How Does One Smoke Cheese?

Smoked cheese is delicious; it has a little bit of a different taste to it than the standard cheese of that kind. There are many people that prefer it and all that it has to offer. The thing with smoked cheese is that it generally has a higher cost to it than the standard cheese, so either look for it on sale or find a way to cut the cost down by making it yourself, there are generally two different methods of smoking that you can use to make your cheese even more delicious and give it that great smoky flavor.

Hot Smoking Cheese Method

To hot smoke cheese, there is a method that goes into it that is completely separate from cold smoking. To do this method, the cheese is basically partially cooked and it smokes and cooks between a temperature of 100 degrees and 190 degrees. With the hot smoke method, the goal really is to get the golden brown color that is associated with the smoky flavor. When you hot smoke cheese, it really gives it a great flavor that is richer and a lot sweeter than some of the regular cheeses. For some people, they will add smoke flavor to the cheese or they will use a certain flavor of woodchips to get everything smoked the way they like it.

Cold Smoking Cheese Method

To cold smoke cheese, there is a little more preparation and time that goes into it. With the cold smoke method you basically have to preserve the cheese first, so after it is made, it needs to sit for about a month. Once the cheese has been preserved for that time period, it can be cold smoked, which is generally done at a temperature between 70 degrees and 90 degrees. With a different method, it gives it about the same flavor, just with no heat and no color.

Great Types of Smoked Cheeses

If you are a fan of the smoked cheeses, there are all kinds of options. Check out the great maple smoked cheddar cheese options, or taste the great smoked provolone. There are also great smoked mozzarella cheeses and Swiss cheeses. For people that want to go a little more exotic, try out the smoked Gouda which is an amazing cheese to taste smoked. Whatever your preference for smoked cheese, try some out cold and hot smoked and see which ones you like the best.