Does cheese mold only occur on the outside only? (cream, fish, eat)

[RobertFisher]

common knowledge says you can cut off molded part and eat the rest.... does it mean inside will always be clean?

[elnina]

Yes, mold appears only on hard cheeses on the rind (the outer layer of the cheese), as it is aged, and the mold usually cannot penetrate too far into the cheese; this is why it is safe to eat hard cheeses even with mold.

If you want to stop it from happening, always wrap the cheese in parchment or waxed paper; rewrap it with a new piece after each use to prolong freshness.
These breathable materials prevent mold-causing moisture from collecting on the surface without drying it out.

[don6170]

Originally Posted by RobertFisher

common knowledge says you can cut off molded part and eat the rest.... does it mean inside will always be clean?

Isn't the "blue" part of blue cheese a mold?

[saibot]

Originally Posted by don6170

Isn't the "blue" part of blue cheese a mold?

That's supposed to be there!

Elnina is correct; you can cut the mold off the edges of hard cheese and the rest is completely fine. Don't attempt this with very soft cheese (like cottage or ricotta cheese), or already grated cheese. If those get moldy, throw them out.

Cream cheese is a borderline case. I've cut the mold away and used the rest without any problem, but it's probably not recommended. I'm a little more lax about this kind of thing than most people. On occasion I have scooped away mold from sour cream or yogurt and eaten the rest, whereas most folks would be saying Eeewww as they dumped it into the trash.

[puginabug]

Originally Posted by saibot

That's supposed to be there!

Elnina is correct; you can cut the mold off the edges of hard cheese and the rest is completely fine. Don't attempt this with very soft cheese (like cottage or ricotta cheese), or already grated cheese. If those get moldy, throw them out.

Cream cheese is a borderline case. I've cut the mold away and used the rest without any problem, but it's probably not recommended. I'm a little more lax about this kind of thing than most people. On occasion I have scooped away mold from sour cream or yogurt and eaten the rest, whereas most folks would be saying Eeewww as they dumped it into the trash.

This is how I am, too. Been doing it for years and no ill effects yet.

[nmnita]

Originally Posted by don6170

Isn't the "blue" part of blue cheese a mold?

That is true but I am thinking the OP isn't thinking cheeses like blue cheese, but rather our typical yellow or white cheeses.

[gguerra]

The outside is exposed to oxygen, the inside is not. Eventually, if left alone it will spread to the inside.

Double or triple wrap the cheese to prevent this.

[evening sun]

Originally Posted by puginabug

This is how I am, too. Been doing it for years and no ill effects yet.

Me too still kicking.

[tickyul]

Well, with raw-cheese, you see one speck of mold on any part of your cheese,
throw the whole thing out.

[jonesg]

Originally Posted by nmnita

That is true but I am thinking the OP isn't thinking cheeses like blue cheese, but rather our typical yellow or white cheeses.

Processed type? a lot of those aren't legally cheese.

I used to remove the white rind from Brie, I thought it was mould.
Then I had a slice with an air bubble and the inside of the bubble had the same white rind formed on it.