That Green Spot on Your Cheddar… Cut It Off or Toss the Whole Thing?

Look for:

Multiple mold spots (not great)
Odd colors like black, pink, or orange (worse)
Any spreading beyond the obvious patch
Smell it:

Sharp cheddar smell? Fine
Sour, ammonia-like smell? That’s your sign to stop
Touch it:

Still firm? Good
Slimy or weirdly soft? Not good
If everything else looks normal, you’re probably in safe territory to trim it.

How to Cut It Off Without Making It Worse
This is the part people mess up—cutting too close.

Here’s the right way:

Use a clean, sharp knife
Cut at least 1 inch (2.5 cm) around and below the mold
Don’t slice straight through the mold and keep going—that drags spores into the good part
Cut wide, then discard the moldy portion immediately
It might feel like you’re sacrificing a bit more  cheese than necessary. You are. That’s the point.

Better safe than sorry.

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