Why You Might Want To Skip Packing Cheese For A Picnic

Eating outside elevates a dining experience. Senses are heightened, a changeup in surroundings is memorable, not to mention it simply feels good to be out in the sun. Subsequently, it's tempting to pack the most decadent products for a picnic: say a mouth-watering roundup of speciality shop cheeses. Paired with a nice bottle of wine or non-alcoholic beverage, it's a romantic concept. The issue is sitting out with a cheese platter a touch too long, and the meal could result in food-borne illness.

According to the USDA, food shouldn't go without refrigeration for longer than two hours. If it's a toasty day outside — 90 degrees Fahrenheit or more — the time cuts down to only one hour. So once you account for transportation, setup, and subsequent enjoyment of a cheese picnic, the safe window of consumption ticks by quickly.

You'll especially want to steer clear of unpasteurized cheese; the government food safety website delegates the dairy as a particularly risky category. Furthermore, fresh queso products (different from melted queso fundido) like fresco, Oaxaca, and panela are best avoided in a picnic setting. You're a little safer with firmer, pasteurized cheeses like a hard cheddar or parmesan, but it's best to shy away from the food category altogether, sans proper storage.

Forgetting to chill foods is one mistake that will ruin your perfect picnic, so for the easiest experience, stick to bites stable at room temperature. From dried fruit to crispy snacks, bread, and canned foods, the selection is expansive. Still, sometimes some cold dairy does sound tasty outside — with some strict precautions, you can certainly transport the foodstuff to an outdoor experience.

Essentially, it comes down to maintaining storage conditions at 40 degrees Fahrenheit or below, to avoid a melted cheese picnic disaster. Reach for a dependable cooler or insulated bag, padded with abundant ice packs to keep temperatures low. If you decide to cut the cheese prior to transportation, remain extra cautious – any additional handling step increases the risk of illness. A safer alternative is to transport the cold cheese in sealed, original packaging.

For both optimal storage and presentation, set up your charcuterie board at the picnic to ease the experience. Chilly cheese in hand, you can enjoy stress-free; the flavor of hard cheeses might even benefit from some delicate warming. Keep a close eye on the clock for the two-hour mark, though — no one wants to be part of a picnic experience memorable for the wrong reasons.