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    @Hobbamok: In an airtight, sealed container oxidation and drying out should be much less of an issue. I’m quite okay with pre-powdered parmesan (I use it when camping). Commented Nov 23, 2020 at 10:26
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    Noteworthy that this is just one example of a general rule. Unless you want to soak or ferment something (e.g. sauerkraut) you never shred anything ahead of time, for the reasons you mention, plus the evaporation of volatiles which contribute to the aroma (very notable with coffee, even if you vacuum-seal pre-ground coffee). Commented Nov 23, 2020 at 14:04
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    @Michael if you are getting $6 a pound cheese, sure do whatever. But if it's anything decent absolutely don't shred for later use, because you are just wasting money. Airtight containers won't save you unless you are purging the oxygen in there first, which is assumedly something the vast majority of people can't do. Commented Nov 23, 2020 at 18:32
  • @eps: I was more thinking about the powdered parmesan you can get at the store. I assume it’s vacuumed or filled with an inert gas. Commented Nov 23, 2020 at 18:52
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    @eps just out of curiosity, have you seen some kind of chemistry explanation behind exactly much air it takes to ruin some mass of cheese? It would be kind of interesting to see that. Commented Nov 24, 2020 at 4:53