Cheese experts explain the difference between mold that is part of the cheesemaking process and mold that indicates spoilage (and should be tossed). Natalia Van Doninck / Getty Images It has been ...

This means cheese wheels range in size from small, family-size ones weighing about 1 to 2 pounds, like baby Gouda or mini-Cheddar, to much larger wheels that can weigh up to 85 or 100 pounds, such ...

For hard cheese that grows mold in your fridge, like Parmesan or cheddar, you can usually just cut off the moldy parts and eat the rest, Craig said.

Not every cheese wheel ripens the same way, and the bacteria and mold at work have a lot to do with this. Take bloomy rind cheeses such as Camembert and Brie, for example.

A wheel of Camembert, for example, has a thin, flat, large surface area, which allows these digestive enzymes to get all the way into the middle of the cheese, giving it its creamy texture, Hallen ...

The mold in blue cheese is safe to eat. ... After shaping the cheese into wheels and dusting it with salt (to better preserve it), they drill holes into it for aeration.