Can I eat it? Waxed cheddar past expiration

June 16, 2017 11:54 PM

I have an unopened waxed cheddar from The Fine Cheese Co. Made in England. Expiration date was the end of March (so 2 1/2 months ago). It is pasturized. To my knowledge it has been refrigerated (barring any power outages I may not have witnessed while it was in the fridge this whole time). Can I eat it?
posted by MeFiMouse to Food & Drink (10 answers total)

Unless the wax seal was broken, it should be fine. Cheese can be stored in wax for years.

The longer you keep it sealed, the more it ages, which in a relatively young cheddar might be a good thing, but it isn't going to go bad.
posted by jacquilynne at 12:38 AM on June 17, 2017 [4 favorites]

If not visibly moldy, definitely. If moldy just cut the mold off.
posted by amaire at 12:38 AM on June 17, 2017

Cheesemonger reporting: hell yes you can eat it. Barring any weird smells or unidentifiable molds (and I can identify SO many mold species), I'd eat it years past its "expiration date."
posted by JuliaIglesias at 1:00 AM on June 17, 2017 [9 favorites]

I almost always say don't eat that, but I think this is fine!
posted by Kalmya at 4:24 AM on June 17, 2017

Eat it: with all possible dispatch, and possibly with some Colman's mustard.
posted by Emperor SnooKloze at 4:31 AM on June 17, 2017 [2 favorites]

Eat it without any worry!
posted by carrioncomfort at 6:45 AM on June 17, 2017

Always eat the cheese.
posted by rodlymight at 7:25 AM on June 17, 2017

it's cheese-eatin' time. Go nuts.
posted by fingersandtoes at 8:19 AM on June 17, 2017

One of the biggest lessons I've learned here is to always eat the cheese. (I posted a cheese question recently, ate the cheese, it was delicious and I didn't get botulism or anything.) Enjoy!
posted by bighappyhairydog at 5:09 PM on June 17, 2017

Or, you know, you could NOT eat the cheese, pack it carefully, and send to me.

You know, for research.
posted by Samizdata at 5:35 PM on June 18, 2017