Does Shaker Parmesan Cheese Need To Be Refrigerated? Kraft Settles the Debate
Here's the best place to store that trustee green-capped bottle.
For cheese lovers, few things aren't improved by a healthy sprinkle of grated Parmesan cheese. Whether it's freshly grated or straight from the iconic green shaker, more is more. But does that green shaker grated Parmesan cheese really need to be stored in the fridge after it's opened? Or is it safe in the pantry?
Kraft/Allrecipes
What Is Grated Parmesan?
First, what is the difference between cheese labeled Parmesan and Parmigiano-Reggiano? Parmigiano-Reggiano has a special protected cultural status with strict requirements. This cheese can only be made in a specific region of northern Italy from local cow's milk and using specific historical methods. It also has to be aged for a minimum of about one year. Think of Parmigiano as the Champagne of cheeses. If it isn't made in northern Italy, then it's just sparkling cheese.
Parmesan doesn't need all of those rules. Any milk can make it, it can be made anywhere, and the aging process is shorter, only around 10 months. The texture of grated Parmesan is also drier than fresh cheese. Grating or shredding hard cheeses requires dehydration, evaporation, and then cooling to reduce the fat from oozing out and making it clump. The reduction of fat compounds slows the risk of the cheese going bad and ruining that plate of spaghetti.
Where Should You Store Grated Parmesan Cheese?
Sorry to your local pizza place, but those shakers of cheesy goodness should in fact be refrigerated to keep it fresh and preserve the quality. In a response left on Target's website, Kraft advised storing its cheeses in the refrigerator at the normal temperature of 40 degrees F and only keeping them at room temp for up to one hour. This makes sense if you remember that cheese, no matter how seemingly fine, is a dairy product primarily and no one likes room-temperature milk.
The Bottom Line
The answer is straightforward: store that cheese in the fridge. With that said, harder cheeses will hold up against bacteria longer than softer cheeses due to their drier texture. If you notice any discoloration, foul odors or moisture on that grated Parm, as much as it hurts, throw it out!
