Next up - Cheese

[MountainGirl]

Along with our shelf-stable egg powder, the plan is to also have cheddar on the long term shelf.

I'll be using her method to start - with my own variations and tricks I learned from the egg process.

[Inor]

Along with our shelf-stable egg powder, the plan is to also have cheddar on the long term shelf.

I'll be using her method to start - with my own variations and tricks I learned from the egg process.

Before you dive in dehydrating hard cheese, you might first try saving yourself the time and headaches and just wax it and store it. Waxed cheese will basically store forever just on a shelf and the flavor continues to develop the longer it sits. So it gets better with time.

The only advice I have to offer is storing cheddar... If you want mild cheddar, start with colby cheese. (They are the same exact thing; cheddar is just aged colby). If you eventually want sharp cheddar, start with medium or mild cheddar or colby. The flavor does continue to get sharper and sharper the longer it sits. Oh, and save the wax when you cut it off. - It can be reused.

If it does develop a blue mold, that is the best! Just cut the moldy parts off but the mold imparts a really great flavor in the cheese.

[hawgrider]

Before you dive in dehydrating hard cheese, you might first try saving yourself the time and headaches and just wax it and store it. Waxed cheese will basically store forever just on a shelf and the flavor continues to develop the longer it sits. So it gets better with time.

The only advice I have to offer is storing cheddar... If you want mild cheddar, start with colby cheese. (They are the same exact thing; cheddar is just aged colby). If you eventually want sharp cheddar, start with medium or mild cheddar or colby. The flavor does continue to get sharper and sharper the longer it sits. Oh, and save the wax when you cut it off. - It can be reused.

If it does develop a blue mold, that is the best! Just cut the moldy parts off but the mold imparts a really great flavor in the cheese.

This ^^^

[MountainGirl]

Before you dive in dehydrating hard cheese, you might first try saving yourself the time and headaches and just wax it and store it. Waxed cheese will basically store forever just on a shelf and the flavor continues to develop the longer it sits. So it gets better with time.

The only advice I have to offer is storing cheddar... If you want mild cheddar, start with colby cheese. (They are the same exact thing; cheddar is just aged colby). If you eventually want sharp cheddar, start with medium or mild cheddar or colby. The flavor does continue to get sharper and sharper the longer it sits. Oh, and save the wax when you cut it off. - It can be reused.

If it does develop a blue mold, that is the best! Just cut the moldy parts off but the mold imparts a really great flavor in the cheese.

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?

[Mad Trapper]

Vac sealed works too in the frig. You can just scrape the blue shit off if it happens

Thanks MG and Inor

[Mad Trapper]

Vac sealed works too in the frig. You can just scrape the blue shit off if it happens

Thanks MG and Inor

[Ricekila]

scrape the blue shit off if it happens

Isn't the blue shit -- penicillin ?

[Mad Trapper]

Isn't the blue shit -- penicillin ?

What if it's not?

[Ricekila]

What if it's not?

I dont know -- I eat moldy cheese all the time --- and I'm ----------------------- ?

At least I don't have malaria ------ anymore ---

[MountainGirl]

Vac sealed works too in the frig. You can just scrape the blue shit off if it happens

Thanks MG and Inor

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.