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There’s a lot to love about cheese. It’s delicious, versatile and a great source of calcium and protein, which are good for bone health.​ ​Cheese is easy to throw in recipes, perfect for

charcuterie boards during the holidays and a great snack. But there is nothing more frustrating than finding your cheese has gone bad, which often comes down to storage methods. Storing

cheese improperly — or reusing cheese after it’s been sitting out — can cause bacteria growth that can make you sick. ​ ​Not all cheeses are created equal. Some last for months; others

expire after a few days. In some cheeses, you can cut out the mold and still eat it, but in others, you should get rid of the whole block.​ ​Two cheese aficionados weigh in on the rules for

storing all kinds of cheese.​ ​STORAGE BASICS​ ​Cheese is a living thing, and you’ll want to treat it as such. Shannon Berry, cheese specialist at Dairy Farmers of Wisconsin, has three basic

rules that apply to all cheeses: ​ ​_GIVE IT SPACE:_ Don’t overcrowd your cheese. Some cheeses need more oxygen than others. Provide a bit of space when you wrap, so a blue cheese or a

brie, for example, can get more air.​ ​“I prefer putting my brie and creamy cheeses in wax paper first and then into a Tupperware container to allow them more space to breathe,” says

cheesemonger Emilie Lehan from Murray’s Cheese in New York. ​ Keep cheese away from other aromatic foods as it easily absorbs other flavors.​ ​_KEEP IT COLD: _Refrigerate cheese at 34 to 38

degrees Fahrenheit. “Store cheese in the vegetable or cheese drawer; it tends to be cooler, and the humidity is good for the cheese,” Lehan says. This is most important for softer or

medium-soft cheeses. Some of the harder cheeses can withstand being kept at room temperature for longer.​ Dimitrie Ragar / Getty Images ​Freezing cheese isn’t universally recommended

because, in some cases, it can drastically change the texture. Shredded cheese (either the kind you buy pre-shredded or shred yourself) can be frozen and still perform well if you store it

in an airtight container (even a sealed plastic bag with the air squeezed out). If the cheese is going to be in a recipe that calls for it to bake in an oven, such as a casserole or mac and

cheese, it can go straight from frozen to melted without thawing. Shredded cheese should last two to three months in the fridge.​ ​Parmesan rinds are excellent for freezing — just wrap

tightly in plastic. Rinds are great to throw in soups or pastas to add another dimension of flavor.​ JohnGollop/Getty Images ​_COVER IT:_ Most cheesemongers recommend using cheese paper —

the waxy paper you’ll get when you buy cheese at a deli counter or cheese shop — to wrap your cheese. It’s a worthwhile purchase if you eat a lot of cheese at home.​ ​“Cheese paper allows

your cheese to have some breathing room without being totally exposed and losing its precious moisture,” Berry says.​ ​If you don’t have cheese paper, you can use parchment or wax paper,

then put it in a plastic bag.​ ​“The paper creates a barrier between the cheese and the plastic, while the plastic keeps it from getting too dry,” Berry says.​ ​Make sure your cheese is

fully covered, but not wrapped so tight that it doesn’t have breathing room. A plastic or glass container is OK for very fresh cheeses such as burrata or ricotta, but it should be avoided

for other cheeses.​