Next up - Cheese

[Inor]

Thanks, Inor

Curious - have you done any waxing? Did you have any water issues?

All the vids I've watched (including the one in the OP (at 02:01) showed problems with enough moisture forming under the wax over time that it sometimes separated the cheese from the wax, and then ran out as a good quantity of fluid. I've not researched further (yet) as to causes on that... and I know waxed cheese is awesome (especially the imported). My uninformed guess is that the cheaper US commercial block cheeses one might get at a grocery store has something in it, as it's mass produced from a different formula etc, and that might be what's causing the fluid build up? Any info you have on this would be most welcome.

Another issue we might have is keeping it in cool enough storage. The recommended high-end of 50F would be difficult for long term... but we're still thinking on options for that. How do you keep your self-waxed cheeses cool?

Depending on the cheese you start with, it may have water in it. (Kraft is the worst at about 20% moisture). If you start with grocery store cheese, just let it sit out on the counter at room temperature for a week or so and develop a rind. Then it should be fine. Or smoke it. - That gets rid of some of the water too.

As far as storage... We go through it pretty quick, so for storage we are usually only concerned about it lasting 6-12 months. In the winter, we just keep it in a spare bedroom (around 60-65 degrees). In the summer, I might move it into the bar fridge I have in my shop (if I remember to do it). The downside to that is that it is too handy and I am apt to just cut off a piece or two as I am working in the shop. So it does not last as long, because I am eating it. Otherwise, we have not had any problems.

[Jester-ND]

we buy block cheese from costco, shred it ourselves, and freeze-dry it..

[Ricekila]

Love me some gov-mint cheese --

[MountainGirl]

we buy block cheese from costco, shred it ourselves, and freeze-dry it..

Hi Jester

After you freeze dry it - what do you do with it then? Powder it? Vac-seal the shreds or ?
Have you then used any of it? In what manner?
I haven't sussed out yet using dried cheese - unless as a powder into a sauce, etc.
And, not sure what rehydrating shreds would leave us with.
I'm very interested in your process & use... I'm still deciding which way to go here. Thanks!

[Jester-ND]

Hi Jester

After you freeze dry it - what do you do with it then? Powder it? Vac-seal the shreds or ?
Have you then used any of it? In what manner?
I haven't sussed out yet using dried cheese - unless as a powder into a sauce, etc.
And, not sure what rehydrating shreds would leave us with.
I'm very interested in your process & use... I'm still deciding which way to go here. Thanks!

we just bag the shreds.... haven't rehydrated anything we have bagged yet.... kinda defeats the purpose of bagging it.. maybe once my hoarding is complete. There are many sites my wife uses to learn about what freezes/rehydrates best and tips/tricks. She learned to shred your own because the pre-shredded has additives to prevent clumping.

[MountainGirl]

we just bag the shreds.... haven't rehydrated anything we have bagged yet.... kinda defeats the purpose of bagging it.. maybe once my hoarding is complete. There are many sites my wife uses to learn about what freezes/rehydrates best and tips/tricks. She learned to shred your own because the pre-shredded has additives to prevent clumping.

Right - thanks. Yeah, it would be so easy to just buy shredded cheddar and toss it on the trays... but I don't want the additives (cellulose?) either. Whatever I end up doing, I'll take a small sample of the dried and rehydrate it, to see what happens, how usable it is, etc, before I go to the effort of doing large quantities. Just incase it sucks then I can choose another method, LOL. I do like the idea of waxing.. it's just the storage temperature issue there. Maybe PO will build me an underground wine/cheese/food cellar. I'll dig the hole.

[Prepared One]

Right - thanks. Yeah, it would be so easy to just buy shredded cheddar and toss it on the trays... but I don't want the additives (cellulose?) either. Whatever I end up doing, I'll take a small sample of the dried and rehydrate it, to see what happens, how usable it is, etc, before I go to the effort of doing large quantities. Just incase it sucks then I can choose another method, LOL. I do like the idea of waxing.. it's just the storage temperature issue there. Maybe PO will build me an underground wine/cheese/food cellar. I'll dig the hole.

Wine? Not so much. Cheese, food, and alcohol? Yep.

[Mad Trapper]

That's a good idea too, thanks!

My prepping philosophy - in all things (food supplies, water availability, tools and methods) - is down to the base level: No external (i.e. unreliable) sources of power required for survival or sustainability. Which means... LOL you know what it means. Hand tools. No refrigeration. Old ways. So... all my 'efforts' now are to that point.

That said, with our back-up systems (gens, solar, etc), with luck we'll likely always have power - but I'm a "Yeah, but what happens when we don't?" kind of girl. Now don't get me wrong; I LOVE living this life with all the modern conveniences. But my nature is to protect us against what may come; and the more I can do now - I will.

When my grandparents still had milk cows they had an insulated milk house with a pure spring that ran in one end into a large trough, then out the other side. The water was cool all summer and never froze in winter. Besides milk and cheese, meats and root crops were also stored in there.

The spring was gravity feed so no pumping/electricity involved. The spring itself was high on a hill above the farm and filled two large cisterns at the source. It also supplied plumbed water to the farm. The farm did not get electric until the 1930s and the milk house also served as an ice house. Ice was harvested in the farm pond during winter and stored under sawdust. There was plenty of sawdust as the house and barns had woodstoves.

One of my uncles did build a small generator setup using a truck generator turned by a paddle from a stream. It powered a couple of truck batteries that were just used to run lighting.

Until they got a tractor they still worked he farm with draft horses.