Don't Throw Out Another Parmesan Rind — Make This Tasty Snack Instead (2024)

FAQs

Why can't you eat Parmesan rind? ›

The rind is a protective layer that develops on the outside of the cheese wheel as it ages. While it is edible, it can become too hard and tough to chew (think of it as the crust on a loaf bread). Still, Parmigiano Reggiano rinds are packed full of flavor and can be used to enrich sauces, soups, stews and more.

If you don't have any leftover rinds handy, you can often find them sold at the deli or cheese counter of your local grocery store or cheese shop. Anywhere they are cutting smaller pieces of Parmesan from a large wheel, rinds may be for sale. That said, you can build your own back stock by saving yours at home.

While an Asiago rind made the soup taste unappealingly gamey, tasters agreed that rinds from both Pecorino Romano and Gruyère added a savory flavor comparable to that of the Parmesan rind. If you don't have a rind, any one of these cheeses is also an acceptable substitute.

The most classic way to reuse parmesan rinds is to cut them into cubes and add them to soups, broths, and soups. With the heat, the cheese will start to soften and release its flavor, making the taste even more intense than if simply grated.

Remember: There is no wax or other sealant on the cheese, so even though the rind is hard, it is just dried cheese and fully edible. Stash the rind in the freezer to flavor pots of soup, stew, or beans.

Parmigiano-Reggiano is an aged cheese, which means it's inevitable that it will develop a tough, waxy outer shell from the air-drying process. Because of this process, the rind develops on the exterior of the cheese, and it has a much tougher texture than the interior cheese.

For those who might be new to the Parmesan rind cooking game (thinking that's just about everyone), here the secret: Unlike many other cheeses, Parmesan does not have any wax or other additives in its rind. It is literally just the aged and hardened exterior of the cheese that has been washed in salt brine.

Unlike many other hard cheeses, Parmesan rinds don't contain wax or other sealants. They're formed naturally during the cheesemaking process. In fact, the rind is just dried cheese that slowly hardens on the exterior of the wheel as it ages in temperature- and humidity-controlled rooms.

That's where parmesan rinds come in. Throw them in with a sauce, a soup, a stew, or stock and they'll melt (not disintegrate!) releasing just a little extra cheesy, salty flavor into your dish.

Gouda/Parmesan Cheese Substitute: Old Winchester

Aged for at least 16mths, it is hard, dry, crumbly and delightfully crunchy.

Can you eat Parmesan after 3 days? ›

Hard cheeses Opened hard cheeses like Cheddar, Gouda and Parmesan can last for a few weeks to a couple of months in the refrigerator. Store them in an airtight container or wrapped tightly in the coldest part of the fridge.

Although Parmesan cheese has many health perks, it is high in calories. Carrying extra weight raises your risk of serious health issues like heart attack and stroke. So like most rich foods, Parmesan cheese is best eaten in reasonable amounts.

It has a hard pale-golden rind and a straw-colored interior with a rich, sharp flavor. Parmigiano-Reggianos are aged at least two years. Parmesan cheese labeled stravecchio has been aged three years, while stravecchiones are four or more years old.

Parmesan rind is a protective layer that forms on the cheese as it ages. While it's safe to eat, its commonly discarded because it's hard and difficult to chew. That doesn't mean it isn't full of flavor though! The rinds can be simmered in sauces, soups, and broths, imparting its flavor as it slowly breaks down.

Even though the rind is edible, it is very hard and sometimes gritty. It doesn't grate well, but the Parmesan rind has other uses, particularly in soup or sauce recipes. When the rest of the cheese is gone, you can use the rind right away in another dish, or keep it in the freezer to use later.

Mold generally can't penetrate far into hard and semisoft cheeses, such as cheddar, colby, Parmesan and Swiss. So you can cut away the moldy part and eat the rest of the cheese. Cut off at least 1 inch (2.5 centimeters) around and below the moldy spot.

The entire wheel of Parmigiano Reggiano is edible, including the rind. Although many people think the rind is made from wax, Parmigiano Reggiano PDO (Protected Denomination of Origin) cheeses have a natural rind that forms on the cheese during the salting process.