An actual e-mail I sent Eugene while he was touring through Prague with a molding wheel of Dutch cheese in his backpack

To: Eugene
From: Alejandra
Subject: Saving moldy cheese

There are a couple things to consider. First, is it a hard or semisoft cheese? (like Parmesan, Aged Cheddar, Swiss, Pecorino, Colby, Asiago, etc.)? If it's a hard or semisoft cheese, it will be ok to eat but you have to cut the moldy part as soon as possible. Get a knife and cut it off so that there is at least an extra 1/2 inch between the moldy part and the good cheese. Be careful not to let the knife touch the mold. You need to get your hands on some plastic wrap asap and tightly (tightly!) wrap it after you cut the mold off. If you still have any of those plastic baggies from the care package, use one of them to place the wrapped cheese in.

If you can't get plastic wrap, Use generous amounts of paper towel or thick napkins and then place in a baggie. Air is the enemy here. You need to store it in a cool, dry place. If you have A/C or a fan, keep it in an area near that. If it's cold out, then put it on a windowsill (but out of the sun). Just figure out the coolest place and always keep it there. If you can tell me the name of it (the cheese) I can give you better advice.

OH and also, don't touch the cheese with your hands. Bacteria on our hands is what causes cheese mold. Always handle it through a napkin or plastic wrap.

If it's a soft cheese (like brie or camembert) then it will need to be thrown out.

That's probably more than you wanted to know about cheese mold... ;)

Love,

Alejandra