I cold smoked some cheddar, dutch, dambo and provolone last night. Temps were going past 90 F so I cracked the door open and it leveled at 92 for 2 hours. I used special blend, and am wondering how they will end up. I am going to save them for four weeks. I currently put them in the freezer, they are vacuum sealed. Does anyone know if there is a difference between leaving them in the freezer or fridge is ok? I read a few posts and everyone just puts cheese vacuum sealed in the fridge, I am actually going to transfer them now, it has been less that 24 hours. No risks involved right?
Thanks for your help.
There is no "risk" in freezing it...but it does change the texture......tends to be crumbly. Vac pack refrigerated lasts many months.
Thanks, o just pulled them off the freezer and into the fridge. Will try to wait till thanksgiving!!
Hello,
I have no idea what the maximum is, but I have some smoked cheese in the fridge that is going on a year now, and it is as good, or better than ever.
Jim
Its only been a week and I have them vac sealed in the fridge. Its driving me nuts!!! I cant wait to try them. 3 weeks to go..
Probably the best thing to do is take a big slice off the end of the brick the day after you smoke it, and eat it.
Then it takes at least a couple weeks to get the memory of that horrid taste out of your mouth!
Just remember to smoke way more than you need each time, and you will soon be ahead of yourself, so no more waiting.
Jim
Thanks for the tips!!!! Will do.
I have some in the fridge, not vac sealed, only in a zip bag. been there for over 18 months now. no mold and tastes great. :)
No mold? I guess smoking cheese cures it in a way that it wont go bad for a longer time. I figure if it wasnt smoked it would have mold by now.
so if it gets mold, you just cut off the mold (unless it is black mold)
Since I can't wait either, I stagger my cheese.
I will pull some out at 1 hr, then 2 hr, then 3. The ones that come out early are cut into smaller pieces (prior to smoking) so that the smoke gets more surface.
That way I can eat it sooner without an ashtray taste.
Gus, how long do you usually leave your cheese rest? This sunday it will be week 2 for me. I am going to try to hold them atleast till Dec. It is my first time smoking cheese, I think and have read that smoked cheese is quite addictive but want to try what I have done before making another and larger batch.
depends upon how long I smoked it, what smoke, and size of the cheese when i smoked. The small pieces that I smoked for no more than an hr with light wood, I would store for 2 weeks, the stronger long hour stuff for a couple of months.
I did 2 hours of special blend on provolone, dambo, dutch and cheddar. 2 pieces of each, and each piece is about 1.5 inches by 3 inches. Atleast few months right?
one way to find out, open it and cut a piece. If not ready then reseal. Everyone's tastes are different so you have to try it.
I have also had cheese vac sealed in the fridge for more than a year after smoking.
the smoke does preserve it, i do not know the how or why but my smoked cheese over a year and a half old is fine. I had a small chunk I picked up from the store, left unsmoked in the drawer and seen mold on it in less than two months. it was the same kind of cheese.
Exactly. Smoking the cheese must consist of some sort of cure that preserves it. Stunning and fabulous.