Store cheese in your refrigerator, which approximates the temperature of aging rooms. Keep it wrapped tightly in plastic, away from air. Air helps mold grow on cheese. If you get a little mold on the outside, just cut it off. Bring cheese to room temperature before melting. Melt cheese over a low heat to help prevent toughening and separation of oils and liquids. Most ripened or aged cheese is low in moisture content and can be frozen without drastic flavor and texture changes. If frozen for several months, the cheese may dry out somewhat and become crumbly when thawed.

Cheese won’t harden if you butter the exposed edges before storing. Put two or three lumps of sugar in with the cheese to stop it going green mouldy.