Yes, in terms of killing off bacteria and molds and yeasts that are on the surface. But when you use any fresh ingredient that has water, in an aged cheese, it may not hold up well because as it sits there and as enzymes break it down, it may start to seep liquid out. Then you get liquid pockets and sometimes offtastes in the cheese. This is the case for anything that has liquid in it.. berries, peppers, bits of citrus, etc.
My standard method is what I posted when Sailor and I were discussing additives to blues. I will bomb the fruit with a light metabisulphite solution, let that soak, rinse thoroughly because I don't want sulfite defects in the cheese, then do an additional soak in citric acid, then I dehydrate just enough to take out some of the moisture. Not like raisins, but the outer skin needs to be a little wrinkled. Then I use those as is. The liquid from the cheese hydrates the skins back over time and the results are perfect - fresh flavor preserved, texture and color preserved. It is a little involved, however. Sometimes when it's harvest time, I will dehydrate more to remove more moisture, and then vacuum seal for later use and store at room temp. Never had an issue using those, either.
