Does Parmesan cheese go bad?

Parmesan cheese is a somewhat unique food. Although true fresh Parmesan cheese does exist, many of us are more familiar with the grated Parmesan cheese that is used to sprinkle on food.

You know what we’re talking about, right? That tub or container of finely grated Parmesan cheese that is sprinkled in sauces and on top of pasta and pizza.

Now we are on the right track! Even fresh Parmesan cheese has a slightly unique texture and feel. Parmesan cheese has a pretty long shelf life, whatever form you have it in your house.

It is one of those foods that you can always have in the fridge or pantry and that you can’t stop using and using.

But does Parmesan cheese go bad?

Parmesan cheese ends up spoiling. Either fresh or grated in a bag, you can likely enjoy it for many months. Unopened or block Parmesan can last up to a year in cold storage; open Parmesan can last up to a couple of months. However, its quality may be degraded.

In this guide, we’ll walk you through all the ins and outs surrounding the question “does Parmesan go bad?” We’ll talk about both fresh Parmesan and store-bought packages of Parmesan. We’ll also talk about proper storage and general shelf life. of the cheese

We have a lot of information to share, so stay with us to understand if and when Parmesan cheese goes bad. So let’s get down to business!

Does Parmesan cheese go bad? A complete guide

There is really a lot of information when it comes to understanding Parmesan cheese.

We want to point out right away that fresh Parmesan and store-bought grated and processed Parmesan may not behave exactly the same.

We will also cover both topics as we go through the guide and we will always differentiate between them so that you also know which type we are talking about.

How long does fresh Parmesan cheese last in the fridge?

Now, let’s really complicate this. Ok, not so much!

But we have more than one type of fresh cheese that we want to refer to. There’s a block of queso fresco that is really fresh or you can buy refrigerated, shredded queso fresco that’s still different from the dry, extra crumbly Parmesan we’ll talk about later.

Makes sense? Essentially, what we are saying is that this section is not at all about the dry sprinkled Parmesan that you can buy in a tub.

Pre-grated fresh Parmesan

First, let’s briefly talk about the fresh grated Parmesan you buy in the refrigerated dairy section of the supermarket. This grated Parmesan is made with fresh cheese, but we don’t really know how fresh.

Fresh, grated Parmesan from the store often has an expiration date on the package. You don’t necessarily have to throw it away after the expiration date , but it is what the company recommends to use for the best quality. You can also freeze those bags to make them last longer. But we make a subsection.

Since you’re buying already grated Parmesan, it won’t actually last as long as a block of queso fresco. The expiration date on the bag will probably give you a date in a few weeks.

Please note that this term is really for an unopened bag.

Once you open that bag of grated Parmesan cheese, it can go bad fast. It is important to keep it tightly closed for storage. Once opened, the cheese is usually best used within about 7 days , before the quality really starts to fade.

Remember that you can also freeze it if you need it for prolonged conservation.

fresh parmesan block

Now, let’s talk about a block of fresh Parmesan cheese. If you like to buy blocks of queso fresco at your local deli or your favorite grocery store, you can usually keep them longer.

Even if you cut off pieces or use chunks, the remaining unused part of the block will stay fresh for several weeks if stored properly.

Parmesan cheese is considered a hard cheese. This is one of the characteristics that distinguishes it. It will dry out quickly more often than it will break down . However, Parmesan can go bad.

Parmesan cheese is hard because it has much less moisture than other types of cheese. There’s nothing wrong with it, it’s just the nature of this cheese.

Did you know that if a small area becomes moldy, you can cut it off and the rest of the cheese is still safe to eat?

It’s best to leave unused cheese in block form , because once the block is grated or cut, your keeping possibilities are shortened and you may be more limited in how long you can use your cheese.

To store a block of Parmesan cheese, be sure to wrap it well and place it in an airtight container or perhaps a storage bag . You want it to be airtight so it won’t be negatively affected by the surrounding air in the fridge.

A block of Parmesan cheese can last at least 8 weeks if it is of the highest quality. It is quite possible that it will last even longer than that. Be sure to keep the rind of the cheese intact for the best results.

We recommend that you store your Parmesan block in a fridge at a temperature of between 39 and 46 degrees, which is pretty standard.

How long does sprinkled parmesan cheese last in the fridge?

The sprinkled Parmesan cheese is what you buy in the tub. It is finely grated or even ground and is often used for sprinkling in recipes or sprinkled on things like pasta, pizza, etc.

It is considered a processed Parmesan cheese and has a fairly long shelf life. Once the container is opened, it is recommended to store this type of cheese in the fridge, but you can leave an unopened container in the pantry for possibly up to a year.

This type of Parmesan cheese will also have an expiration date stamped on it. This is necessary for most foods and is basically the manufacturer’s guarantee for the best quality.

Rest assured, this type of Parmesan will likely hold up well long after that date. 

It is possible for this cheese to go bad, and we will cover some signs of it later in this guide. Remember that, once the cheese has been opened, it is best to store it in the refrigerator, as this helps to keep it even longer.

You can probably store your opened Parmesan sprinkles in the fridge for up to a year and it will keep just fine. You can also put it in the freezer if you’re worried and keep it well that way too.

What happens if you eat expired Parmesan cheese?

The truth is, nothing will probably happen if you eat expired Parmesan cheese. Whether it’s queso fresco or the boat of cheese sprinkles, Parmesan typically has a long shelf life.

In fact, most Parmesan rarely goes bad before it’s used and can be stored for an enormous amount of time before it starts to go bad.

As long as there’s nothing rancid about the cheese and it hasn’t really gone bad, it should be safe to eat long after the expiration date . Remember that, based on our advice in the previous sections, you can cut off the moldy sections of the fresh Parmesan and continue to use the rest of the block.

Check for signs of bad Parmesan cheese (which we’ll share shortly) and keep enjoying your cheese. In this case, the expiration date is simply a best before date and does not necessarily mean that the cheese has actually expired or gone bad.

You’ll probably never have any problem using Parmesan cheese after that date, whether it’s fresh Parmesan or sprinkled Parmesan.

How long does grated parmesan cheese last after expiration date?

In this case, we are going to talk specifically about the jar of “grated” Parmesan cheese. What you see in the pot is probably more like a finely grated or even ground Parmesan than the traditional grated cheese you’d imagine with the word grated.

We also refer to this as Parmesan sprinkles because that’s how the jar or bag is typically used. In any case, what we mean is that we are not talking about fresh Parmesan in this section.

If you store Parmesan cheese sprinkles correctly, it can last for several months past the expiration date, possibly even a year . Just like what we’ve said before, this cheese isn’t likely to go bad any time soon.

It can go bad, but it just takes a long time. Sometimes it goes bad because it just hasn’t been stored correctly. Store your grated (sprinkled) Parmesan cheese in the fridge or freezer and it will last much longer than you can imagine.

Most experts say it can last up to a year beyond the expiration date if stored this way. Always make sure to check for telltale signs that the cheese is rancid. Soon we will give you some specific indications of these signs.

Does Parmesan cheese go bad if not refrigerated?

We want to break this into two parts and make it as simple as possible. We’ll discuss fresh Parmesan first and then grated Parmesan to keep the details separate for you while still answering this question from all angles.

fresh parmesan cheese

It is important that you refrigerate the fresh Parmesan cheese . Although you can leave it at room temperature, it will last much longer if you keep it refrigerated.

Whether you have a fresh slice from the deli or a prepackaged queso fresco from the dairy aisle, refrigerating queso fresco is always recommended.

This is a hard cheese, and hard cheeses usually survive without refrigeration for a couple of weeks. However, they tend to keep better and last longer if refrigerated.

If you store your fresh Parmesan cheese in the fridge, you can enjoy it for up to 8 weeks . However, if you store it at room temperature, you may only get 2 weeks out of it , depending on where and how you store it.

If you decide to store it at room temperature, make sure it is well wrapped and store it in a cool, dry place. You don’t want it to be subjected to moisture or heat, as this will cause it to go bad much faster.

If the queso fresco is still unopened in the original container, it can last 3-4 weeks at room temperature , but it will last more like 6 months in the fridge . Go and refrigerate to make it last as long as possible.

grated Parmesan cheese sprinkled

Sprinkled grated Parmesan cheese is a totally different type of product. This cheese has been processed and is totally different. Off the shelf, if your Parmesan cheese is unopened, you can keep it in your pantry for up to a year .

However, once you open the cheese and remove the seal, you will need to store it in the fridge. Storing it in the fridge keeps it fresh and keeps it much better.

If you choose to store it at room temperature, keep it in a cool, dry place. You’ll notice that your bottle probably says “refrigerate after opening” and we recommend always following that instruction for safety reasons.

If you keep it in the fridge or freezer, you can use it for much longer and it will also have less chance of spoiling.

As a best practice, we recommend storing it in the fridge .

How to tell if parmesan cheese has gone bad

Finally, we come to the section that we have been promising throughout the guide. We’ve got some helpful tips and information for knowing when your Parmesan cheese has potentially gone bad.

We will not put any confusing disclaimers here. The tips that we have to share are valid for both grated Parmesan powder and fresh Parmesan cheese.

These tips are simple and effective, and a great way to gauge whether it’s time to throw away that cheese. For the most part, your cheese is probably good as long as you don’t notice any of these issues.

Mold

A telltale sign is mold. But this is what happens. Mold does not mean that the entire cheese slice has gone bad. If you notice mold on a Parmesan block, you can remove the moldy portion and keep the rest. 

If you notice mold on your grated Parmesan powder, it’s probably best to throw out the entire container, as it can be hard to tell exactly where the mold is coming from.

Discoloration

You can then look for the discoloration. First of all, remember that if you have a block of Parmesan cheese, it has a rind that is naturally darker than the rest of the cheese. This is not a bad cheese.

Other than that though, if you notice spots or areas on the Parmesan that seem to be oddly colored , this could be a sign that the cheese is bad.

Smell

You probably recognize the smell of fresh cheese, and our noses can pick up the smells of cheese that has gone bad or has started to go rancid.

Smell the Parmesan cheese if you doubt it’s good. If it has any kind of foul odor or smells sour or stale in any way , it’s probably best to throw it away.