Our Next Flavor of Cheese Curd Could Be Up to You!

Currently we have 11 varieties of Cheddar cheese curds, but we need more! We've decided to leave it up to our blog readers to give us ideas. We would like your input on flavors of cheese curd you would like to see us offer in the future on top of our plain (original) cheese curds, and 10 different flavors of cheese curd we currently offer. This will be open to the public forever, and we'll announce new flavors as we start making them. Please leave your suggestion as a comment to this blog post, or email us at info@goldenagecheese.com Our current list of cheese curds include:

• Original Cheddar Cheese Curds
• Bacon & Chive Cheddar Cheese Curds
• Bacon & Horseradish Cheddar Cheese Curds
• Cajun Cheddar Cheese Curds
• Dill Cheddar Cheese Curds
• Lemon Pepper Cheddar Cheese Curds
• Jalapeno Cheddar Cheese Curds
• Italian Cheddar Cheese Curds
• Garlic Cheddar Cheese Curds
• Ranch & Chive Cheddar Cheese Curds
• Onion & Chive Cheddar Cheese Curds

To view each of these flavors and a detailed description click here. Thank you and we hope to hear from you soon!

The Difference Between Mozzarella & Cheddar Cheese Curds

Many people ask us: "what's the different between Mozzarella Cheese Curd and Cheddar Cheese Curds?" The answer is quite simple and you'll definitely need to know it if you are confused about which one to buy. In this post we will explain the difference between the two in a nutshell.

Cheddar Cheese Curd facts: Cheddar Curds are the beginning stage of what we all know as Cheddar Cheese, whether it be Mild, Medium, Sharp, Extra Sharp, and any other kind of exotic sharp cheddar cheeses you may know of. The ingredients for these Cheese curds are: Pasteurized Whole Milk, Salt, Rennet (We use vegetable rennet, not animal rennet in our cheese curds), and Cheddar Culture. Salt is mixed in after the weigh is drained off and the curds are milled (cut), so salt-free cheese curds can be requested at anytime if preferred. Cheddar Cheese Curds or "Squeaky Cheese" as some may call it may be the best cheese you've never heard of. They are very popular to those who do know of them and have a huge following! They are preferred to be eaten fresh. Some folks like snacking on just cheese curds, others enjoy them with crackers, fruit, or meats such as pepperoni or salami, and some like to use cheddar curds in cooking such as the ways outlined in another cheesy blog post here. If you are interested in learning more about how these squeaky morsels are then formed into blocks of Cheddar, read more here.

Cheddar Cheese Curd pictured below
Mozzarella Cheese Curd Facts: Unlike Cheddar Curds, Mozzarella Curd (also known as "Stretching Curd") is not known for snacking because it is an unfinished product. Mozzarella curds are used to stretch fresh Mozzarella cheeses such as: Bocconcini (bite size Mozzarella ball), Ciliegine (cherry size Mozzarella Ball), and Perlini (pearl size Mozzarella Ball - more popular for cooking and salads). The ingredients for these Cheese curds are: Pasteurized Whole Milk, Vinegar, Calcium Chloride, Rennet (We use vegetable rennet, not animal rennet in our mozzarella curd). Mozzarella curd is becoming much more popular thanks to DIY (do-it-yourself) television programs and magazines. Many of us at Golden Age Cheese prefer stretching up some fresh Mozzarella and making Caprese Salad for a light and delicious snack. If you would like to learn more about stretching fresh Mozzarella check out the step by step instructions here, or watch our sponsored video here.

Mozzarella Stretching Curd pictured below


Now that you know the main difference between the two types of cheese curds, we hope to hear from you soon!

Predict Super Bowl XLIV & Get $50 Toward Your Next Cheese Order

Want some FREE cheese? If so, you have come to the right place! We are giving away a $50 cheese gift certificate toward any purchase at GoldenAgeCheese.com, to the person who can guess the closest outcome to Super Bowl XLIV. That's right $50! So, whether you like Fresh Cheddar Cheese Curds, Fresh Mozzarella, Aged Cheddar Cheese, or any other cheeses we have to offer, you can get a bit of everything if you're the lucky winner! No purchase necessary, all you need to do is follow the two simple steps below:

1. First, tell us what your favorite type of cheese is in the "Post a Comment" box below (you may have to click "comments" to bring up comment section). Be sure to complete this step... It might "score" you some free cheese samples when you place your order using your $50 gift certificate.
   
2. Second, email the name or user name that you used to tell us what your favorite type of cheese is in the comment box, and your prediction of Super Bowl XLIV to info@goldenagecheese.com. Include the winner, final score of the game, and total points at halftime (in case of a tie).

All predictions must be received by 5:59 PM (EST) February 7, 2010. The winner will receive an email within 48 hours and a gift certificate will be generated.

5 Far From Cheesy Ways to Eat Cheddar Cheese Curds

In this blog post we will name 5 of the many ways people like to eat cheddar cheese curds that you've possibly never heard of... The list of course excludes the good old fashioned way, which is just eating the squeaky morsels all alone...

1. One of the most popular ways many eat cheddar cheese curds is by battering them and frying them to a crispy golden brown. This is like Mozzarella Cheese Sticks, but with Fresh Cheddar Cheese Curds instead of Mozzarella Pizza Cheese. It is a wonderful snack to have, the only problem is they're so addicting there may not be enough to satisfy everyone for too long. This tradition is said to have started in Wisconsin. Today this method of eating cheese curd is HUGE in the Midwest, but is becoming more popular in the Northeast and other places in the U.S.
2. Another very popular way of consuming cheese curds is by making Poutine, a French-Canadian delicacy. Poutine is made by placing fresh cheese curd pieces and gravy atop French Fries. For more information see our blog post Cheese Curds and Fries = Poutine.
3. The third popular way of eating cheese curds that you've possibly never heard of, is a way that was introduced to many of us at Golden Age Cheese by a customer a couple of summers ago. This method of eating cheese curd is by mixing it in with your favorite salad. Although plain seems to be the favorite flavored curd of choice, many like to use our Ranch flavored curd. More recently we've discovered that our Mozzarella Stretching Curd also goes great in salads.
4. Cheese Curds go great as an appetizer with crackers, but what about with chips? We had to experiment and we found that cheese curd melts quite nicely after it is a couple of days old, and makes a great dip for tortilla chips. Try this with our plain cheese curds and your favorite hot sauce; mix them together, melt them down, and it's ready for dipping. Easy as 1-2-3.
5. Being in New York state, we know plenty about the cold weather, but one thing that cheers us up on a cold miserable day is some nice hot soup. Well we know we like soup, and we know we like cheese curds, so why not try our favorite soup with cheese curds melted on top? We did exactly that and found it works great! The favorite soup around here is French Onion, and some like it with Swiss Cheese, and others like is with Muenster or Sharp Cheddar Cheese, but we all love it with cheddar cheese curds!
   

We want to hear your favorite cheese curd ideas/recipes! Please email them to us at info@goldenagecheese.com

Buy Some Cheese & Beef Sticks & Help Haiti

We just listed a combination package for 2 pounds of Golden Age Super Sharp Cheddar Cheese and 5 Old Fashioned Beef Snack Sticks on Ebay to help out Haiti. Each package retails for $24.93 + S/H but through our ebay fixed price listing you will save 5%. We will then donate 50% to the American Red Cross. Our goal is to sell out of the items on ebay! Please pass this on to everyone you know and share this blog post on your favorite social networking sites, and together we will make a difference! Check out our ebay listing HERE.