Can I leave cut (but airtight wrapped) aged pecorino at room temperature for a couple of hours?
I bought it for a friend and want to give it to them but I will have to travel with the aged pecorino cheese for a couple of hours at room temperature before giving it to him. Is it safe to do so? It is about 150 grams and it is really aged and really airtight, wrapped in a thick plastic wrap (that is how I bought it from the store).
Best Answer
Pecorino Romano can be stored at room temperature for weeks, even without vacuum sealing. So you're fine.
Pictures about "Can I leave cut (but airtight wrapped) aged pecorino at room temperature for a couple of hours?"
Can Pecorino Romano be left out?
Pecorino Romano is one of the few sheep's milk-based cheeses that doesn't require refrigeration right away.Should you refrigerate Pecorino Romano cheese?
Store Pecorino Romano in the cheese or vegetable drawer in your refrigerator, wrapped in either plastic or aluminum foil to keep it from drying out.How do you store grated Pecorino Romano cheese?
To store Pecorino Romano cheese, wrap it tightly in parchment paper, wax paper, or butcher paper and store it in the cheese drawer or vegetable crisper in your fridge. With this technique, the cheese will stay good for 2-3 weeks (turning dry and hard after).How long can you store pecorino?
Hard cheeses, like e.g., Parmigiano-Reggiano (or Parmesan), Grana Padano, or Pecorino, usually last for 4 to 6 months. As long as they're unopened, they most often will still be quite alright after a month to two months after the date on the label.Difference Between Pecorino and Parmesan
More answers regarding can I leave cut (but airtight wrapped) aged pecorino at room temperature for a couple of hours?
Answer 2
I've done it a few times. Still sealed in the plastic packaging that it was sold in.
You're probably shortening the storage lifetime on it, but as it's something that's made near room temperature, I don't think it's quite as much of a big deal as meat, soft cheeses or other high-risk foods.
If you can, you can wrap it in something insulating (clothes, for instance), with an ice pack. Although if you're flying in the US, the ice pack would probably be taken by security unless you check your bag.
Traveling with a block of cheese in your carry-on bag will likely get you a bag search, as they just see a block of organic matter, and can't tell if it's cheese or a block of explosives. This is especially problematic if you have a lot of cables and electronics in your bag with it.
Sources: Stack Exchange - This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Exchange and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.
Images: suzukii xingfu, cottonbro, Matthias Zomer, Shuxuan Cao