What A Waste Of An Hour......

[askyourgran]

I've cleaned out my fridge and freezer for the second time in a week. Every time I opened the door I got a whiff of something smelly...or going off. Couldn't find anything and the fridge and freezer is clean and tidy, nothing out of date.....except.... I could smell it again this afternoon. It turns out that the Blue Stilton, wrapped in foil in the door pocket is just level with my nose when I open the door. It was a lovely piece of cheese... now in the bin.

[maggiebee]

Oh no - how could you bin blue stilton? My all time favourite.

[Butterbun]

Blue stilton does carry a whiff. My OH loves it. I just get the smallest bit I can so it doesn't last too long. I don't buy the boxed bits anymore.

[queenofmean]

Pop a wee dish of Bicarb in the fridge it helps to eliminate any nasty smells past, present or future!

[hc4361]

It would have made a lovely broccoli and stilton soup :(

If it was a huge piece you could have frozen some of it. Best kept in the fridge by wrapping it in greaseproof paper, then foil in an airtight tub. That should keep the smells out of the fridge.

[askyourgran]

It was quite a large piece, MrAsk doesn't like it so I thought I'd wrapped it up securely. I didn't know it could be frozen hc and I bet the soup would be lovely. Now it's binned :( Thanks queenie, I'll try the bicarb method now.

[Hopkirk]

Well get it out of the bin then.

Simples.

[askyourgran]

Yewwww Hopkirk I really couldn't do that!

[Buenchico]

Why, oh why, was the Stilton in the fridge anyway????

Cheese should NEVER be put in the fridge (unless you're stoing it for quite some time and can take it out at least 3 days before serving it). Buy it an put it in a cool place. Leave it for a minimum of 3 days (preferably at least 5) and then serve it. Delicious!

[237SJ]

If we did that at work, we`d be sued. As long as it`s left to reach room temperature before serving, it`s fine in the fridge.

[Buenchico]

Go to any bar in France that serves blue cheese baguettes, 237SJ, and order one. The cheese is always taken from an unrefrigerted cupboard and tastes GREAT!

There's a pub/restaurant here in Suffolk that annoyed the council's health inspectors enormously by openly advertising that they NEVER, EVER refrigerate their cheeses. After a big batle, the council's staff eventally had to back down and accept that there is no scientific reason whatsoever to refrigerate pasteurised cheeses. (I'd never regrigerate unpasteurised cheeses, such as the wonderful Keen's cheddar, either)

[Butterbun]

Keep in a cool place? The fridge is the coolest place in our house.

[Buenchico]

>>>The fridge is the coolest place in our house

But it's SO cold that it inhibits the growth of mould, which is essential if a blue cheese is to mature properly. (Stilton has to be 'runny' if it's to be served at its very best). Other cheeses also need to be allowed to mature by, for example, encouraging the growth of cheese mites.

[237SJ]

That`s done in the initial production of cheeses though. The cheese mites are removed by blowers before the cheese is put into the food chain. The mould is also grown in initial production. Commercial storage should be below 8 degs C with the cheese left at return to room temperature before serving. It might be a "nice to do" at home where one might not care about the consequences, but commercially the correct chilling is a "must do".

[askyourgran]

Put me off now..... cheese mites! Yikes. I usually take the cheese out and take off a chunk for myself (OH hates smelly cheese) and leave it out while making the rest of the snack. I couldn't leave it out of the fridge, it was smelly enough!