Dairy tips

Milk, butter, yogurt, and cheese are dairy products.There are a few tips to use them in cooking to advantage.

Is moldy cheese safe to eat? Generally speaking, soft cheeses that mold should be thrown out. This includes cottage cheese, cream cheese and even any type of cheese that’s been shredded. If it’s a harder cheese like Swiss or cheddar, it’s likely safe to cut off the mold, but be safe and cut about an inch past the mold.

Make creamier soups by substituting some of the liquids with milk.

If milk or other dairy products have an unusual odor or taste, discard them even if the expiration date hasn’t passed.

There is no right or wrong cheese for a pizza. Go with what you like and what you have on hand.

Skip the expensive protein-fortified milk. Get your protein from natural sources instead.

Semi-soft to hard cheeses tolerate heat better than soft cheeses, so keep that in mind when cooking.

Soft cheeses include Brie, Camembert, cream cheese, feta and ricotta.

Semi-soft cheeses include mozzarella, jack, Gouda, havarti and provolone.

Semi-firm cheeses include Asiago, Cheddar, Colby, Edam, Emmental, Gruyere and Swiss.

Firm cheeses include aged Asiago, dry Jack, Romano and Parmesan.

Did you know that many low and no fat dairy products contain more chemicals and non-food ingredients than their full fat counterparts?