• For best flavor, remove cheese from the refrigerator approximately 30 minutes prior to serving to bring it to room temperature.
• Keep cheese wrapped until before serving to prevent it from drying out.
• Avoid placing strong, pungent cheeses next to mild cheeses on your serving tray. Also, have individual knives for each cheese served to avoid crossing flavors.
• When possible, minimize moisture loss by allowing guests to slice their own portions rather than cutting servings in advance.
• When tasting cheese or serving different varieties, start with the mildest and work up to the sharpest flavor.
• When designing a menu, consider when you want to serve cheese. Serving cheese after the main course, prior to or in place of dessert, adds a unique touch. If served before dinner with cocktails, remember that cheeses can be filling so serve in limited quantities and variety.

Storing

• Cheese is highly perishable. Use within two weeks of purchase.
• Wrap and refrigerate leftover cheese as soon as possible.
• Use fresh wrapping to rewrap cheese after it has been opened. While plastic wrap is okay, some believe it doesn’t allow cheese to breathe enough. More breathable wrappings include waxed paper, parchment paper, butcher paper or aluminum foil.
• Store cheese in the warmer parts of your refrigerator, such as the produce bin or top shelf away from the fan. Don’t store near the freezer compartment or in the meat bin, as you’ll risk accidental freezing.
• Keep cheese away from other aromatic foods in the refrigerator because it easily absorbs other flavors.
• Freezing natural cheeses is not recommended. Doing so causes loss in texture and moisture and could alter flavor. If you must freeze, thaw in refrigerator and use the cheese as an ingredient in a dish rather than served on its own. Firm cheeses freeze best.
• Cheese connoisseurs say if a cheese develops mold, you can slice the cheese in half below the mold and the rest of the cheese will be fine. If you aren’t sure or if the cheese has become overly dry, develops slimy texture or emits any off odors, it’s best to discard.