How Long Does Cheese Last in the Fridge?

Nobody wants to waste good cheese, but nobody wants food poisoning either. Knowing how long cheese lasts in the fridge and how to store it properly means you can enjoy every last piece at its best.

The short answer is that it depends on the type of cheese. Hard cheeses like cheddar and Parmesan can last for weeks or even months, while soft cheeses like Brie and ricotta are best eaten within days of opening. This guide breaks down the shelf life of every common type, explains the best way to store cheese at home, and covers the signs that tell you when it's time to let go.

How Long Does Cheese Last in the Fridge? Quick Reference

Here's a quick overview of how long different cheeses typically last in the fridge, both unopened and once opened. These are general guidelines. Always check your specific product's packaging and use your senses as a final check.

Understanding Best Before vs Use By Dates on Cheese

This is one of the most misunderstood areas of food labelling, and it leads to a huge amount of perfectly good cheese being thrown away unnecessarily.

Best before dates are about quality, not safety. They tell you when the cheese will be at its best flavour and texture. Most hard and semi-hard cheeses carry a best before date, and they are often perfectly safe to eat for weeks or even months beyond it, provided they've been stored properly and show no signs of spoilage.

Use by dates are about safety. These are found on more perishable products like soft cheeses, fresh mozzarella, ricotta, and cottage cheese. The Food Standards Agency (FSA) advises that food should not be eaten after its use by date, even if it looks and smells fine, because harmful bacteria can grow without visible signs.

The distinction matters. A block of cheddar that's a week past its best before date is almost certainly fine. A tub of ricotta that's past its use by date should go in the bin.

How Long Does Each Type of Cheese Last?

Hard Cheeses (Cheddar, Parmesan, Red Leicester)

Hard cheeses are the marathon runners of the cheese world. Their low moisture content and high salt levels create an environment that's naturally resistant to bacterial growth, which is why they can be aged for months or years during production.

Unopened a block of cheddar will typically last 3 - 6 months in the fridge, often well beyond its best before date. Parmesan can last even longer. Once opened, expect 3 - 4 weeks if wrapped properly.

Our cheese wedges arrive vacuum sealed, which keeps them in peak condition. Once you break the seal, rewrap the cheese in wax paper, parchment, or cheese paper and store it in an airtight container or resealable bag in the fridge.

Semi-Hard Cheeses (Gouda, Gruyère, Emmental)

Semi-hard cheeses sit between hard and soft in terms of moisture content and shelf life. Unopened, they'll keep for 2 - 4 months in the fridge. Once opened, they last around 3 - 4 weeks with proper wrapping.

Aged versions of these cheeses (like aged Gouda) behave more like hard cheeses and can last longer. Younger versions with more moisture will have a shorter life once opened.

Soft Cheeses (Brie, Camembert, Goat's Cheese)

Soft-ripened cheeses have high moisture content and active cultures which means they continue to ripen and change in the fridge.

Unopened, Brie and Camembert typically last a few weeks past the best before date if kept refrigerated. Once opened or cut, eat them within 5 - 7 days. They'll become increasingly pungent and runny as they age, which may be desirable up to a point, but eventually the flavour turns and the texture breaks down.

Fresh goat's cheese has a shorter window. Once opened, use it within 5 - 7 days.

Blue Cheeses (Stilton, Roquefort, Gorgonzola)

Blue cheeses are intentionally inoculated with mould cultures, which means the existing blue-green veins are completely safe and expected. Unopened, blue cheese can last 2 - 3 months in the fridge.

Once opened or cut, wrap it well and consume within 2 - 3 weeks. The challenge with blue cheese is distinguishing the intended mould from unwanted mould. If you see fuzzy grey, black, or pink mould that's clearly different from the original blue veining, the cheese has gone off.

Fresh Cheeses (Mozzarella, Ricotta, Cottage Cheese, Feta)

Fresh cheeses are the most perishable. They haven't been aged, they have high moisture content, and they carry a use by date rather than a best before date. Treat them accordingly.

Fresh mozzarella (the water-packed balls) lasts 3 - 5 days once opened. Keep it submerged in its original liquid or cover with fresh water. Low-moisture mozzarella lasts longer, around 2 - 3 weeks once opened.

Ricotta and cottage cheese last 3 - 5 days after opening. Feta lasts longer if you keep it submerged in its brine, around 1 - 2 weeks once opened. Without the brine, it dries out and spoils much faster.

Cream cheese lasts 1 - 2 weeks after opening, provided you keep it sealed and refrigerated.

Grated and Sliced Cheese

Pre-grated and pre-sliced cheese has more surface area exposed to air, which means it spoils faster than a whole block. Once opened, use it within 5 - 7 days.

If you grate cheese at home from a block, the same applies. Use it within a week, or freeze it for longer storage. Grated cheese freezes exceptionally well - our guide to freezing cheese covers this in detail.

Waxed Cheese

Wax-coated cheese is worth a special mention because the wax acts as a natural protective barrier, keeping air and moisture out. This significantly extends shelf life compared to unwaxed cheese of the same type.

Our waxed cheese truckles typically carry best before dates of 3 - 6 months from production. The wax keeps the cheese in excellent condition for the full duration, and they're often fine for weeks beyond that date. Once you cut into the wax, treat the exposed cheese as you would any opened hard cheese. Rewrap it tightly and use within 2 - 4 weeks.

Unopened waxed cheese can also be stored unrefrigerated in a cool, dark place (below 15°C) for shorter periods, which makes them ideal for gifts, picnics, or cheeseboards where you're not eating everything the same day.

How to Store Cheese Properly

How you store cheese makes as much difference to its lifespan as the type of cheese itself. Here are the key principles:

Keep your fridge at 0 - 5°C. The FSA recommends that your fridge should be set between 0 and 5°C. A fridge thermometer is the most reliable way to check.

Store cheese in the middle or top shelf, or in the salad drawer. The salad/vegetable drawer maintains a slightly more humid environment, which helps prevent cheese from drying out. The middle shelves provide a consistent temperature. Never store cheese on the bottom shelf where raw meat or poultry could drip onto it.

Wrap cheese in breathable material. Wax paper, parchment paper, or specialist cheese paper are ideal. These let the cheese breathe without drying it out. Avoid cling film directly on the cheese surface as it traps moisture and can make the surface slimy. If you use cling film, wrap the cheese in wax paper first.

Use an airtight container as a second layer. After wrapping, place the cheese in a resealable bag or airtight container. This prevents it from absorbing other fridge odours and provides an extra barrier against moisture loss.

Rewrap cheese each time you use it. Fresh wrapping every time you cut a piece helps prevent contamination and keeps the cheese in better condition for longer.

Keep fresh cheese in its liquid. Mozzarella and feta should stay in their brine or liquid. If you've discarded it, cover the cheese with fresh water (for mozzarella) or a light salt water solution (for feta).

How to Tell If Cheese Has Gone Off

Cheese is a living food and a certain amount of change is normal and expected. But there are clear signs that cheese has crossed the line from "ripening" to "spoiled."

Mould on hard cheese: If you see spots of mould on hard cheese (green, blue, or white fuzzy patches), you can usually save it. Cut off at least 2.5cm (1 inch) around and below the mouldy area, making sure the knife doesn't touch the mould. The rest of the cheese is safe to eat. As Healthline notes, the low moisture of hard cheese makes it difficult for mould to penetrate beyond the surface.

Mould on soft cheese: Discard the entire piece. Soft cheese has high moisture content, which allows mould and the bacteria it may carry to spread beneath the surface even if it's only visible in one spot. This applies to cottage cheese, ricotta, cream cheese, and any shredded or crumbled cheese.

Smell: Cheese should smell like cheese, not like ammonia, sweat or chlorine. Some strong cheeses naturally smell pungent, so it helps to know what your cheese smells like when fresh. A sour, chemical, or distinctly off smell is a sign of spoilage.

Texture: A slimy or sticky surface on cheese that isn't normally slimy is a warning sign. Excessive dryness, cracking, or a hardened rind that wasn't there before also suggests the cheese has been stored too long or improperly.

Taste: If the cheese looks and smells fine but tastes noticeably sharp, bitter, or sour in a way that doesn't match the cheese type, it's past its best. Trust your palate.

White crystals: Don't confuse these with mould. Small white specks or crunchy crystals on aged hard cheeses like cheddar, Parmesan, or Gouda are calcium lactate or tyrosine crystals. They're completely harmless and are actually a sign of a well-aged cheese.

Can You Eat Cheese Past Its Best Before Date?

In most cases, yes. If it's a hard or semi-hard cheese with a best before date and it's been stored properly.

Best before dates on cheese indicate quality, not safety. A properly stored block of cheddar can easily last weeks beyond its best before date. The cheese may become drier or sharper in flavour over time, but this is a quality change, not a safety concern.

The important exception is soft and fresh cheeses with use by dates. The FSA advises that food should not be eaten after its use by date. Harmful bacteria like Listeria can grow in high-moisture cheeses without visible signs, so it's best to follow these dates carefully, especially if you're pregnant, elderly, or have a weakened immune system.

If you find yourself with more cheese than you can eat in time, freezing is always an option. Our guide to freezing cheese explains which cheeses freeze well and how to do it properly.