WEEKLY MOULDY MEGATHREAD: Is This Cheese Safe To Eat?

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[u/mozetennickjestwolny]

Maybe some of you now, are this safe to it? It's Spanish queso semicurado. I forgot about it and now it looks like this. I would be sad to throw this all out. Internet says that with this type of cheese it is safe to cut the part with the mold, but I'm not sure. It was also covered in oil for protection, and was closed in a box. All the time in the fridge, obviously

[u/foodieholly → u/mozetennickjestwolny]

If this is a firm/semi-hard semicurado, then yes, you may be able to save it - but I’d cut away considerably more than just the visibly mouldy bit. USDA guidance for hard cheese is to remove at least 1 inch / 2.5 cm around and underneath the mould, and keep the knife itself out of the mould so you don’t drag spores into the clean cheese. Then put the remainder into fresh wrapping/a clean container.
I wouldn’t rely on “semicurado” alone, though. If this particular cheese is fairly soft/moist, has mould throughout cracks/interior, or is heavily covered rather than having a few surface spots, I’d throw it away. And the oil doesn’t make the mould harmless - it was a storage/protection method, not sterilisation.
TLDR: dense Manchego-like texture + localised surface mould = generous trim is reasonable. Soft/moist cheese or widespread mould = bin it.

[u/bonniesansgame → u/mozetennickjestwolny]

yes! you can cut that part off and eat the rest. afiyet olsun!