#Extra sharp cheddar cheese recipes how to#
#Extra sharp cheddar cheese recipes full#

#Extra sharp cheddar cheese recipes full#

To bring out its full flavor and consistency, let cheddar sit for 30 minutes and serve alongside plain breads and crackers, apples and pears or wine. High temperatures cause the fats to separate, and the cheese to toughen.Ĭheddar is best served at room temperature.

Cook dishes with cheddar over low heat.

Low-fat and sharp varieties melt better when shredded first.

This is safe to do with any hard cheese (but not soft). If your cheddar starts to mold before the 'sell-by' date, simply use a knife to remove it. Store in the lowest drawer of the refrigerator and use within two to four weeks. Once original packaging has been opened or removed, wrap cheese tightly in plastic wrap and place in an airtight bag. Your supermarket may also carry low-fat, smoked or wine-soaked cheddars, as well as versions flavored with horseradish, spicy peppers or herbs. But extra sharp cheddar, aged one year or longer, takes on a pointedly richer flavor and a drier, more crumbly texture. Mild cheddar, generally aged for two to three months, has a pleasant milky aroma and chewy texture. With no color additives, white cheddars retain their natural hue.Īs for sharpness, it all comes down to age. When it comes to color, yellow and orange cheddars are created through the addition of carrot juice, marigold or annatto, a flavorless natural coloring.

They range from white to deep orange in color and mild to sharp in flavor. There are more than 250 varieties of cheddar cheese produced worldwide. It's also a favorite ingredient in casseroles, baked goods, and of course, macaroni and cheese. The result is a dry, semi-firm cheese with a distinct, full-bodied flavor.Ĭheddar is typically served with crackers, fruit or sandwiches. First made in the town of Cheddar Gorge, England in the 16th century, this type of cheese is produced through a unique process called 'cheddaring.'ĭuring this process, cow's milk curd is cut into large strips and turned by hand so the last remnants of whey are drained away. Perhaps the most popular cheese in the world, cheddar is a smooth, hard cheese with a pleasing flavor that ranges from mild to sharp. The result is often a less complex tasting, more homogeneously textured cheese.Now a popular topping for tacos, soups and salads, cheddar originated in the 16th century village of Cheddar Gorge in the Somerset region of England. Most mass-market American brands stir the curds, press out the whey in machine-operated vats, and age the cheese in plastic. Originally made in Cheddar Gorge, England, Cheddar is traditionally made by packing coagulated milk curds into slabs, and then stacking and turning them repeatedly to expel as much liquid (whey) as possible (a process known as “cheddaring”). Nor are there federal rules for how a Cheddar is made. (Some use certain enzymes that accelerate the aging process.) Other manufacturers can only promise that their cheese was aged for at least two months. For our favorite in the tasting, the manufacturer ages it anywhere from five to eight months (Cabot has two tasters who gauge when a batch has reached its desired sharpness).

#Extra sharp cheddar cheese recipes how to#

As it turns out, there are no federal standards for how to define the degree of sharpness in a Cheddar.

For more of a tangy bite, you can use extra-sharp Cheddar instead of sharp, but it may not melt as smoothly because it has a lower moisture content.ĭuring our Cheddar tasting, we were taken aback by how much the cheeses varied in degree of sharpness, some seeming more like a mild Cheddar than a sharp. It was so satisfying, we thought we should share the recipe. We had lots of sharp Cheddar left in the test kitchen after one of our blind tastings, so we made Baked Potato & Leek Soup with Cheddar & Bacon one day for lunch to use some of it up. In addition to being a popular companion to the cracker, sharp Cheddar is ideal for cooking because it melts smoothly without losing its body.