Cheese Industry Resources
16.1.09
On Freezing Cheese
How long cheese stays good depends on what type of cheese it is. Soft cheeses tend to go bad quicker than hard cheeses. Parmesan has been known to keep for weeks in a refrigerator. I've had many people ask me if it was ok to freeze the cheese so that they last longer. The answer is no! Do not freeze the cheese! Freezing soft cheeses will make them lose their flavor and hard cheeses will become very crumbly.
Even most domestic refrigerators are kept at a temperature too low for storing most cheeses. The ideal temperature is around 50°F. So a cool pantry or cellar would be best.
Even most domestic refrigerators are kept at a temperature too low for storing most cheeses. The ideal temperature is around 50°F. So a cool pantry or cellar would be best.
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Lactose Intolerance
Many people who are lactose intolerant stay away from cheese. Often, people with this condition tend to think that cheese would be even worse than milk. Surprisingly, it is the exact opposite. Most of the lactose in milk is removed with the whey during the cheese making process. Most cheeses actually contain about 95% less lactose than the whole milk from which they were created. So, unless you are severely lactose intolerant, you can stop wasting that expensive Lactaid every time you want to eat cheese.
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Hurricane Preparedness
In 2004, hurricanes that hit the southeast coast severely damaged the dairy industry. Milk and cheese production was slowed to a crawl due to stalled transportation and heavily damaged dairies.
This year the dairy industry has worked diligently to prepare for the hurricane season. The Dairy Farmers of America have put together a crisis preparedness team that meets quarterly. Their focus has been on keeping the product moving in spite of the storms. The crisis team has been working with dairy farmers by running drills and making sure they are well stocked with the necessary supplies to ride out a storm. The Dairy Farmers of America are optimistic about this years outcome after the storms.
This year the dairy industry has worked diligently to prepare for the hurricane season. The Dairy Farmers of America have put together a crisis preparedness team that meets quarterly. Their focus has been on keeping the product moving in spite of the storms. The crisis team has been working with dairy farmers by running drills and making sure they are well stocked with the necessary supplies to ride out a storm. The Dairy Farmers of America are optimistic about this years outcome after the storms.
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Choosing A Good Cheese Knife
Cheese knives come in all shapes and sizes. But if you're anything like me you wouldn't know the first thing to look for in a good cheese knife. Here are a couple of tips to get you started. First, look for a serrated edge and a curved, forked tip. The former will help cut through the cheese and the latter is for piercing the cheese that was sliced off. Second, look for large holes cut in the center of the knife. This helps the knife move smoothly through softer cheeses without crushing the paste. This design is also good for crumbly cheeses.
Despite all of these things many say the best way to cut cheese is with a cheese wire. Wires cut cleanly through the cheese because there are no sides of a wire to pull at the cheese.
Despite all of these things many say the best way to cut cheese is with a cheese wire. Wires cut cleanly through the cheese because there are no sides of a wire to pull at the cheese.
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Better Tasting Low Fat Cheeses
Trying to eat healthy without sacrificing the foods you love can be tough. Sure, we can find low-fat foods, but they rarely taste as good as the full fat versions. That is why the National Dairy Foods Research Center is working on developing cheeses that are low-fat, yet still retain the same flavor and mouth feel as a full fat cheese. Researchers are trying to modify the fat percentage, pH levels, and moisture content.
Breakthroughs have already been made. Researchers are saying we should expect to see better low fat versions of Mozzarella and Cheddar on store shelves within the next two years!
Breakthroughs have already been made. Researchers are saying we should expect to see better low fat versions of Mozzarella and Cheddar on store shelves within the next two years!
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A New Style of Feta
A Wisconsin cheese maker has created a new sheeps-milk feta cheese! This new feta will be unlike any other you have ever tasted. It is said to be much less salty and possesses a much creamier texture than classic feta styles. This new variation of feta can be found at some specialized retailers for about twenty dollars per pound. People who have tasted this product say this price is well worth it. The artisan who created this cheese is making plans to expand her operations. This could make the product available in your area in the very near future!
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