Wrap the aged cheese in parchment paper or aluminum foil beforehand before storing it. They then cover it with plastic wrap.
4. Hard Goat Cheeses
These are semi hard cheeses. Hard goat cheese will keep for at least one month after it has been opened and for at least a month after the seal was opened.
Like grated parmesan cheese, those cheeses last a long period before and after opening the packaging. The low moisture content greatly aids this.
Is It Possible for Vacuum-Sealed Goat Cheese To Go Bad?
When you vacuum seal goat cheese, you seal in the moisture while keeping any air out. The paper will absorb excess moisture and preserve your cheese from degrading for a few months. Although this method does not assure that cheese will last longer, it is the best method for storing cheese for lengthy periods.
How Long Does Goat Cheese That Has Been Opened Last?
When stored properly in a sealed container, goat cheese can survive for three weeks. The time starts ticking the moment you start opening the seal of the goat cheese.
What Are the Signs That Goat Cheese Is Spoiled?
You can quickly tell if goat cheese is spoiled by looking at it and smelling it. First, inspect the surface of the cheese for any molds or fading of colors. Molds form on the surface of goat cheeses with bloomy rinds.
However, you can chop off the white or moldy sections and eat the rest of the remaining good cheese as long as it doesn’t stink. However, if you notice blue, orange, or red molds, the cheese is unsafe and should be discarded entirely.
But if we are talking about blue cheese, don’t panic because it already contains molds that are either green or blue in hue. So don’t be perplexed by that.
However, if you find any other types of mold on its body, it’s best to throw them away. Look for sticky mold or odd patches on the surface of fresh goat cheese. If you observe any of these, it’s time to toss out your goat cheese.
The second option is to smell the cheese. Cheeses age and develop a stronger odor as they get older. Expired cheese smells funny and weird. It is off smell. However, don’t confuse a strong odor with rotting cheese. Inspect for any off-odors or unusually nasty odors.
Suppose you can’t tell a bad goat cheese or expired shredded cheese by looking at it or smelling it. You can always eat goat cheese. The flavor of rancid cheese is unpleasant, and it may even burn your mouth. If this happens to you, spit it out and throw the goat cheeses away.
Now that you’ve learned everything there is to know about cheese, let’s look at how to store them properly.
Proper Way of Storing Goat Cheese
Goat cheese can be kept in the refrigerator using a freezer bag for two weeks if properly stored. You can even freeze goat cheese if you want to prolong its shelf life even further. When properly frozen, the goat cheese lasts up to five to six months or more.
If you keep your cheese frozen at 0 degrees F throughout the year, it will be safe, and the goat cheese is good to eat. Although the cheese may not be delicious as it once did, it is now free of any deterioration. (Read Can I Make Kraft Mac And Cheese Without Butter)
Goat cheese is considered one of the healthiest cheeses available. They’re not only good for you, but they’re also tasty and can be found everywhere. Lactose-intolerant folks will appreciate goat cheese because it is substantially lower in lactose.
So, whether you want to make delicious goat cheese salads, dips, or pizzas, goat cheese is always a good choice. However, if you notice that it smells a bit weird and taste like burning in your mouth, it is most likely that the cheese has gone bad. You have to spit it out immediately to avoid any stomachache.
