When and How Should I Slice My Cheese?

When you are going to slice cheeses you need to consider whether they are of the soft fresh variety or are they hard. The fresh soft ones should be colder when they are sliced to make the slicing easier. The harder varieties should be at room temperature when you slice them. Always use a clean knife to slice them or you can even use a piece of dental floss to slice the softer ones. Generally don’t use the same knife to slice the blues, the brie and the cheddars because you will get mixed up flavors. An unclean knife may cause them to mold faster too.

There are a few guidelines to remember when you are slicing or cutting cheeses. If you are cutting them up into bite sized pieces don’t do it until thirty minutes before they will be served and eaten. The smaller the size the faster it will dry out. So if possible let people bite their own bite sized pieces. When you are cutting it make sure the cutting edge is sharp because you don’t want to saw away at the piece you are cutting. You should generally cut off the rind because many people don’t like it and some cheese rinds can have a very strong taste to them. Never precut the slices or cubes days in advance because you will have to store them somewhere and the wrapped larger pieces are easier to keep for a few days in the refrigerator.

When you serve cheeses generally let them come to room temperature which usually takes about one hour. Remember cold equals dull. They need to bloom to let their taste and smells out. After all they are living and breathing products that will mold in time. Generally figure about one ounce of cheese per person when you are cutting them up. For a nice appearance you can cut off a wedge then slice it sideways to give the pieces a triangular shape. If you are slicing them in advance then cover them up so they don’t dry out prematurely.

If you have some leftover and they look like they are sweating or are oily looking they have not gone bad so just scrape off the layer of oils or liquid then rewrap them and store them in the refrigerator. They should be kept in the warmer part of the refrigerator but remember that warm means mold.