How Long Does Goat Cheese Last: Including salads and snacks, there are a plethora of dishes that require a dash of cheese to enhance their taste and texture. Firm and porous goat cheese is one of the popular ones. But have you ever wondered how long the goat cheese lasts?
Here, we will satiate all your curiosities about the types, goat cheese expiration, and storage options of goat cheese. So, grab a goat cheese-topped dish while reading through the article.
- How Long Does Goat Cheese Last Once Opened?
- Types of Goat Cheese
- Why is Goat Cheese Good for you?
- How Do You Know If Goat Cheese Has Gone Bad?
- How To Store Goat Cheese?
- How To Defrost Goat Cheese?
- Does goat cheese actually expire?
- Is goat cheese OK to eat after the expiration date?
- Can cheese spoil without mold?
- Is goat cheese good past expiration date?
- Can you eat out of date goats cheese unopened?
- Can you freeze goats cheese?
Types of Goat Cheese
All those who love to incorporate cheese frequently in their dishes shall experiment with different types of goat cheese. According to our dietary needs, a combination of goat cheese is available for cheese lovers. Though they have similar names, their texture, flavor profiles, and degrees of ‘crumbliness’ vary depending on how long they have been aged. Some of those categories of goat cheese are listed below.
- Fresh Goat Cheese: If you love your sandwiches with a cheese spread, then this rindless version of goat cheese is your savior. It is available in supermarkets as log-shaped cheese with a spreadable texture.
- Aged Goat Cheese: For pizza lovers, no need to look for any other cheese. The aged goat cheese, with a firm texture and prominent flavor, is the best pick for the grated cheese category. Surprisingly, it is normal goat cheese that has been left to ripen up for at least 3 months.
- Soft-Ripened Goat Cheese: Lastly, for a wholesome cheesy experience, we will suggest the soft-ripened variety of goat cheese. It has a natural and encompassing layer of rind which is smooth and edible. This bloomy rind occurs when the air in the exterior layers of the goat cheese block dries out, leaving behind a thin crust, also known as a rind. This fuzzy goat cheese is perfect for breakfast dishes and desserts.
How Long Does Goat Cheese Last Unopened & Opened?
Goat cheese is available in many forms, for instance, crumbled, solid blocks, edible slices, etc. This variety ensures that people can always make their dishes extra special without spending bucks on exotic ingredients.
However, diverse categories of goat cheese require different upkeep methods to sustain their taste and quality. Some of the different categories and their shelf lives are mentioned below.
| Type of Goat Cheese | Shelf-Life (Without Freezing) | Shelf-Life ( While Freezing) |
|---|---|---|
| Block Cheese | 4-5 hours | 2-3 weeks |
| Crumbled Cheese | 3-4 hours | 5-7 days |
Perishable food items like goat cheese have variable shelf lives depending on how we store them. The room temperatures, the freezing capacity of the refrigerators, and the seals on the packaging can also influence self-life.
Though the goat cheese ages irrespective of whether the packet has been opened or not, the unopened goat cheese in the fridge lasts longer.
Therefore, it is important to store the goat cheese, block or crumbled, properly in tight covers, inside the refrigerator. If opened, it is better to try deep freezing than simply keeping it away in the refrigerator.
Why is Goat Cheese Good for you?
If cheese is available everywhere, then there has to be a reason for this. While munching on that cheesy snack, has your curiosity ever been piqued why is cheese good for you? Well, research and science have a lot to say about this.
Though some of these claims are controversial, there are some proven benefits of eating cheese. The cheese, especially goat cheese, is rich in several macronutrients like protein, Vitamin A, Vitamin K, Vitamin B-12, Zinc, Calcium, and Vitamin D. Moreover, eating cheese can improve health such as
- Bone and Muscle Health: Since goat cheese is made of milk, it is inevitably rich in calcium and Vitamin D. Therefore, eating cheese can improve your bone and muscle health while substantially strengthening your teeth.
- Less Inflammation in Body’s Cells: Goat cheese is rich in Conjugated Linoleic Acid (LCA), which helps ease inflammation in cells. It also clamps down on obesity and cardiovascular disease.
- Gut Health: It goes without saying that improving gut health is all about consuming probiotic bacteria. Therefore, fermented foods like cheese and yogurt can truly make a difference.
- Regulates Blood Pressure: Similar to other dairy products, the calcium present in goat cheese can help regulate fluctuating blood pressure. This contributes to overall heart health.
However, it is important to note that the side effects of eating goat cheese can outweigh the benefits if you consume heavily processed or mixed cheese.
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How Do You Know If Goat Cheese Has Gone Bad? | How to tell if goat cheese is bad
Given that it’s a perishable item, goat cheese is prone to attacks by bacteria and fungi. Henceforth, its quality deteriorates, and eventually, it goes bad. Being a cheese lover, it is mandatory to protect your territory, thereby wondering how to tell if goat cheese is bad.
Thankfully, there are many tangible and not-so-subtle ways to differentiate between bad and edible goat cheese.
- Smell: Diary products, especially cheese and buttermilk, are infamous for producing a foul odor whenever they are spoiled. Therefore, if your goat cheese smells bad then it is most probably unfit for eating.
- Appearance: One of the clearest indications of bad cheese is a green/ black mold on the cheese’s surface. It is formed due to the presence of fungi. It is strongly recommended to not eat goat cheese which is covered with mold. Some people believe that cutting off the mold portion is enough, but it may seep to the core, given the cheese’s soft and fluffy texture. Therefore, refrain from indulging in spoiled cheese.
- Hard Rind: Though a thick layer of rind over the cheese crust is favorable for grating, it may also indicate that the cheese is way past its expiry date. The extra thick rind layers mess with the flavor profile of the cheese. So, it can be a sure-shot way of knowing if the cheese has gone bad.
The symptoms of spoiled cheese may vary depending on a plethora of external factors and cheese’s inherent traits. But the above-mentioned methods work seamlessly for goat cheese. The ease of handling goat cheese is another reason for its popularity among households and great restaurants alike.
How To Store Goat Cheese?
Done with your egg tarts, now wondering how to store the leftover goat cheese? No worries, the storing process for goat cheese is as easy as munching on it.
The steps to safely store the goat cheese may vary depending on whether you have an open pack of goat cheese or an unused one. Also, a refrigerator is a must if you wish to postpone the visit to the supermarket to buy cheese for at least 2 more weeks.
- Opened Cheese: If you have already used some of your goat cheese, then the best way to store the leftovers will be to place them in an airtight glass or plastic jar. Placing the jar in the deep freeze section of the fridge is suggested.
- Soft Cheese/ Semi-Soft Cheese: For storing fresh goat cheese without any trace of rind whatsoever, it is suitable to use glass bowls. This will prevent any unregulated exposure to the outside atmosphere, thereby preventing fungi from propagating.
- Hard Cheese/ Semi-Hard Cheese: Hope to maintain the crumbliness of your block of goat cheese? Try wrapping the leftover goat cheese in parchment paper or wax paper. The cheese can be easily ground even after a week while maintaining its flavor profile and texture.
- Unopened Cheese: Since you haven’t used your cheese yet, it is best left untouched in its original packaging. Simply store it away in your freezer and use it accordingly. Deep freezing the goat cheese is not necessary.
You can explore other articles on How to Store Fresh Mozzarella to learn about storing techniques to extend the shelf life.
How To Defrost Goat Cheese?
Oops! Kept your cheese in the freezer for too long and now it’s as hard as a diamond? The obvious solution might be to leave it unattended overnight on your kitchen counter. Well, that’s the wrong way of defrosting goat cheese because it might go bad till morning. The best steps to defrost goat cheese are
- Take out the blocks or slices of goat cheese from your freezer.
- Wrap them tightly in plastic wrap or wax paper.
- Place the packaged goat cheese back in the fridge.
- Wait for 12-16 hours before the goat cheese thaws a bit.
- Take it out and place it back in the freezer after use.
To fast-track this defrosting process, you can cut your blocks of goat cheese into smaller pieces. The crumbled or spread-out goat cheese defrosts faster than a single, solid block. If you insist on defrosting it in the shortest time span, then try to keep your oat cheese at room temperature for 20 minutes.
Though it may defrost the cheese fast, the texture and shelf-life might be affected. But, if you are a die-hard cheese fan, then you can definitely treat your taste buds with frozen goat cheese. It is not a bad idea because it will taste almost the same, though the texture and crumbliness might differ.
FAQs on The Shelf Life of Goat Cheese | Does goat cheese expire?
1. Does goat cheese actually expire?
Yes, similar to other dairy-based products, goat cheese too tends to go bad over time if not stored properly. Therefore, you should keep it in air-tight containers inside the freezer. This will extend its shelf-life for at least a week.
2. Is goat cheese OK to eat after the expiration date?
No, definitely not. Non-perishable items are not ok to eat after their expiry date. Not only will it lose its texture and taste, but it can also potentially pose a threat to your gut health. So, refrain from indulging in expired goat cheese or other dairy products.
3. Can cheese spoil without mold?
Yes, a block of cheese without mold on it can also be bad or beyond its expiry date. The presence of mold simply indicates that it’s old and exposed to fungi.
4. How long is goat cheese good for after expiration date?
2-3 months for the unopened goat cheese past expiration date and 1-2 months for the opened hard goat cheese.
5. Can you eat unopened expired goat cheese?
Unopened or opened aged goat cheese should be consumed within six months of being made.
6. Can you freeze goat cheese?
Yes, freezing goat cheese is possible, as it holds the texture and flavor in a great way and keeps it fresh for a long time.
Summary
So, you can enjoy your goat cheese whichever way you like, shredded, crumbled, or sliced, without worrying about its maintenance, shelf-life, and storage. Goat cheese can be extremely beneficial for health, therefore, it is worth trying as a topping.
Just try to consume good and unprocessed cheese while keeping a check on its expiry dates. Hopefully, this article resolved all your queries about goat cheese like does goat cheese go bad if unopened, whether can you eat expired goat cheese, what benefits of goat cheese, and more.
Goat cheese a day keeps calcium deficiency away. Stay tuned to this site for the latest updates on articles like Can Cream Cheese Go Bad and Can Parmesan Cheese Go Bad, etc.