How Long Feta Lasts After Opening And The Signs It's Gone Bad

Feta, a soft and crumbly cheese, is just as delicious for making fried egg whites taste exciting as it is for rounding out the flavors of a grilled potato salad with dill. But if you don't use up the entire wedge or container, you might wonder how long you have before it starts to go bad.

Opened feta stored in brine will keep for up to a week in the fridge, while non-brined feta may last only a few days. If you don't get to your feta before it spoils, you'll be able to tell pretty easily. The color may change and darken, or the cheese might develop a strong, stinky odor — very different from the fresh, tangy aroma of good feta. Its texture could become oozing and mushy, or it might dry out completely and turn hard. The number one indicator that your feta should be tossed, though, is mold. While some cheeses can be salvaged by cutting off the affected area, feta isn't one of them.

If you bought a chunk or wedge of feta without brine, the window of opportunity to eat it before it dries out is short — just a few days at most. However, making a brine to store it in can keep it moist and fresh for longer, extending its shelf-life. You only need two ingredients: water and salt, preferably kosher salt. Mix a cup of room-temperature water with one to two teaspoons of salt, stirring until the salt dissolves. If you need more brine, just double, triple, or quadruple the amounts.

Pour the brine into an airtight container (preferably one with a lid), then add the feta. The brine should fully cover the cheese, so you may want to slice or cube it to make sure it's all submerged. Keep an eye on it, too — if the liquid starts to look murky, replace the old brine with fresh. And if the feta begins to show any signs of spoilage, it's time to toss it out.

Like many of its cheesy counterparts, opened feta can be frozen to extend its shelf life, though it doesn't freeze as well as some other types. To freeze it, remove the feta from its packaging, pat it dry, wrap it in plastic wrap, and place it in a freezer-safe zip-top bag. It will keep in the freezer for up to three months, so be sure to write the date on the packaging. When you're ready to use it, transfer it to the fridge the night before to thaw — never leave it out on the counter.

There are a few caveats to freezing feta. The freeze-thaw process will likely change its texture a bit, and the flavor might lose some vibrancy. Because of this, it's best not to use previously frozen feta as the "star" of a dish, or serve it on its own. Instead, incorporate it into recipes with other flavorful ingredients, or where it will melt anyway, such as Greek spiral spanakopita or a baked ziti casserole.