why does Parmesan cheese need to be in the fridge if it sits on the shelf in stores?
In: Other
If we’re talking wedges or blocks of Parmesan, it doesn’t really need to be refrigerated. It can last for months. But it lasts *longer* if you refrigerate it, and a lot of people tend to only infrequently use it.
If we’re talking shredded or grated, it’s a little different but there’s different kinds. Overall it’s more in danger of *not tasting great* quickly, even if it’s still safe to eat, because it degrades when exposed to air. Blocks and wedges only have the outer layer exposed, so when you slice/grate/shred them 99% of what you get is the inner parts. (Aged meat is kind of like this, there’s actually a nasty layer they cut away first.)
Some stuff sold grated/shredded is ‘pre-dried’ and that just means they did some stuff to handle one aspect of why it stops tasting good and it will last longer. Other stuff is packed with preservatives and other additives and that also makes it last longer. I find the fresher stuff is usually refrigerated at grocery stores anyway, but the preservative-packed stuff like the Kraft bottles is 50/50 refrigerated.
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