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How Long Does Feta Cheese Last

How Long Does Feta Cheese Last

How Long Does Feta Cheese Last

In both forms, opened leftover feta may be stored in the refrigerator for 5-7 days. However, you may extend the shelf life of unsealed feta blocks by storing them in their brine or by adding crumbled feta to brine. Additionally, unused feta blocks can be stored in olive oil for about two weeks.

According to Eatbydate, Feta can keep for about one week after the package date if stored correctly. Once the feta cheese is opened, shelf life drops to about one month, so long as the cheese is still stored in brine. If the cheese comes in a block with the shrink wrap off and is unbrined, the unopened feta packet has about a one-month shelf life.

If you wrap or seal any leftover feta and store in the refrigerator, it will keep for about a week. If you have sealed your feta and soaked it in a brine solution, freezing the feta cheese will allow it to last for 6 months. If you buy your feta cheese in brine, it is safe to freeze it without opening and will last for up to six months. While you can freeze the feta for a few months, it seems to lose some of its flavor and texture when thawed.

Frozen feta is generally grained, so you cannot use it in raw dishes, such as salads, as this makes its deteriorated quality even more apparent. Once you break the feta and store it without brining, whether crumbled or block, it lasts for up to 7 days in the fridge. The key here is to keep leftovers unbrined, regardless of feta being crumbled or in blocks.

If you cannot tolerate the taste of the brine, chop feta blocks into smaller pieces and put those, or the crumbled feta, into a sealed container. Place feta blocks or crumbled feta in an airtight container, seal the lid, and store it in the refrigerator up to one month.

Keep the crumbled feta in a container with a tightly sealed lid, making sure that the brining solution completely covers the cheese. Always store the cheese block and crumbled feta in their original packaging, without opening, until you are ready to use them, as opening cheese reduces its shelf life.

TypesFridgeFreezer
Unopened3 months6 months
Opened12 weeks20-24 weeks
Shelf life of opened and unopened brine feta in the fridge and freezer.

Unopened crumbled feta cheese, unpacked from the brine, may stay fresh for up to 1 week past the best-by date. In general, you can begin using your feta cheese one week past its best before date as long as it is still stored unopened. If it is a pre-opened feta in blocks, you can use it between 14 and 21 days after its best-by date. When your feta is stored properly in an airtight container, you are free to use it up to a week past the best by date.

Once you have opened unopened feta, you must store the feta in a brine solution to prolong its shelf life, or use within several days, so as not to discard this supremely delicious and versatile cheese. No matter where you buy feta, it is essential that you store it correctly to maximize shelf life, whether you have shredded feta cheese or block feta. It does not matter whether the cheese has been opened or not, just keep it stored correctly and it will have an extended shelf life.

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Since cheese will not taste exactly like when fresh, you only want to freeze it if you are going to use it in baked dishes. If you know that you are not going to use feta within a week or so, and keeping it with oils or a salty solution is not something you want to do, freezing is the next best thing. If you are freezing feta cheese for salads or other dishes in which you will need it in pieces, slice the cheese before you freeze.

To preserve feta in a brine solution, or keep goat cheese fresh, fill a sealed container with just enough cold water to immerse the cheese. Place your block of feta cheese in a large, sealed container, then pour your brine solution over top, until the cheese is fully covered. A container of brined feta cheese, when opened, will last about 4-6 weeks, provided that the cheese remains covered with the brine.

Watch this video to learn about the storage and preservation of Feta cheese

As you can see, keeping your non-brined cheese in a brine is a better solution, and if the cheese you bought does not come soaked, you could make your own. The good news is, even if you bought cheese without brine, you could make that briny liquid on your own. Either the salty liquid has lower calcium levels than the remaining cheese, causing calcium to leech from the cheese, making it slick, or the cheese has higher acidities than the brine, again leaching calcium from the cheese.

Once cheese is stored in the brine can, it will definitely keep longer because of the higher amount of salt in the solution. Feta cheese stored with the brine solution may last longer as the high salt content increases the storage. A feta that is stored with brine will last much longer than one that is not stored with a brine solution (similar to fresh mozzarella). Unopened, brined feta can last for six months, whereas a opened package will last for just about one month.

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Once opened, shredded feta only stays fresh about five days in the fridge, no matter what the date printed on the package. If a package has been opened, a container will be only good for about five days, whether it is past its best-by date or not. An unopened package of shredded feta cheese will have a shelf life of around one week after its printed date.

The cheese can last for up to six months in the freezer, but it will have some changes to its texture and flavor once it is defrosted. Feta cheese is super soft when purchased, but when you keep it for a longer period of time, its texture will be a lot firmer, and its flavor will be stronger.

If you want to store your crumbled cheese for a long time, make plenty of brine and soak the crumbled cheese in it. If you know that you are going to be eating your remaining block of feta in just a couple days, there is no need to preserve the remaining feta block in salt brine or some other liquid.

Does feta cheese go bad in the fridge?

Once you open crumbled feta cheese, it will only last about five days in the fridge. If you buy feta cheese in a wrapped block form, it will keep for about a month if unopened. You have about a week to consume it once you open it. The longest-lasting cheese is brined feta.

How long does feta cheese last unrefrigerated?

Feta cheese can last for up to two weeks unrefrigerated, as long as it is stored in a cool, dry place. Once feta cheese is refrigerated, it will last for up to six months. However, for the best quality, feta cheese should be consumed within two to three weeks of being refrigerated.

What happens if you eat bad feta cheese?

Listeria and Cryptosporidium are two germs that can infect feta cheese, just like they do other soft cheeses. You may become ill from these microorganisms. Furthermore, spoiled feta cheese can make you sick by giving you food poisoning, much like other rotten foods.

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