What to Look For When Purchasing Cheddar Cheese

If you are in the market for Cheddar cheese, you may wonder how to separate high quality cheeses from ones that are run of the mill. Unless you have a lot of experience with choosing and purchasing cheeses the cheese counter can actually seem somewhat intimidating since there are so many different options to choose from. Here are a few suggestions on how to buy cheese so that you are sure of getting a top quality product.

Texture
The proper texture for good quality Cheddars is very rich. It is a solid cheese but it should be somewhat crumbly. If the Cheddars you are looking at do not have this texture, it can be a sign that the cheese is not high quality. Remember, however that Cheddars change texture as they age. Older Cheddar will be somewhat drier than a younger cheese will be. A high-quality Cheddar will have a very fine grained texture although the outside of the cheese may be somewhat flaky when it is handled. This may become more pronounced as the cheese ages.

Natural Flavorings
Cheddar can be flavored in a range of different ways. Quality Cheddars use natural ingredients to influence their taste. If a cheese is smoked, it should be smoked over real wood such as maple or apple. If you know that a piece of Cheddar has been flavored through the use of herbs such as thyme or jalapeno peppers, make sure that you can see signs of the herbs throughout the cheese you are purchasing.

Aroma
If you are looking for quality Cheddar, the aroma should be a pleasant one. Unlike other cheeses, such as Blue that may have a very strong smell, Cheddar cheese should have an aroma that is clean and appealing. If a Cheddar is strongly scented it can be a sign that it has begun to spoil.

Hand Craftsmanship
The best cheeses are crafted by hand. Cheddar in particular is quite labor intensive since the Cheddaring process involves cutting, stacking and turning the curds in order to form the bricks of Cheddar cheese. Mass production methods usually result in a cheese that is inferior in quality.

Packaging
Check that the cheese you are buying has been properly packaged. Cheese can spoil quite quickly at room temperature so cheese should be stored and transported at a low temperature. It is possible to get high quality Cheddar shipped through the mail as long as it is well sealed and has been sent using methods that keep the cheese at a good temperature. When the cheese arrives, ensure that there are no tears in the packaging and that no areas of the cheese have been allowed to dry out.

-Written by Lisa Longworth