How Long Can Cheddar Cheese Sit Out? (Explained!)

Finding a more popular cheese than cheddar is a challenging task, especially in the United Kingdom. Because of that, it is improbable you have never tasted it, but knowing how it tastes is not the only important thing about cheddar. There are other fundamental questions you should know the answer to as well, including:

How long can cheddar cheese sit out? Cheddar can sit out up to eight hours before it is dangerous to eat. The reason for that is cheddar is a hard kind of cheese and, therefore, doesn’t contain so much moisture that bacteria need to grow.

This is hardly everything there is to be said about this topic, though, and that’s the reason a deeper look is needed to actually understand it.

So without any further hesitation, let’s just jump right into it!

Does cheddar cheese need to be refrigerated?

Since cheddar is a hard kind of cheese, it can last on its own for a while. Nonetheless, cheddar cheese still needs to be refrigerated if you’re not about to eat it immediately because not even hard kinds of cheese can stay good for more than a few hours outside of the fridge; more about that in the following answer, though.

How long can cheddar cheese sit out at room temperature?

Cheddar is a hard kind of cheese, which means it doesn’t contain much moisture. And since moisture is crucial for bacteria to grow, this means cheddar cheese can sit out at room temperature for relatively long – generally, it’s agreed that cheddar is safe to eat even after eight hours outside of the fridge.

Can cheddar cheese be left out overnight?

As we’ve explained above, cheddar can last on its own for something around. Therefore, it is plausible that cheddar cheese can be left out overnight – it all depends on how long it was. So just be aware of the eight-hour stamp, and everything’s going to be alright.

What happens if you leave cheddar cheese out overnight?

If you leave cheddar cheese out overnight, two things can happen – first, it is nothing at all, provided you haven’t left it on the counter for significantly more than eight hours. But if by overnight you mean something like ten or maybe even twelve hours, the cheddar cheese is now probably spoiled, and you should rather just throw it away.

How long can shredded cheddar cheese sit out?

Even though shredding cheese makes it different in many aspects, it doesn’t affect its abilities regarding spoiling. Therefore, shredded cheddar cheese can sit out for even as long as eight hours. The reason for that is cheddar doesn’t contain a whole lot of moisture, which makes it harder for bacteria to grow.

How long can sealed cheddar cheese sit out?

As most food experts agree, sealed cheddar cheese can sit out for up to eight hours before it is dangerous to eat. That’s because cheddar, as a hard kind of cheese, doesn’t contain much moisture, making multiplying hard for bacteria.

How long can mild cheddar cheese sit out?

Thanks to the fact it is a hard kind of cheese, mild cheddar cheese contains nearly no moisture. And since moisture is needed for bacteria to grow, mild cheddar cheese can sit out for a reasonably long time, something around eight hours to be specific, before being dangerous to eat.

How long can sliced cheese sit out?

Since a lot of different kinds of cheese can hide behind the general term “sliced cheese,” it is hard to answer this question. But because it can undoubtedly be said that sliced cheese is most often made from cheddar, let’s talk about that kind.

And as we have already explained above a hundred times, cheddar cheese can be left out for as long as eight hours – sliced cheese can, therefore, sit out for no more than eight hours before being dangerous to eat.

How long can sharp cheese sit out?

Sharp cheese is a name usually referring to a little bit more aged kind of cheddar, which means sharp cheese can sit out for up to eight hours before spoiling. The reason for that is the low moisture content that, in addition, makes it hard for bacteria to grow.

How long can extra sharp cheese sit out?

Since cheddar is a hard kind of cheese that doesn’t contain nearly any moisture, it is able not to turn bad for quite a while even on its own, and that goes even for its different variations. Therefore, extra sharp cheese can sit out for as long as eight hours before being unsafe to eat.

How can you tell if cheddar cheese is bad?

If you’ve had a piece of cheddar at your home for some time now, it is smart to check it out before eating it. To tell if cheddar cheese is bad or not, smell and look at it. If you notice some dark stains on, disgusting odor, or mold of any kind, your cheddar cheese is past its best days, so just throw it away as soon as possible.

How do you keep cheddar cheese fresh?

To keep your cheddar cheese as fresh as possible, it is crucial to wrap it in wax or cheese paper. After that, put the cheddar into the fridge – that way, it’ll stay eatable for something around eight weeks. Be prepared that it might be dried out by that time, though, so you’ll maybe have to melt it.

What happens if you eat bad cheddar cheese?

Eating spoiled food is likely to cause food poisoning, as we hope you all are aware. Because of that, chances are you’re going to be vomiting or having a stomach ache if you eat bad cheddar cheese.

Summary

Cheddar is a hard kind of cheese, which means that there’s just a tiny bit of moisture. Because of that, it is kind of challenging for bacteria to grow in cheddar, which means it can stay good for quite some time even on its own – when left out of the fridge, cheddar cheese is still safe to eat even after eight hours. 

After that amount of time passes, though, you should rather throw the cheese away because it is now probably spoiled.

Related:

• How Long Can Swiss Cheese Sit Out?
• How Long Can Colby Jack Cheese Sit Out?
• How Long Can Sealed Cheese Sit Out?

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