You’re not alone if you’ve ever wondered how long brie lasts in the fridge. It’s a common question, and it’s a good one. Brie cheese has a limited shelf-life, but that doesn’t mean you should throw it out. Instead, you should be aware of the signs that your cheese is going bad, including a moldy rind, ammonia smell, or a LAB.
Brie cheese is a soft cheese; its shelf life is shorter than other types of cheese. It is also worth mentioning that it is prone to mold and bacteria growth and, therefore, should be stored in the refrigerator in its original packaging to avoid contamination.
Describe Brie.
Brie is a soft-ripened, off-white cheese usually manufactured from cow’s milk. It is prized for its sweet, bloomy, white mold-covered rind. The mild country cheese Brie originated in Seine-et-Marne, France. Brie has a creamy, buttery, fruity flavor and becomes more earthy as it ages.
France has it. It smells strongly of soil and has a flowing, creamy mouthfeel. Since it must age for a minimum of 60 days and is prepared with raw milk, authentic French brie cannot be imported into the country. Unfortunately, after that long, the brie would be too mature to consume.
However, brie purchased in the US after export stabilized. It is a soft-ripened cheese with a white exterior and a creamy-white interior. It is often served in rounds and cooked with cow’s milk. In order to extend the shelf life of stabilized French brie, it is chopped before it reaches full maturity.
As it ages, the flavor turns more earthy and fruity, yet it keeps being rich, creamy, and buttery like a classic French brie made from raw milk. Pasteurized milk brie often has a milder flavor than traditional French brie.
How Long Does Brie Cheese Last in the Fridge?
“Cheeses like brie, camembert, and feta that have not been opened are fine for as long as their shelf life permits, which may be between 4 and 8 weeks. Some cheese producers claim that if they are handled and stored properly under refrigeration, they can last two to three weeks past their best-before date.
The cheesemakers I spoke with agreed that the storage conditions are crucial for the cheese’s ability to keep after it has been opened. Their advice is straightforward: reuse the original packaging after the initial use. This packaging was created specifically to keep the cheese as close to the flawless condition as possible while it is kept in your refrigerator.
Holes in the wrapper may allow the cheese to “breathe.” (This is only for texture; there is no concern over food safety; it may be a little tougher than the other cheeses.) before using the cheese again, you might wish to remove a sliver of it if a “skin” has formed where you previously cut it.
Re-wrapping Te Mata cheese in cling film will harm the cheese and hasten its deterioration. Hence it is never a good idea in the state of Hawke’s Bay. Due to the packaging, they think their cheese will remain fresh for the entire stated shelf life, whether it is opened. Franck Beaurain, a French cheesemaker from the Puhoi Valley, advises that specialty cheeses like brie, camembert, and feta should be consumed within a week to ten days of opening and should also be rewrapped in the original foil wrapping for the greatest quality eating.
How to Bake a Brie Cheese?
Preheat the oven to 180/350. (all oven types). Oven: Bake for 15 to 20 minutes until the 250g/80z is completely melted. For 500g/1lb of brie, increase the time to 25 minutes. Brie, like camembert, is excellent for dipping in bread or vegetable crudités because it may be baked until the middle is gooey and melting. The middle of the brie should feel exceedingly soft and as though it would disintegrate under more firm pressure, so check by lightly touching it. The brie is done cooking when it feels soft to the touch. Serve as soon as possible after cooling for about five minutes. Warm is the ideal temperature for baked brie.
You could even bake a wheel into a loaf of bread for a truly impressive appetizer or use it to make a rich fondue. Find even more cheese inspiration with our most extensive collection of brie recipes. Second, don’t overcook the Brie. In an oven set to 350°F (177°C), the cheese needs to be heated for 20 to 25 minutes, or up to 35 minutes if the puff pastry topping is used. If you don’t slice the rind, overcooking the cheese might make it re-have and taste harsh and unpleasant.
How to Spot a Bad Brie?
It would help if you examined Brie’s rind right away. It ought to be primarily white and have a powdery appearance. While a few darker areas are acceptable, you should discard the cheese if it has mold. If the cheese is turning grey or flaky, it has already begun to spoil. It would help if you didn’t consume it after that.
Another indication that the cheese needs to be discarded is the presence of a pink and slimy mold. Even while a slight ammonia odor may appear to be a bad omen, cheese does not become bad when it ages, unlike what many believe.
Another quick and easy way to tell whether your Brie cheese is spoiled is to smell it. Look for any mold hints. Spores that are blue or green form on bad Brie. Additionally, the mold will infect other food goods, making them harmful. Therefore, be cautious about discarding your Brie and substituting another cheese if you find mold on it before it goes bad. Making sure you haven’t opened the package is also advised because it might already be too late.
Take another whiff after letting the cheese stand outside for a moment. After cooking, if something smells awful, don’t eat it. However, if the cheese outside smells a little bit, but its interior doesn’t, you can still eat it.
You are aware that unpleasant smells that are overpowering or powerful should be avoided when it comes to this dish. It doesn’t imply that eating cheese is unhealthy, but it probably won’t taste very good. Your stomach may also have pain as a result.
Can Brie be Frozen?
You shouldn’t freeze Brie since it will lose its texture. Unless you want to cook the Brie after it has been frozen, this is especially true if you intend to freeze the cheese for an extended period.
When you cook Brie in another meal, the changes in texture between chilled and frozen Brie are less apparent. But you might not get the outcomes you were looking for if you intend to freeze and eat it by itself later. If you choose to freeze your Brie, properly package it as described above. The wrapped cheese needs to be placed in a container that won’t allow air to enter after this. This will prevent the cheese from absorbing any air.
It just requires a few hours in the refrigerator to prepare brie, which can often be stored in the freezer for about six months. After this time, brie can still be frozen, but the flavor and texture may change. After being removed from the freezer, the brie cheese must be soft and devoid of ice. However, you might not need to let it thaw completely if you intend to prepare it. Brie can be frozen in individual slices, so you don’t have to thaw the entire block before using it. Instead, you can remove however many slices you choose. As soon as your brie cheese has come to room temperature after being frozen, it would help if you never froze it again.
How to Store Brie Cheese?
Brie should always be wrapped tightly in plastic, but the plastic shouldn’t touch the cheese itself Because cheese’s flavor can be altered by plastic. Put the Brie back in its original container or cover it in parchment or wax paper to prevent this from happening. To extend the shelf life of the package, it can then be covered with plastic wrap. The cheese should be kept in the back of the refrigerator, where the humidity and temperature will be the most stable, to ensure that it lasts as long as possible. Another ideal way to store cheese is in the cheese drawer found in certain refrigerators.
Make sure your Brie is properly wrapped as you try to store it. Cheese shouldn’t be wrapped in plastic since it retains moisture and promotes mold growth. Make sure to store your Brie in the refrigerator’s cheese drawer, carefully wrapped in wax paper. By doing this, the temperature and moisture will remain constant. Put your money in the fridge if you don’t want to waste it. This will assist in preserving the cheese’s freshness. You can store the cheese in the refrigerator until you need it if you don’t want to take a chance. It can also be stored in the fridge to be eaten later.
Brie should be tightly wrapped, but it shouldn’t be in direct touch with plastic, giving the cheese an unpleasant taste. To preserve the cheese’s flavor and prevent it from going bad, wrap it tightly in wax or parchment paper. Alternately, you might use the cheese’s packaging, as you frequently do with blue cheese. The cheese drawer in your refrigerator is the greatest spot to store it because the humidity and temperature will remain fairly consistent there. It’s not always possible to keep it in the fridge, though. It would help if you stored it someplace that won’t taint it until you need it. Keeping it at room temperature and out of direct sunshine would be beneficial. It won’t turn rancid that way and be better for you.
Should Brie Smell Like Ammonia?
I see, then: Yes, Brie has a noticeable ammonia odor. Cheeses with bloomy rinds, like Brie, are referred to be mold-ripened. This indicates that throughout the cheese-making process, mold culture is added, which prompts the cheese’s white rind to thicken. Brie has been out too long if it tastes or smells like ammonia. As Brie ages, more ammonia will be discovered in it. Eating is okay if the flavor or fragrance isn’t overpowering and fades away when the Brie warms up and the center is revealed.
Reference: Contribution of Penicillium sp. to the flavors of Brie and Camembert cheese
Conclusion
One question you might have is how long brie cheese lasts in the fridge. The answer is quite simple: about six months. The water content in brie separates from the fats in the cheese while it is in the refrigerator, and this causes the grainy texture to diminish. It is best to wrap the cheese in cheese paper and place it in an airtight container before storing it in the fridge. To extend the life of your brie, use it within six months of purchase, and then thaw it before cooking with it.
When it comes to brie cheese, it’s not uncommon to notice it has an ammonia smell when it’s old. It’s not necessarily a sign of spoiled cheese, but it can be quite unpleasant. Fortunately, it won’t last forever in the fridge, and it’s safe to eat if the ammonia smell is minimal.
