Extra sharp white cheddar tillamook, best by date Nov 27 2023. It’s been refrigerated and unopened the whole time. Is this just extra aged now? Safe to eat?
by spicyprairiedog
27 Comments
JeanVicquemare
a semi-hard or hard cheese like that, if it looks and smells good and has no visible mold, I’m eating it.
Fyonella
I’d open it, see how it looked. My guess is it’s absolutely fine.
Illustrious-Divide95
Assuming it’s unopened, it states “Best (by)” so in theory it should be edible but not ‘at its best’
I would open it and have a look, smell and feel.
if it smells odd (funky/fishy etc), feels slick or slimy in any way, or there are signs of mould I would leave it alone.
bhambrewer
you should send it to me for safe disposal 😉
[deleted]
Check if it has any mold. Tbh you should do that with all store bought and refrigerated cheeses. I used to work at a grocery store and the amount of unexpired cheeses with blatant mold I saw on the shelves for sale was crazy
rickoftheuniverse
Look, smell. All good? Eat.
ZVreptile
2023?! You keep your fridge on dry cave setting?
Highlandertr3
With cheese it’s pretty easy to tell it’s off. If it has mold you aren’t expecting them cut that bit off and eat the rest. It s a super long time but… Honestly if it looks fine and smells like cheese then it’s probably just aged well. Vintage cheddar now.
SmokedLimburger
I don’t know if it’s “safe” but I know that I would eat it without pause.
Sea_Dog1969
Probably. Well aged cheddar is generally the best.
Level-Many3384
How’d you lose that in your fridge for a year and a half? lol. Like everyone else has stated. If I smells fine and looks fine, It’s probably fine.
TeranOrSolaran
I’m impressed by the manufacturers quality controls. With no mold after so many years.
[deleted]
I’ll eat it if you don’t
ownage398
I had this exact cheese and it was also slightly past the best by date. It was some of the best white cheddar I’ve ever had. There were cheese crystals throughout the whole thing and it was fucking delicious!
zerooskul
The “best by” date is really for people who are used to American cheese.
They want you to throw it away and buy more.
No mold, no problem.
Chefjacqulyn
It’s not moldy, I’d eat it.
Curlymoeonwater
I buy 3, 5 yr old cheddar all the time and “lose” it for an extra year or two in the fridge. Gets a bit drier, crumbly and tangier.
Seriously if is not visibly off and don’t smell you’ll be fine.
ennuiui
Aged over ~~2~~ 3 years.
vote4boat
every 6-months adds an “extra”
hocket99
I had a block of grocery store mozzarella that I lost in my fridge for a couple years. It was turning a golden brown color when I found it. Opened it and smelled fine, no hint of mold. So I ate it and it was delicious, had a somewhat nutty flavor.
Remember that cheese was invented as a way to preserve milk and you can buy 20-year cheddar at some cheese shops.
Sweetcornprincess
As long as it’s not green and still sealed, I’d eat it.
dirt_brain
I used to work for an agency that did Tillamook marketing and we’d go down and meet farmers and tasters and they guys that make the cheese at the factory and I know way more about their cheese than I should. Including about storing it. This cheese is totally fine to eat and could probably sit in your fridge for another decade and be fine.
There was a woman that worked there who had a baby loaf in her fridge for 15 years or something and was like yeah if it’s packaged right and in a cool dry place it just keeps aging no problem.
Basically the reason they don’t have 15 years cheddar is the market is small and it doesn’t make financial sense to store the cheese that long (diminishing flavor and dollar returns) but technically it can keep aging for a long, long time in the right conditions. I think her plan was to eat it when she retired or something.
So like maybe just throw it back in the fridge for another 5-10 years (I would recommend wrapping it in a paper bag or cloth, as dark will prevent mold. I think that’s true? Honestly worked w them a long time ago so it might not be necessary!).
27 Comments
a semi-hard or hard cheese like that, if it looks and smells good and has no visible mold, I’m eating it.
I’d open it, see how it looked. My guess is it’s absolutely fine.
Assuming it’s unopened, it states “Best (by)” so in theory it should be edible but not ‘at its best’
I would open it and have a look, smell and feel.
if it smells odd (funky/fishy etc), feels slick or slimy in any way, or there are signs of mould I would leave it alone.
you should send it to me for safe disposal 😉
Check if it has any mold. Tbh you should do that with all store bought and refrigerated cheeses. I used to work at a grocery store and the amount of unexpired cheeses with blatant mold I saw on the shelves for sale was crazy
Look, smell. All good? Eat.
2023?! You keep your fridge on dry cave setting?
With cheese it’s pretty easy to tell it’s off. If it has mold you aren’t expecting them cut that bit off and eat the rest. It s a super long time but… Honestly if it looks fine and smells like cheese then it’s probably just aged well. Vintage cheddar now.
I don’t know if it’s “safe” but I know that I would eat it without pause.
Probably. Well aged cheddar is generally the best.
How’d you lose that in your fridge for a year and a half? lol. Like everyone else has stated. If I smells fine and looks fine, It’s probably fine.
I’m impressed by the manufacturers quality controls. With no mold after so many years.
I’ll eat it if you don’t
I had this exact cheese and it was also slightly past the best by date. It was some of the best white cheddar I’ve ever had. There were cheese crystals throughout the whole thing and it was fucking delicious!
The “best by” date is really for people who are used to American cheese.
They want you to throw it away and buy more.
No mold, no problem.
It’s not moldy, I’d eat it.
I buy 3, 5 yr old cheddar all the time and “lose” it for an extra year or two in the fridge. Gets a bit drier, crumbly and tangier.
The nose knows
If it isn’t growing anything yes for sure.
Now it’s just extra extra sharp.
Smell it. If it makes you want to gag don’t eat
[r/eatityoufuckincoward](https://www.reddit.com/r/EatItYouFuckinCoward/s/xNCqwufQm5)
Seriously if is not visibly off and don’t smell you’ll be fine.
Aged over ~~2~~ 3 years.
every 6-months adds an “extra”
I had a block of grocery store mozzarella that I lost in my fridge for a couple years. It was turning a golden brown color when I found it. Opened it and smelled fine, no hint of mold. So I ate it and it was delicious, had a somewhat nutty flavor.
Remember that cheese was invented as a way to preserve milk and you can buy 20-year cheddar at some cheese shops.
As long as it’s not green and still sealed, I’d eat it.
I used to work for an agency that did Tillamook marketing and we’d go down and meet farmers and tasters and they guys that make the cheese at the factory and I know way more about their cheese than I should. Including about storing it. This cheese is totally fine to eat and could probably sit in your fridge for another decade and be fine.
There was a woman that worked there who had a baby loaf in her fridge for 15 years or something and was like yeah if it’s packaged right and in a cool dry place it just keeps aging no problem.
Basically the reason they don’t have 15 years cheddar is the market is small and it doesn’t make financial sense to store the cheese that long (diminishing flavor and dollar returns) but technically it can keep aging for a long, long time in the right conditions. I think her plan was to eat it when she retired or something.
So like maybe just throw it back in the fridge for another 5-10 years (I would recommend wrapping it in a paper bag or cloth, as dark will prevent mold. I think that’s true? Honestly worked w them a long time ago so it might not be necessary!).