Q&A for How to Tell when Blue Cheese Is Bad

Raw cheese has live cultures, which can prolong the shelf life of the cheese by keeping away pathogens.

For the best taste, you should use the dressing within three to five days. After a full week, you should definitely throw it away.

No. As blue cheese goes bad, the cheese begins putrefaction. That's what produces the liquid. Incidentally, the bacteria that are causing this also excrete nitrogenous compounds, which is what gives that "ammonia like" smell associated with rotten cheese, meat, or any other protein-rich sources.

As stated in the article, smell, taste and expiration date are all factors you should take into account to determine whether or not your cheese has gone bad.

If the putter surface is already bad, chances are that the core of the cheese is soon to follow. It’s not worth it.

Your best bet is to check for an expiration date on the jar. The container will likely have instructions about whether to refrigerate and how quickly to use the contents.

Probably not, but you can check the smell and appearance. If it seems to be just like it was when you first made it, it's most likely fine. The sugar and extra moisture from the pears will probably make it go bad more quickly than plain blue cheese. It's also worth noting that cooked white rice by itself only lasts 4-6 days in the fridge if well drained and stored in an airtight container.

You won’t get sick from eating a small sample to test the freshness. If you eat a lot of spoiled cheese, you will get food poisoning and should stay well hydrated to be safe.