I Found a Quick $10 Fix to Keep My Cheese Fresh for Weeks

Since reading American Cheese by Joe Berkowitz, I’ve been frequenting my local cheese shop more often, slowly checking things off my new Cheese Bucket List. The cheesemonger, wanting me to get the most out of my Alp Blossom and Rogue River Blue, told me that the best way to store cheese is by wrapping it in parchment paper “so it can breathe,” then stashing it in an airtight container so the cheese doesn’t dry out.

Immediately, I thought about the poor blocks of cheddar and part-skim mozzarella in my fridge, either half dried out or suffocating in plastic wrap. Oops.

I used her suggestion, but containers started piling up in my fridge. Between an excess of plastic wrap waste and an abundance of containers stacked in my fridge, I felt like I was losing—against cheese.

Then one day, “Cheese Huggers” came across my desk. Tillamook, one of my favorite cheese brands, teamed up with a company called Food Huggers to make something that solved my cheese storage situation.

What are Cheese Huggers?

Tillamook’s Cheese Huggers are reusable covers made from food-grade silicone. To use one, press the cut side of a block of cheese into the Cheese Hugger. The silicone creates a tight seal around the cheese, keeping it fresher, longer.

I was so excited to try it. Would this little cover really keep my cheese fresh and get all those containers out of my fridge?

The answer was yes; it worked! I’ve had it for weeks now and have tried it on blocks of feta, cheddar and Gruyere (my favorite!). They all stayed nice and fresh for my cheese boards and cheese recipes. When I’m done with a block of cheese, I toss the Cheese Hugger into the silverware holder in my dishwasher. Easy!

There are a few things to keep in mind, though. First, you obviously can’t use Cheese Huggers to store shredded cheese. Second, the Cheese Huggers do not fit around every cheese shape, only rectangular blocks. The measurements on Tillamook’s website read that the opening fits 1″ x 2 1/8″ to 1″ x 2 1/2″.

You should also learn from my mistake: The first time I used the Huggers, I cut the cheese’s packaging way too far up the block, which kept some of my cheese exposed in the fridge where the Hugger couldn’t reach, drying it out. However, the part of the cheese that was snugged into the Hugger was as fresh as the day I opened it! After that, I made sure not to cut too high up on the cheese’s packaging. I even tuck the excess packaging into the Hugger to protect the whole block.

Where can I find a Cheese Hugger?

Look for Cheese Huggers on Tillamook’s website. Each package is $10 and comes with two Cheese Huggers. You can also buy non-branded Cheese Huggers on Food Hugger’s website. Each package has four Huggers in different sizes for $14.99.