# Home Aged Cheddar



## dr k (Mar 15, 2018)

I followed Mr T's tutorial on aging blocks of unsliced hard cheeses in their original cryovaced packages. I bought two blocks of cheese. One five pound mild yellow Cheddar and a three pound three year aged white Cheddar. On 3.8.18 I opened the five pounder after about four years and five months of aging in the fridge bottom crisper drawer. Talk about patience. The cheese expelled liquid whey (I guess) as it shrunk, calcified and sharpened, giving it a sliceable but crumblier texture. After opening the package I rinsed the liquid from the cheese surface, paper towel dried and put on a rack to dry over night, flipping 180° to give the bottom the same air circulation. I cut off 1/4 and vac sealed the rest for continued aging and for smoking when temps get a little warmer outside.  A tiny crumble is packed with a sharp rich Cheddar flavor and is the best I've had in the Cheddar line of cheeses. The other block will go to eight years being aged in 2019 and I may go longer. I have another five pound block I got in December 2014 so its about 3.5 years old. I think I need to get another block so I have perpetual special occasion cheeses. It's waiting for the first block to age that is the hard part. A little goes a long way. This pic was in the resting over night stage and bloomed to a richer yellow when the surface dried.


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## SmokinVOLfan (Mar 15, 2018)

Dang that cheese looks good!

You got some patience my friend!

What is the difference in aging it in the original wrapper and aging it in a vac seal bag?


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## SmokinAl (Mar 15, 2018)

It looks real good!
Al


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## Braz (Mar 15, 2018)

I am way too old to plan that far into the future.


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## gmc2003 (Mar 15, 2018)

Wow, that's amazing. I could never do wait that long.

Chris


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## dr k (Mar 15, 2018)

SmokinVOLfan said:


> Dang that cheese looks good!
> 
> You got some patience my friend!
> 
> What is the difference in aging it in the original wrapper and aging it in a vac seal bag?


The original cryovac bag is just a commercial name for a vacuumed sealed bag like Foodsaver etc. They are a little more substantial and as long as you inspect it closely at the store and it's skin tight no air inside your good to place it in a cool dark place around 65°F or less and fotget about it.


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## atomicsmoke (Mar 15, 2018)

Cheese? Good. Old cheese? Great.

That reminds me....i still have various cheeses from a batch i smoked few years back. 

Time for a "vin et fromage" treat.


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## ksblazer (Mar 16, 2018)

I bought two 2lb blocks 2yr old Tillamook extra sharp cheddar a couple of weeks ago from Costco. Hope to age it at least one of them so I can see how they turn out.

I've always been a big fan of cheese and Mr. T's thread makes me want to try this even more.

Mod's

Is there any way we could make Mr.T's thread a sticky for cheese? I think it would be very helpful to all of us new and experienced cheese smokers. I know I've been going back to it quite a few times since I started smoking cheese last month.


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## dr k (Mar 16, 2018)

ksblazer said:


> I bought two 2lb blocks 2yr old Tillamook extra sharp cheddar a couple of weeks ago from Costco. Hope to age it at least one of them so I can see how they turn out.
> 
> I've always been a big fan of cheese and Mr. T's thread makes me want to try this even more.
> 
> ...


I saw Mr T's 2015 Christmas thread and determined it was time to take one out while I had it on my mind.


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## SonnyE (Mar 18, 2018)

Braz said:


> I am way too old to plan that far into the future.



Shoot, I'm way too hungry to wait that long.
In fact, I'm headed to the fridge to slice some of a hunk in there.
Aged.... humm... Vintage 3 weeks? Maybe?

I have some friends who drink Boxed wine.
He sez, "Vintage: Thursday." As he raises his glass! Cheers!


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## dr k (Mar 19, 2018)

SonnyE said:


> Shoot, I'm way too hungry to wait that long.
> In fact, I'm headed to the fridge to slice some of a hunk in there.
> Aged.... humm... Vintage 3 weeks? Maybe?
> 
> ...


It's not that difficult to age the cheese if you can forget about it and keep it out of sight.


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## cooker613 (Nov 29, 2018)

gmc2003 said:


> Wow, that's amazing. I could never do wait that long.
> 
> Chris


Heck, I don’t even buy green bananas!


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## TomKnollRFV (Nov 30, 2018)

I think the only reason I have cheese for more then a month is I go to open it, promptly forget why I opened the fridge and stare at things dumbfounded!

Tempted to buy a few blocks and leave em alone for a year though!


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