Oh no, is this a bad sign, why is my cottage cheese bubbly?
As much as I love cottage cheese, there are always a few warning signs I look out for.
Basically, signs tell me that perhaps my cottage cheese is on its way out.
However, what exactly does bubbly cottage cheese mean?
Is this a problem, and perhaps your cheese is past its best?
Then again, is it perfectly normal to see bubbles in cottage cheese?
Let’s find out.
If your pack of cottage cheese is open, then the bubbles are water pockets. This is typically a sign that cottage cheese is starting to lose its freshness. However, if you’re seeing bubbles while the cottage cheese remains unopened, these are carbon dioxide bubbles. Carbon dioxide is added to cottage cheese in order to eliminate oxidation, which is what ages cottage cheese.
1. Is Your Cottage Cheese Packet Open?
To be honest, bubbly cottage cheese can be both a good sign and a bad sign.
So, let’s start with the bad first.
Basically, if you see bubbles in your cottage cheese after it has been opened, these are water bubbles.
This is generally the first indication that your cottage cheese is starting to lose its freshness.
It should still be absolutely fine to eat, but you should be wary that you potentially only have another day or two until it’s spoiled.
Obviously, you can also check for other possible signs of spoiled cottage cheese.
These include:
- Cottage cheese will usually start to turn yellow as it loses its freshness.
- Watery cottage cheese is a sign that the actual cheese is beginning to lose its moisture, so this seeps out into the packaging.
- Cottage cheese exhibits a sour smell, similar to sour cream when it’s past its prime.
- Mold is clearly an obvious sign that cottage cheese has gone bad and should therefore be thrown out immediately.
If none of these signs are obvious, then you can, of course, do a taste test.
However, I urge you to be wary, as consuming spoiled cottage cheese is likely to give you severe stomach and digestive issues.
2. Is Your Cottage Cheese Packet Still Sealed?
Now, just because your cottage cheese is bubbly, this doesn’t always mean there’s something untoward.
However, this is only the case if the packaging is still sealed.
Basically, as you’re probably now aware, as soon as you open the packaging, the clock starts ticking.
Cottage cheese, and other soft cheeses, will typically only last for a few days once opened.
Then again, hard cheeses are able to last in the refrigerator, after being opened, for at least a week or two.
That being said, in all cases, once opened, your cheese is exposed to the elements, more specifically, oxygen.
And it is oxidation that will generally start to age cheese.
Now, this isn’t actually a bad thing for hard cheeses, as many of them tend to taste better as they age.
But unfortunately, as soon as soft cheese, such as cottage cheese, comes into contact with oxygen, you don’t have long before it goes off.
So, in order to protect against oxidation, cottage cheese packing is usually filled with carbon dioxide.
This will help to stop the aging process while the cheese remains in its packaging.
And fairly often, you’ll notice the formation of bubbles, which are nothing more than carbon dioxide bubbles.
In fact, as soon as you open the packing, you’ll notice these bubbles quickly burst and dissipate.
That being said, you should always keep an eye out for a bulging sealed package of cottage cheese.
The packaging should always be tightly sealed so as to not allow air in contact with the cheese.
However, a bulging packet will indicate that your cottage cheese has started to lose its freshness, and the oxidation process has begun.
If this is the case, you should complete all the normal sight and smell tests, but beware that this usually means that you’ve only got a couple of days maximum to consume your cottage cheese.
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Final Thoughts
So, as you can see, there are a couple of reasons why your cottage cheese is bubbly.
Whether your cheese is still fresh will very much depend on the packaging.
If the packaging is open and you spot bubbles, these are water pockets and an indication that your cheese is starting to lose its freshness.
However, if the packaging is still sealed, the bubbles you see are carbon dioxide bubbles.
Cottage cheese will typically start to lose its freshness as soon as it comes into contact with oxygen, i.e., once it’s opened.
Therefore, carbon dioxide is added to the sealed packaging to protect the cottage cheese from aging.
Another occurrence you may have noticed is that cottage cheese tastes metallic.