Cheddar Cheese.

[W I S N E R !]

What do yall think is the longest outer carry limit for a generic sharp cheddar cheese? I think the longest I’ve tried was ~5 days and I was fine. (Talking summer in the Sierra here). Think pushing to 7 is reasonable?

Think there’s much difference between individually pre-wrapped sticks ( sold string cheese style) vs. an extra sharp sliced off a block and repackaged?

 

[Jon Fong / Flat Cat Gear]

I think that it would depend on the temperature.  One thing that would help is when you slice the cheese, slice off the oldest surface and work your way around the block.  Additionally, I myself would change the wrapper at least halfway through to minimize transfer of yuck to the cheese.

[Matthew / BPL]

I’ve always felt that individually pre-wrapped was a better choice for long hauls. Beware organic brands. I had some organic Colby/Jack cheese sticks I bought at the store in Tuolumne Meadow go moldy in their packaging after 2 or 3 days. I was so sad.

Also it amazes me how good string cheese is after it has been unrefrigerated for a couple days.

[Dan]

I have carried cheese for 7 days a couple of times without problems, but it’s possible I’ve just been lucky. In recent years, I’m increasingly using individually wrapped sticks, mostly because they remain easy to handle after multiple temperature cycles.

[Jerry Adams]

I usually take some swiss cheese

I just did a trip of 80F during day.  I ate it after 5 days.  After 6 it seemed funky so I just threw it out.

Sometimes I’ll put it in a stream to keep it cold, when I get somewhere.  Just make sure and tell Doug so he doesn’t take it, assuming it’s trash, and throw it in fire.

[W I S N E R !]

Yeah, leaning towards individually wrapped sticks for that reason Dan. Usually use string cheese but assuming cheddar can’t be much different. If I can do up to 6/7 days I’d be happy. Not needed everyday, but a nice addition to the meal rotation.

Sometimes I’ll put it in a stream to keep it cold, when I get somewhere.

Not a bad idea if it’s all kept together, would likely extend things a touch.

[BlackHatGuy]

“I understand too little too late
I realize there are things you say and do
You can never take back
But what would you be if you didn’t even try
You have to try
So after a lot of thought
I’d like to reconsider
Please
If it’s not too late
Make it a cheeeesssseburger”

[Jerry Adams]

the value of it eaten as cheese is less than the value of the story afterwards of Doug throwing it in the fire

another thing I’ll do is take my 4 liter Platypus bag and fill it with cold water for drinking, but put my cheese or fresh veges next to it to cool down

After about 3 days the red bell pepper pieces had a weird smell so I threw them out.  The carrots lasted until day 4.

That’s a good idea to use cheese pieces individually wrapped.  One problem is you can’t get good cheese individually wrapped, just “American” cheese

[Todd T]

Why fight it?  Individually wrapped options abound.

[Matthew / BPL]

[jscott]

“One problem is you can’t get good cheese individually wrapped, just “American” cheese”.

true.

Another problem is that a hunk of good cheddar is gonna smell to high heaven after a day in a bear canister. Or a food bag, in summer temps. Marmots and mice and bears love a good cheddar.

 

[BlackHatGuy]

“One problem is you can’t get good cheese individually wrapped, just “American” cheese”

Our Haggens markets often have small, individually wrapped bits of cheese (about the size of my thumb), great stuff. Horseradish cheddar, havarti, parmesan, etc.

[JCH]

I’ve had good luck with sharp cheddar for 4-5 days when temps were low of 50 high of 70.  I kept it buried in the pack so it would not get too hot.  Colder temps is no problem at all.

I read somewhere that you should pre-slice and individually wrap portion sized chunks wearing sterile gloves.  The assertion was that touching the cheese with your bare hands transferred bacteria that would shorten it’s life on the trail.  I have used this method for several years, with many different brands/styles of cheese without issue.  I did have some pretty greasy cheese on the 4th day when the temps unexpectedly got into the upper 70’s for a couple days in a row, but it was not spoiled.

[Matthew / BPL]

It’s not super cheap but I’ve enjoyed the shredded FD cheddar that Packit Gourmet sells. It rehydrates quickly with cool water into something very, very close to freshly shredded cheddar.  One could take some fresh cheese for the first few days and then have the shredded stuff for deeper in the trip.

Also, it is quite tasty to snack on in its FD form. I have eaten it dry and I’ve added it to instant potatoes.  One could add it dry to a wrap and get some crunch texture and nice cheese flavor / calories.

176 cal/ounce!

3 oz of freeze dried cheddar cheese is approximately equivalent to 12 oz (¾ lbs) of fresh cheddar cheese.

[Todd T]

176 cal/ounce!

Wow!  I may have to give that a try.  I like cheese as a separate snack rather than melted on other food, so I’ll have to see how that works, but that’s lightweight fuel!

[W I S N E R !]

Thank you for that Matthew. I’ll go real cheese for the first week and likely pick some Packit cheese up for my second week resupply box.

[David Thomas]

1) consider switching to parmesan.  Not what you usually serve with crackers, but I quickly adapted.  And you can use it on pasta, miner’s lettuce foraged greens, etc.

2) in addition to Jerry’s thoughts on keeping it in a stream while in camp and near cold water in your pack while hiking, you can also wrap all that cold stuff in your sleeping bag or pad for a lot more insulation from the heat of the day.

3) the factory-wrapped individual pieces are easy, but if you’re going to vac-pack your own, I’d slice it first – one less thing to do on the trail and using a sharp knife on the trail risks a cut (or the cheese falling into the dirt).

[Jerry Adams]

yeah, parmesan or other hard cheese like Romano probably lasts better.  Strong tasting which is fine with me.  A bit difficult to bite off a chunk because it’s so hard.  You can slice it at home, and then it’s thinner to bite through.

[Brad P]

Parmesan and similar cheeses are, to me, better as compliments than features. I couldn’t eat much of it. However, I’m not you. My point is just that it’s very important that you’ll like what you take.

[Jerry Adams]

yeah, parmesan and romano are pretty strong tasting, not everyone would appreciate, better sprinkled onto some other food

I’ve taken Romano and parmesan a few times and liked it.  Maybe strong tasting foods when you’re tired aren’t so bad

[Matthew / BPL]

I have taken real Parmigiano Reggiano on trips of three night trips and it does great. I’m sure you could easily get a wrap more nights out of it. I love the saltiness of it. I look for a thinly sliced piece at the cheese counter at my local grocery store. You can break off pieces with your fingers easily when it is thin. I like it with unsweetened dried mango that I dust with cayenne and some seed crackers (all seeds held together with moistened flax seed). The latter eventually breaks into small pieces but it’s still delicious poured into your mouth right from the baggie.

[Matthew / BPL]

Cracker recipe: http://www.courtneysargent.com/foodie-friday-gluten-free-rosemary-flaxseed-crackers/

[W I S N E R !]

I’ve done hard parmesans for years with bread/crackers and salami but in this case I’m looking for cheddar for some recipes. Parmesan chili? Bean and parmesan burritos? Melted parmesan, sausage, and potatoes…not exactly the culinary experience I’m looking for!

[Ben C]

A good aged cheddar will last a long time, long enough for your SHR trip.

[Matthew / BPL]

Bean and parmesan burritos?

Hard pass. I see your point.

Melted parmesan, sausage, and potatoes

NGL this sounds pretty good

[Author]

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