Moldy Cheese

oldpop

oldpop

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I had a discussion earlier with my DIL about moldy cheese. She was about to throw away about 3/4 of a pound of extra sharp block cheese because it had mold on it. I told her there was not a thing wrong with that cheese just scrape off the mold and it would be perfectly fine and may even taste better. I have done this all my life and have had no problem doing it. Would you eat cheese that had mold on it ? She thinks I am nuts. šŸ„³ We could feed the world with the food that is wasted in this country these days....o_O
 

Soft cheeses, such as cottage cheese, cream cheese and ricotta, with mould should be discarded. The same goes for any kind of cheese that's shredded, crumbled or sliced. With these cheeses, the mould can send threads throughout the cheese contaminating more than you see. In addition, harmful bacteria, such as listeria, Brucellosis, salmonella and E. coli, can grow along with the mould. Although brucellosis can make you very sick, it is rarely fatal. It's a bacterial infection that spreads from animals to people. Most commonly, people are infected by eating raw or unpasteurised dairy products.

Mould generally cannot penetrate far into hard and semi-soft cheeses, such as cheddar, Parmesan and Swiss. Therefore you can cut away the mouldy part and eat the rest of the cheese. Cut off at least one inch around and below the mouldy spot. Be sure to keep the knife out of the mould, so it doesn't contaminate other parts of the cheese.

Of course, not all moulds pose a risk. Some types of mould are used to make cheeses, such as Brie and Camembert. These moulds are safe for healthy adults to eat. However, these cheeses, as well as other soft cheeses and cheeses made with unpasteurized milk, are best avoided by people with weakened immune systems, such as older adults, pregnant women and young children.

If you're not sure what type of cheese you have or what to do if it grows mould, the safe course is to discard it or you can shred it through a cheese grater and feed it to the wild birds. They are far less finicky about their diet.
 
horseless carriage said:
Soft cheeses, such as cottage cheese, cream cheese and ricotta, with mould should be discarded. The same goes for any kind of cheese that's shredded, crumbled or sliced. With these cheeses, the mould can send threads throughout the cheese contaminating more than you see. In addition, harmful bacteria, such as listeria, Brucellosis, salmonella and E. coli, can grow along with the mould. Although brucellosis can make you very sick, it is rarely fatal. It's a bacterial infection that spreads from animals to people. Most commonly, people are infected by eating raw or unpasteurised dairy products.

Mould generally cannot penetrate far into hard and semi-soft cheeses, such as cheddar, Parmesan and Swiss. Therefore you can cut away the mouldy part and eat the rest of the cheese. Cut off at least one inch around and below the mouldy spot. Be sure to keep the knife out of the mould, so it doesn't contaminate other parts of the cheese.

Of course, not all moulds pose a risk. Some types of mould are used to make cheeses, such as Brie and Camembert. These moulds are safe for healthy adults to eat. However, these cheeses, as well as other soft cheeses and cheeses made with unpasteurized milk, are best avoided by people with weakened immune systems, such as older adults, pregnant women and young children.

If you're not sure what type of cheese you have or what to do if it grows mould, the safe course is to discard it or you can shred it through a cheese grater and feed it to the wild birds. They are far less finicky about their diet.
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horseless carriage says: Soft cheeses, such as cottage cheese, cream cheese and ricotta, with mould should be discarded. The same goes for any kind of cheese that's shredded, crumbled or sliced. With these cheeses, the mould can send threads throughout the cheese contaminating more than you see.

Totally agree!
 
Tom 86 said:
I scrape it off any block cheese. Then I cut some off to eat. One old-time Dr. once told me to go ahead & eat that mold on block cheese, as that is where penicillin comes from. Never had to nerve to try it.
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Well done for not trying it Tom, penicillin is actually made from penicillin mould and even if the cheese mould has a similar effect you could build up a resistance, which means when you need penicillin for medical purposes, it might have lost it's potential.
 
oldpop said:
I had a discussion earlier with my DIL about moldy cheese. She was about to throw away about 3/4 of a pound of extra sharp block cheese because it had mold on it. I told her there was not a thing wrong with that cheese just scrape off the mold and it would be perfectly fine and may even taste better. I have done this all my life and have had no problem doing it. Would you eat cheese that had mold on it ? She thinks I am nuts. šŸ„³ We could feed the world with the food that is wasted in this country these days....o_O
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Yes. My Mom used to do this. This is where I learned about mold. šŸ˜
 
Tom 86 said:
I scrape it off any block cheese. Then I cut some off to eat. One old-time Dr. once told me to go ahead & eat that mold on block cheese, as that is where penicillin comes from. Never had to nerve to try it.
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LOL - Free Antibiotics.
 
I had problems with mold on cheese, until I bought a few "Lock 'n Lock" food storage containers. They have an airtight seal. I cut up cheese & store it in those containers & I've never had any mold even after 3-4 weeks storage.
 
oldpop said:
I can understand that the mold might take away the appetite for it but it does not bother me as long as it is scraped off.
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For the life of me, whenever I look at moldy cheese, I want to throw up. Have a hard time with gorgonzola - can only eat it if it's disguised in an omelette. It just isn't appetizing for me. So it might also be a matter of taste. What you say makes sense, though. Maybe eat the scraped off part without her being present? Just a thought. :)
 
Also, I forgot to mention - I used to make cheese at one time (also yogurt), and learned that the hard cheese requires more salt than the soft cheese. The longer it sits, the more salt. Maybe the salt is the key to keeping bacteria away? Horseless carriage, any thoughts on that? Just curious.
 
I cut the mold off of block cheese and eat the rest of the cheese. I do the same with bread that has mold on it. I have eaten bread mold a few times when I have had a cold or flu but I am uncertain if helped but I got over the illness.
 

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