Parmigiano Reggiano
A cool, dimly lit, well ventilated room with a temperature around 10 – 15°C and a relative humidity of 70 or 80% is the perfect place to store and preserve hard cheeses such as Parmigiano. Yet, rooms with all these features are rarely available; so, we suggest to preserve the cheese in the refrigerator and follow these precautions.
Vacuum packed cheese
Where to store it: in the refrigerator
Temperature: 4 – 8 °C
Product life: Vacuum packed Parmigiano can remain intact for several months.
Suggestions
- Make sure that the pack is intact, and therefore able to preserve the texture, taste and aroma of the cheese.
Fresh cheese (or removed from the vacuum sealed pack)
Where to store it: in the refrigerator
Temperature: 4 – 8 °C
Product life: Fresh Parmigiano can last one month or even longer, if preserved properly.
Suggestions
- Store the cheese in the re-sealable bag that you can buy along with it, or inside a sealed plastic or glass container, in order to maintain the original flavour and humidity level.
- Do not wrap it in plastic film: the film could loosen and let the air pass through.
- Keep it away from the other products in the refrigerator, otherwise the fat content of the cheese will absorb their smells.
- Store it in the lower part of the fridge, as far away from the freezer as possible.
- If it develops some mould, you can just carefully scratch it away from the surface and use the cheese in cooked recipes.
- Do not freeze slices or pieces. You can freeze grated Parmigiano and store it in sealed freezer bags.
Elisir di Parmigiano
Our Elisir is a cream made of grated Parmigiano mixed with EVO oil.
Both oil and Parmigiano are shelf-stable foods, as long as we do not mistreat them too much! Keep the jar in a fresh place, away from direct light, until you open it.
Both oil and Parmigiano are shelf-stable foods, as long as we do not mistreat them too much! Keep the jar in a fresh place, away from direct light, until you open it.
Where to store it: once opened, in the refrigerator
Temperature: around 4°C
Product life (once opened): 7 – 10 days
Suggestions
- Keep the Elisir into its jar; cover the surface with a spoonful of olive oil and close the jar accurately.
- Keep it on the middle shelf of the refrigerator (the same place suggested for cream cheeses and fresh dairy products).
Caciotta, Scamorza, Caciocavallo
Fresh and medium ripened cheeses have a shorter life. It is preferable to consume them a few days after the purchase, so that they do not lose their flavour. If poorly preserved, they usually take on an unpleasant smell and taste, which might spread to the products near them.
Where to preserve them: in the refrigerator
Temperature: 2 – 4°C
Product life (once opened): around 15 days
Suggestions
- If possible, keep the cheeses into their own packages.
- Otherwise, keep them into sealed plastic containers.
- Keep them on the middle shelf of the refrigerator, in order to avoid too high or too low temperatures.
Fresh cheeses
This category is even more subject to deterioration. Once the packages are open, the products should be consumed within a few days in order to avoid them to become dry and lose flavour and quality. We also suggest to use a thermal bag to take them home from the store, especially during the warm season, in order to avoid excessive temperature changes that could affect them.
Mozzarella & Burrata
Where to store them: in the refrigerator
Temperature: 2 – 4°C
Product life (once opened): 2 – 3 days
Suggestions
- Keep the cheeses inside their packages and into their preserving liquid, which consists in water and salt.
- Let them rest at room temperature for about 30 minutes before consuming them.
Mascarpone
Where to store it: in the refrigerator
Temperature: 2 – 4°C
Product life (once opened): 1 – 2 days
Suggestions
- Buy it while it is still very fresh, since it is one of the most delicate products. Vacuum sealed Mascarpone can last up to 2 weeks; yet, once the package is opened, it usually goes bad within a very short period of time.
- Once the package is opened, keep the cheese in a sealed container placed on the upper shelf of the refrigerator, just as other fresh dairy products, and consume it as soon as possible.
Tosone
Where to store it: in the refrigerator
Temperature: 2 – 4°C
Product life (once opened): 4 – 5 days
Suggestions
- Keep it into a sealed container to make it last longer.
- Keep it on the lower shelf of the fridge to avoid too high or too low temperatures.
Stracchino
Where to store it: in the refrigerator
Temperature: 2 – 4°C
Product life (once opened): 2 – 3 days
Suggestions
- Once the package is opened, keep the product in a sealed glass or plastic container and store it on the top or middle shelf of the refrigerator.
Ricotta
Where to store it: in the refrigerator
Temperature: 2 – 4°C
Product life (once opened): 2 – 3 days
Suggestions
- Keep the product in a sealed container to make it last up to 7 days.
Dairy products
The freshest, most delicate products require special care when it comes to preservation. They cannot withstand time and they are quite useful in the kitchen, therefore it is preferable to buy them often and just in the sufficient amounts required by daily kitchen necessities, in order to avoid any waste and have them always ready to taste and use them in your recipes!
Fresh milk
Where to store it: in the refrigerator
Temperature: 2 – 4°C
Product life: 2 – 3 days
Suggestions
- Once the bottle is opened, keep the product on the upper, coldest shelf of the refrigerator rather than in the door containers.
Butter
Where to store it: in the refrigerator
Temperature: 2 – 5°C
Product life: 6 months
Suggestions
- Butter needs a light refrigeration: keep it in the door containers, which are the less cold place in the refrigerator.
- Keep it in its own paper package or in a sealed container that keeps it away from the other foods.
- Let it rest at room temperature for about 30 minutes before consuming it.
Yogurt & Desserts
Our yoghurt is made with fresh milk; some of our desserts, such as Panna Cotta and Crema Catalana, contain fresh cream, and that means that they need to be consumed immediately once the package is open. These products need to be preserved by following rules similar to those recommended for Mascarpone and other fresh dairy goods.
Yogurt
Where to store it: in the refrigerator
Temperature: 2 – 4°C
Product life (once opened): 7 days
Suggestions
- The lactic ferments contained in yoghurt oxidize when they come in contact with air, so we suggest to consume our yoghurt within a short period of time to keep all its benefits.
- Leftover yoghurt that has been kept in the fridge a bit longer than it should have can still be used to make a cake!
- If you want to make our yoghurt last longer (up to 15 days), we recommend you not to eat it right out of the jar, even if it is so appealing… instead, you should pour some in a cup, or in a glass, to avoid contaminating it with saliva.
Panna cotta
Where to store it: in the refrigerator
Temperature: 2 – 4°C
Product life (once opened): 1 – 2 days
Suggestions
- Consume each portion right after you open the jar.
- Consume or serve it as soon as you take it out of the refrigerator to fully enjoy its soft, jelly-like texture.
Crema catalana
Where to store it: in the refrigerator
Temperature: 2 – 4°C
Product life (once opened): 2 – 3 days
Suggestions
- Consume each portion as soon as possible.
- Keep the product on the upper, coldest shelf of the refrigerator.
- Keep it in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours and serve cold.