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Does Parmesan Cheese Go Bad? How Long Does It Stay Good?

Parmesan cheese can be great with your spaghetti bolognese and so many other dishes. It’s a trendy topping, yet you haven’t used it lately and stumble across some in your refrigerator. Does parmesan cheese go bad? Should I eat it or not?

You can grate a block of parmesan cheese yourself or buy them already shredded in the store. How long will the parmesan cheese last before it goes bad?

In this article, we will talk about the shelf life, storage, and spoilage of parmesan cheese.

After reading it, you should know a thing or 2 about parmesan.

Enjoy the read!

How Long Can Parmesan Cheese Last (TO CHECK AND REWRITE)

As always, we will talk about the shelf life, starting with a quick table for you so, read on for a more in-depth explanation:

Parmesan CheesePantryRefrigerator
Unopened and (un)refrigerated/Date + up to 1 month after this or up to 9 months (check which one)
Opened and (un)refrigerated/Up to 2 months
Unopened and shredded/grated (unrefrigerated)Best-by date + up to 1 monthsame
Opened and shredded/grated (unrefrigerated)Up to 6 months
Unopened and shredded/grated (refrigerated) /Date + up to 1 week (7 days)
Opened and shredded/grated (refrigerated)/Up to 1 week (7 days)
Indicative timetable for parmesan cheese. Always check for signs of spoilage.

As you can see, there are different kinds of parmesan cheese, we divide them into unrefrigerated ones, refrigerated ones, hard ones, and shredded or grated ones.

Parmesan cheese is a hard cheese and can last for quite some time. Don’t be afraid to use it behind the best-by date, just because it’s cheese.

Unrefrigerated Parmesan Cheese

First, we’ll start with the grated parmesan cheese, sold in canisters and jars, sold in the unrefrigerated section. This cheese is processed, meaning it has an increased shelf life. Always store it in the refrigerator, you won’t miss it with that. It will last up to 1 month past the best-by date if unopened.

When the hard block of parmesan cheese is unopened, it can last up to 9 months. Some can last longer but try to avoid those, just for quality reasons. Always check with the printed date on it.

If you buy the parmesan directly at the market, chances are that there’s no date printed on it, just use the period of 9 months and try to finish it within the first 2 months.

If you’ve opened the parmesan, just finish it within 2 months, just for quality reasons. It will still have some great quality in most cases after this period, but don’t be disappointed if it doesn’t.

Refrigerated Parmesan Cheese

You also have repacked and already shredded parmesan cheese that will be sold refrigerated. Check that date on it and count 1 week extra, if it was unopened. Don’t save it longer because it will decay much faster because it’s shredded.

From the moment you open it, try to finish it within the first 7 days, not longer. Always check the date of opening with the best-by date. Opening it later doesn’t extend the shelf life!

How To Store Parmesan Cheese

As we’ve said before, parmesan cheese is a hard cheese and can be sold as a whole or large piece and shredded or grated cheese.

The rule of thumb is simple: store it in the same way as you’ve bought it in the store or marketplace. Placing it in the refrigerator directly is also a good habit or routine we’d say on GoodOrGoneBad. We all know, from the moment you’ve opened it, you should store it in the fridge, sealed tight.

Unrefrigerated Parmesan Cheese

You’ll have parmesan cheese that’s sold unrefrigerated, like the grated version. This cheese will be mostly dehydrated and thus have longer shelf life compared to the hydrated version.

You won’t do anything wrong by placing it directly in the fridge though.

From the moment it has been refrigerated, keep it refrigerated when not consuming it.

Refrigerated Parmesan Cheese

When you’re storing it as a large piece, just make sure you store it in the refrigerator, far from the door, as if you open it regularly it can decay faster. These blocks are sold in vacuum-sealed packs, made for a long-lasting shelf life.

From the moment you open it, things will change. Here we advise sealing it tight in 1 or multiple plastic bags (double-bag them) and squeezing the air out of it because air is one of the major external threats for parmesan and other cheeses.

After opening it, you can wrap it also in aluminum foil, but always do this combined with a plastic bag. Sometimes we wrap it in a hurry, leaving a part of the surface uncovered and leaving the door open for external threats! Try to avoid this at all costs!

Another way for storing is to place it in a plastic bag in a small airtight container, but parmesan cheese can be consumed fairly quickly because it is a great fit for many dishes and recipes.

Can You Freeze Parmesan Cheese

Yes, of course, you can freeze parmesan cheese just like most foods out there, but should you?

Parmesan cheese, and cheeses in general, will last for quite some time if stored properly in the fridge. We’re talking about whole pieces or large pieces of the cheese.

The shredded or grated versions of the cheese have much smaller pieces and are more vulnerable to external threats and will decay much faster. If you’ve shredded too much parmesan cheese or stocked up on too many of them, you can opt to freeze them.

Try to:

  • Divide them in single-serving portions
  • Place them into freezer bags or 2 plastics bags (squeeze the air out of it) or 1 plastic bag in an airtight container.
  • Label the bags with the correct date of freezing. You can write the other dates as well for your convenience
  • Place it into the freezer

As we’ve said before and will repeat on GoodOrGoneBad: try to manage your inventory as a whole when it comes to foods and drink. Why are you freezing this parmesan cheese? Always freeze with a plan and try to consume it within 6 months, that’s already a very long period.

Parmesan cheese can be used in a lot of dishes, so we’re convinced that you shouldn’t freeze it if you plan carefully.

Freezing also means thawing, as thawing can alter the texture and taste of your cheese. Try to avoid this!

How Can You Tell If Parmesan Cheese Has Gone Bad

Cheese is one of the easier foods when it becomes to seeing if it has gone bad or not.

Guidelines for hard parmesan cheese:

  1. Does the parmesan cheese have another color? This can be a sign of mold. You can cut these colored parts away and go through with the rest of the hard cheese.
  2. Does the parmesan cheese have a weird smell? If you smell something funny or unpleasant, discard it. Parmesan cheese is not a cheese that gives off a lot of odor. Don’t even taste it if it smells way off!
  3. How is the taste? If the taste is off, or unpleasant, discard it right away and rinse your mouth with water.

Guidelines for shredded/grated parmesan cheese:

  1. Does the parmesan cheese have a darker color? Normally, the color should be close to white and beige. If the colors are becoming darker, this might be a sign of the cheese going bad! the further away from white, the more likely it has gone bad!
  2. When it comes to mold, don’t remove the molded parts, discard everything!
  3. Does the parmesan cheese have a weird smell? If you smell something funny or unpleasant, discard it. Parmesan cheese is not a cheese that gives off a lot of odor. Don’t even taste it if it smells way off!
  4. How is the taste? If the taste is off, or unpleasant, discard it right away and rinse your mouth with water.

If you’re unsure about whether to consume the parmesan cheese or not, you can always discard them and buy new cheese for a fairly low price. We at GoodOrGoneBad always value your health above anything else. Trust your senses and intuïtion. Don’t take any unnecessary risks.

Enjoy your parmesan cheese!