Cheese sweat

Don't worry this isn't as bad as it sounds, and it's perfectly natural: sweating is part of the process as a cheese matures and moisture is drawn out to the surface.

Maturing cheese

At Shepherds Purse we use a variety of methods to control the maturation of the cheese and develop its unique texture and flavour.

This can involve controlling the temperature and humidity of the room in which it is stored, how much pressure is brought to bear on the cheese, and even how it is wrapped (either in foil, plastic or wax). Cheese really is a living thing, and this maturation process continues long after it leaves our cheese stores.

We package all our cheeses to ensure they reach you in peak condition – allowing for the ongoing maturing process. The supermarkets or delicatessens will then re-wrap pieces of cut cheese to make sure that you can get it home in the same state.

Storing cheese

If you have brought cheese home and left it wrapped in plastic, what happens is that as it matures or if there is a rise in temperature, moisture builds up and can't escape, causing the cheese to "sweat."

This is not ideal and left unchecked will spoil the flavour of the cheese. The cheese needs to be taken out of its packaging and, if it has been sweating, simply wipe it down with in a piece of paper towel.

What you should do is wrap it in a layer of greaseproof paper, and then tightly wrap it in kitchen foil and store it in the fridge.

This will allow the cheese to breathe, while keeping it moist and free from any flavour taint that it could pick up from other foods being stored.

For further reading, please read our How to Store Cheese article. >