Can & When String Cheese Go Bad?
String cheese is prone to spoilage, particularly if you do not keep it in proper storage. String cheese that has not been opened typically lasts about a year in the fridge and six to eight months in the refrigerator. The cheese may spoil in hours if you leave it out of the refrigerator.
If you are using strings cheese for stuffing your bread, meats, and other items or eat it as a snack or even drink it with wine, it’s always beneficial to have something in your refrigerator.
However, you won’t use string cheese as frequently as other cheese types, leaving the user wondering how long this cheese could last.
In this guide, I will explain ways to preserve string cheese to keep it for as long as possible and determine whether your string cheese is still fresh. Also, you will learn how eating expired cheese could cause you to get sick.
How To Prevent String Cheese Going Bad?
If you’re left with an empty half-package of string cheese after you’ve made cheese sticks that have been fried for a snack, you might be wondering whether string cheese is rotten and how long you can keep it.
No matter what the type of string cheese, it’ll go slow or worse if it is not stored correctly. Like most cheeses and dairy products, generally, string cheese should be kept in a safe place, either in the freezer or fridge.
If you’re looking to extend the longevity of your string cheese, don’t open it until you are ready to make use of it. The original packaging is the best way to keep it fresh.
How Long Does String Cheese Last?
The shelf-life of cheeses made from a string in its unopened state is very long. Although it can vary from one brand to the next, the shelf-life for unopened string cheese can last at least some months.
However, it is recommended to use the cheese at very least one week after the published best-by or use by date. These dates are just the maker’s estimates of how the cheese will last at its highest quality.
If you’ve stored the cheese correctly and there aren’t any signs of spoilage, you should check the cheese and then consider using it since it may be suitable for another one or two weeks.
The shelf-life of string cheese stored in the freezer can last from six to eight months. It is usually safe to consume the cheese beyond this point as well. Be aware that the more time you store the cheese in the freezer, the more texture and taste changes it’ll experience.
As we’ve mentioned previously, keeping the cheese at room temperature for more than four 4 hours is not advised. Four hours is the minimum for making sure that no bacteria are growing within your cheese.
In some instances, like taking the cheese to lunch or for a picnic with your loved ones, it could be not in the fridge for a few hours.
In these cases, the cheese could be safe to eat even if it was placed in sunlight indirect light. This is because commercially made string cheese usually has preservatives in contrast to other cheeses.
If the cheese you bought has been in the fridge for the entire day, be sure to inspect it carefully before eating it. If you don’t want to eat the cheese, do not put it in the refrigerator to use later and then throw it away. It is best to throw it away in the event that it’s been sitting for more than four hours.
How To Store String Cheese Correctly
Whether it’s been opened or not, string cheese should be kept in the refrigerator. There are three guidelines to adhere to in the storage of string cheese.
1. Keep string cheese in the refrigerator. String cheese is available in the refrigerated aisles of supermarkets.
This means you must store it in the refrigerator immediately after bringing it home. Experts advise that you shouldn’t keep the string cheese a room temperature for longer than four hours.
2. Place it in a sealable container or bag if not kept in the packaging. Cheese can emit odors when it is in the refrigerator. It is therefore essential to store the cheese inside an airtight container.
String cheese should be stored in a plastic container, pushing out the most air you can. If you leave air in the bag, it can cause the cheese to dry out.
If you have the cheese which is not yet opened, keep it in the original packaging when the packaging is not damaged. If you cause damage to or break the package of cheese, take it off it and put the cheese in an airtight bag or container.
3. Do not store the cheese in a container with other foods. You might be tempted to store and collect the remaining cheese on your plate in one place. But, holding the cheese in a container with foods with high water levels, such as tomatoes, could alter the taste. Therefore, it is recommended to keep it in a separate place.
If you’ve got a few unfinished strings of string cheese, put them in aluminum foil.
Can String Cheese Go Bad In The Fridge?
While the fridge is the ideal storage space, it is essential to note that string cheese, as with all dairy products, comes with a limited shelf-life, regardless of whether you keep it in the fridge.
String cheese, if appropriately kept in the fridge, can last some days longer than the date stated on the label. Since it is a semi-soft cheese type, it can go worse faster than hard cheeses.
Can String Be Stored In The Freezer?
Since the shelf life of the opened string cheese is not too lengthy, you can store it in the freezer to make it last for longer.
If you follow all the steps required before placing it in the freezer, you can alter the texture and flavor to a minimum and extend the shelf life of the cheese for many months.
It is important to note that the freezing of string cheese can alter the texture. Although string cheese has low amounts of water and freezes very well, it can appear slightly rubbery when you take it out of the freezer.
Based on the brand and the specific kind of string cheese, It could even turn somewhat dry.
This is why we suggest not using any string cheese that has been frozen (and frozen) string cheese when cooking. Serving it as an appetizer or snack appetizer isn’t an excellent idea. Please use the cheese in hot dishes, where it will melt, and you will not even be able to distinguish between frozen and fresh string cheese.
What Is The Best Way To Freeze String Cheese
Here are step-by-step instructions for freezing string cheese:
- Put the sticks into a freezer bag. You could also put them in an empty plastic container. But the more air present in the bag containing strudel, the more it will last. Therefore, a freezer bag is a superior choice.
- If you have a lot of sticks of string cheese, you aren’t taking it all at one time. Put them in multiple bags. This makes the process of defrosting easier and faster.
- Get as many air sacs as you can from your bag.
- It is essential that you seal the bag properly. If you leave it open, it will result in the cheese absorbing smells and cause a freezer burn.
- The bag should be labeled with the dates and placed in the freezer.
For freezing and unopened string cheese, wrap it in food wrap or place it inside a zip-top bag to provide additional protection.
For use with the frozen cheese, you can move it out of the freezer to the refrigerator. This should be done a day or two before you plan to make use of it. Do not thaw the cheese at room temperature because extreme temperature fluctuations will produce more obvious texture changes.
It could require a couple of days before cheese melts. Also, leaving the cheese at room temperature for an extended duration isn’t recommended.
How Do You Know If String Cheese Has Gone Bad?
There are several indicators to identify unwholesome string cheese:
- The smell is off-putting: If the string cheese isn’t smelling like it did when it was first opened and has taken on an unpleasant odor to you, throw it out.
- Mold: It is the best red light. If you notice gray or blue specks of light within the strings, cheese throw them away. It.
- The texture changes: Another indication of spoilage of string cheese is the change in texture. Cheese that has been spoiled is not more suitable to eat and has an edgy texture.
- Alternate taste: Do you notice no changes in texture or smell, and there is no mold growth in your cheese? If so, then try it out. If there aren’t any changes in taste, the cheese is safe to eat.
However, if you’ve had the string cheese package for longer than the recommended time and still want to throw it away, even if any indications of spoilage appear to be absent.
Does Eating Cheese That Has Expired Make You Sick?
As we previously mentioned in this article, it is possible to use unopened cheese within 1-2 weeks of its expiration date if all indications of spoilage are not present and it doesn’t cause you to become sick.
If you consume string cheese spoiled, it could cause health problems like an upset stomach or fever when consumed in large quantities.
However, the cheese’s taste, smell, and appearance when you have bad string cheese are apparent. This means that you’re likely to quit eating the cheese once you’ve had a taste.
