We all know and love halloumi, especially grilled ones, but do you know how long halloumi last?
I don’t know why, but my fridge is always full of different kinds of cheese and a lot of dairy products, so I always have this question of how long this or that cheese lasts.
The thing is that sometimes you can’t rely on the expiration date yea some kinds of cheese are good even after the expiration date, but the problem is that some are bad before the expiration date. So you better do your research before eating a cheese that makes you question if it’s still edible.
In this article, we will discuss how long halloumi lasts depending on how you store it and if it’s open or unopened. Also, how to know if it has gone bad since there are a few things you can check to make sure the halloumi is good to eat.
How long does halloumi last?
Unopened halloumi can last up to a year if stored in the refrigerator. The thing that makes halloumi last so long is that it’s a brined cheese.
Opened halloumi will last for 3 to 5 days in the fridge, but you can make it last longer by adding some salted water to it. Either way, you have to put it in an airtight container to ensure it is stored properly.
Making a simple brine by mixing salt and water it’s easy and can make the halloumi last longer, the thing is that it might make your halloumi even saltier than it is.
Another way of making halloumi last longer is to marinate it in olive oil and even place it in a bit of olive oil. This storing method is great but having in mind the price of olive oil, it can be a bit expensive compared to salted water. The upside of using olive oil is that it will give a richer taste to halloumi, especially if you like olive oil taste; by the way, here is an article about why olive oil tastes bitter sometimes and how to fix it.
How long does cooked halloumi last?
As I said in the article about reheating halloumi, cooked halloumi will last for about two weeks if stored properly in an airtight container or wrapped very well in parchment paper.
And yes, you can reheat halloumi in a few different ways. I will not get into more details here since I have an entire article about reheating halloumi here.
If you never had grilled halloumi, you don’t know what you are missing, you can also eat raw halloumi, but it is not the same experience.
Can you freeze halloumi?
You can freeze opened halloumi to make it last for about six months or so, it depends on how good and fresh the cheese is when you freeze it.
To freeze it properly, you have to place it in a vacuum-sealed bag or wrap it very well in a plastic bag and then into an airtight container. Halloumi can last up to six months if frozen well, but it is recommended to use it in the first couple of months to make sure it doesn’t lose its taste and texture.
One thing to have in mind is that most of the time, you will want to cook sliced halloumi, so it is better to slice it before putting it in the freezer. This way, you avoid thawing the entire halloumi if you don’t need it all, and also, it will thaw easier if sliced. It is a pain to thaw big chunks of food and find out that they are still frozen in the middle, halloumi cheese is no exception to that.
Freezing cooked halloumi is also possible, but you will lose its signature squeaky texture, and the taste may be affected, so it’s not worth freezing cooked halloumi.
How to know halloumi has gone bad?
Now that we talked about how long halloumi lasts, opened or unopened, the next thing to know is how you decide if it is still good to eat or if it has gone bad.
For this reason, I will give you a few things to check before eating your leftover halloumi.
-Scent. Especially for halloumi that was stored in the fridge, the weird sour odor will be a clear sign that the halloumi has gone bad. It will be a bit tricker with the frozen one since the scent will not be so noticeable until it thaws completely.
-Apparence. If your halloumi has changed its color in the fridge, that also can be a sign that it is going bad. You can combine this with the scent to double-check. The appearance of mold is another thing to have in mind; check all parts of the halloumi to make sure there isn’t any mold. If you see mold spots, make sure you discard that halloumi right away. Don’t try to fix it but remove the mold since the bacteria from mold can also be inside the cheese but not visible for the moment.
-Flavor. Halloumi that has gone bad will have a spoiled milk taste.
Read Also: Can You Eat Undercooked Dumplings?
Conclusion
Halloumi can last for a long time if stored properly, but it depends a lot if we talk about cooked or uncooked halloumi, opened or unopened halloumi since they can differ a lot.
I hope this article helped you know how to store your halloumi and how long you should expect it to last. Also, make sure you check all the signs that we talked about above before eating leftover halloumi; even if it hasn’t expired and you stored it properly, it is better to be on the safe side when it comes to dairy products.
