Martha Stewart’s Brilliant Trick Will Save Your Dried-Out Parmesan Cheese

There are some food personalities’ social media channels I pay close attention to. Martha Stewart is at the top of the list because she doesn’t just post recipes. She has decades of recorded video material to draw from, and the queen of entertaining often posts quick little tips that are super helpful.

Here at Allrecipes, we “eat up” these tips. How to keep a stack of waffles from getting soggy? Yes, please! The secret to the fluffy baked potatoes at one of her restaurants? It’s so simple (and helps you get out a little aggression).

The queen recently shared a clip from a past cooking show that will extend the life of your Parmesan cheese and save you a little money.

How to Revive Parmesan Cheese if It Dries Out

Authentic Parmigiano-Reggiano is usually more expensive than Parmesan, and some people (including me) think the quality is worth the price. But, it also means I’m super careful about making sure none of its deliciousness goes to waste, including the rind, which I put in soups or stews to add a nutty flavor. I also buy regular Parmesan to use when the cheese’s flavor isn’t taking center stage in a dish. 

Whichever one I buy, I often find a piece of a wedge languishing in the back of my refrigerator, dried out, and it makes me a little sad. So I was happy to discover Martha’s easy trick to add moisture back into the wedge to revive it.

She takes a piece of cheesecloth big enough to wrap around the wedge of cheese, wets it, and wrings it out. Then she wraps it tightly around the cheese and adds a layer of plastic wrap around the whole thing.

When that wet cheesecloth-wrapped wedge of Parmesan spends a night in the refrigerator, it will soak up some water, replacing the moisture it lost sitting in the dry air of the fridge.

Your Parm comes back to life, you don’t waste food, and you save some money. Simple and brilliant, right? 

What Is Parmesan Cheese?

Authentic Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese is made in the provinces of Parma and Reggio Emilia in Italy. It’s a cow’s milk cheese that’s aged in large wheels for at least 12 months before being cut into wedges. You’ll know it’s authentic because Parmigiano-Reggiano is written in dotted letters on the rind.

If the method for making the cheese is used outside of the Parma and Reggio Emilia regions, it cannot be called Parmigiano-Reggiano, but it can be called Parmesan. However, cheese labeled Parmesan doesn’t have the strict ingredient and quality regulations of Italian cheese, and its taste, texture, and quality can vary from producer to producer. 

The trick Martha uses to revive dry Parm can be used with authentic Parmigiano-Reggiano or any wedge of cheese labeled Parmesan. The trick can probably also be used with other wedges of hard, nutty cheeses such as Grana Padano or Pecorino Romano, which are often great substitutes for Parmesan in recipes.