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How to Pair Cheese and Fruit
You might know that cheese and fruit pair very well together. But how do you choose what to combine? We’ve put together lots of ideas to help you explore your palate.
Why do cheese and fruit go so well together?
Put simply, it’s because whenever we combine foods we are looking for contrast. In the case of cheese and fruit, we get soft and juicy flavors against hard, salty cheeses. It might be crunchy, tangy fruit with soft and creamy cheese. The combination of flavors and textures create a sensation that most people enjoy. So, how to eat it?
General rules
As a general rule, try to combine fresh fruits with fresh, soft cheeses. Don’t try to combine fruit with a very dry cheese, as this won’t have a desirable texture. For cheeses with mold, such as blue cheese or chevre, go for sweeter fruits. Avoid any fruits that you might find bitter, as these usually won’t go well with cheeses.
Cheese and fruit on a cheeseboard
This is probably where you might have tried the combination before. Place cheeses on your board along with sliced fruits and bread. You can then experiment with different flavors and textures. Try to slice your fruit just before eating so that it is as fresh as possible. Some of our favorites to include on a cheeseboard are apples, pears, figs, and grapes.
Cheese and fruit in a toastie
We absolutely love to add fruit to a toastie. It’s like a dessert sandwich! Try blueberries with mascarpone, peaches with gouda, apple butter with pepper jack, or strawberries with mozzarella. An easy way to add cheese to your toastie is to use jam. Try it with ricotta or cheddar for a good contrast.
Cheese and fruit in a salad
If you want to serve a full meal, then you can’t go wrong with a fabulous salad. Feta cheese, from Greece, is an excellent choice as it is salty and creamy. Try it with watermelon or oranges for a fantastic tangy contrast. We also love mozzarella with fruit; it’s particularly good with grilled peaches and arugula in a salad. Try adding a quick balsamic glaze for the final touch!
Cheese and fruit kabobs
This is a fun recipe to make with the kids and will encourage them to eat plenty of fruit! Add cubes of cheese (try something like Cheddar or Monterey Jack), strawberries, and grapes to wooden skewers. You could serve this with a yogurt dip for extra interest.
The most important thing when trying out new flavors is to have fun with it! We know that you are all super creative and will come up with amazing ways to enjoy fruit and cheese together.
Do you like to combine cheeses and fruits? What are your favorite combinations? Let us know your most unusual ones in the comments below!
Jumping Jack Cheese: Everything You Need to Know
What is Jumping Jack Cheese?
Jumping Jack Cheese is a marble-based cheese with the perfect mix of jalapeno and habanero peppers added. It is a spicy cheese that looks beautiful on a cheese board or melted over dishes. It has a two tone color because it is made by taking the curds from Colby and Monterey Jack cheeses or white and orange Cheddar curds and pressing them together into a long horn.
How should I eat it?
We particularly like spicy cheeses with barbecued meats or mixed into creamy dishes for contrast.
Try it in mac and cheese with fresh slices of jalapeño to create a spicy side dish or a simple comforting meal. Take it along to a pot luck dinner and surprise people with the spicy twist!
This is a great cheese to use in Mexican food. Pop it in a quesadilla or grate it into a burrito for extra creaminess and spice.
Use it to spice up potato dishes such as gratins or hasselback potatoes. You can even use it in pastry to add spice to pies and quiches.
What should I drink Jumping Jack Cheese with?
Jumping Jack Cheese goes best with slightly sweet white wines as these are the best choice to complement the spicy and creamy cheese. Choose wines like Chardonnay, Riesling, or sweet dessert wines. You could also enjoy it with a light lager or ale, as long as it isn’t overly hopped.
Spicy cheeses
If you already love Jumping Jack Cheese and you’re looking to get even more spicy cheese into your life then we stock a huge range in the cheese shop and online. Check out our Carolina Reaper Cheese, Scorpion Cheddar, Ghost Pepper Cheese, Smoked Habanero Cheddar, Super Hot Pepper Cheese, Hot Pepper Cheese, Smoked Hot Pepper Cheese, Smoked Horseradish Cheese, Yogurt Cheese with Jalapenos, Hot Pepper Cheese Curds and Buffalo Wing Cheese Curds.
Some of these are super hot whilst others combine chili spice with creamy cheese flavors.
Have you tried Jumping Jack Cheese? Let us know how you enjoy it in the comments!
Lucerne Cheese: Everything You Need to Know
We continue our exploration of cheese from around the world with a look at Lucerne cheese today.
What is Lucerne Cheese?
Lucerne Cheese is another of our local selections, made in Charm, Ohio by the original producer Guggisberg Cheese. The Guggisberg Cheese Company was started in 1967 just outside of Charm, Ohio by cheese connoisseur Alfred Guggisberg, an alumnus of the famous Swiss Federal “Molkereishulle” (Cheese Maker’s Institute).
Lucerne Cheese is a young, semi-soft cheese with small holes, somewhat similar to Baby Swiss. It has a very mild flavor that is both light and smooth. It’s also lower in fat and sodium than Swiss cheese, making it a delicious favorite for those counting calories or watching their sodium intake.
Do you offer other local cheeses?
Yes! We stock a huge range of local cheeses including Swiss, Baby Swiss, Sharp Swiss, Amish Butter Cheese, Yogurt Cheese, and several variations of each. We’re really proud to stock such a great range of cheeses from right here in Ohio. Please pop into the store if would ever like to try any of them; we’re happy to help!
How is Lucerne Cheese made?
Lucerne cheese is made in the same manner as many other kinds of cheese, by separating the curds and whey. Natural bacteria consume the lactic acid in the cheese, producing small holes. The aging process breaks down the milk sugar, reducing the carbohydrates in the cheese as well as the lactose content.
How should I eat Lucerne Cheese?
This cheese melts well, so you could enjoy a slice of it on a burger or in a healthier grilled cheese. Our favorite way to eat it is grated over soups and salads. It adds flavor and texture without adding too much fat to your meal. It’s also mild enough that it won’t overpower your dish.
If you are serving it as part of a cheeseboard, try to include fruits such as pears, apples, and grapes. The sweetness of these fruits is excellent against the mild cheese. Cut the Lucerne into thin slices that your guests can enjoy or even cubes to accompany fruit on skewers. It’s a great snacking cheese for those moments in the afternoon when you need a quick savory pick-me-up.
What should I drink with Lucerne Cheese?
This cheese pairs very well with a wide selection of different wines. The most popular red wine pairings are Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, but Beaujolais and Pinot Noir are also great matches. If you prefer white wine, Chardonnay, Riesling, and Sauvignon Blanc would all be good choices. If you are a beer lover, then Lucerne Cheese goes well with Lager, Pale Ale, and Weiss Beer.
How do you like to eat Lucerne Cheese? Let us know in the comments!
Cheese Making: Which Milks Are Used?
We love to tell you more about the cheese making process here at Shisler’s Cheese House. The more that you know about cheese, the more you can shop for your favorites and discover new delicious delights.
Today we’re going to explain the different kinds of milk used in cheese making and which cheeses you might find them in.
Sheep’s milk
Sheep’s milk has a high lactose content. This means that we rarely drink it, but it is used extensively in cheese and yogurt making. It can sometimes have a distinctive flavor, although this is often masked by the salt used to create the cheese.
Sheep’s milk cheeses include Manchego and Pecorino. Romano Pecorino is made from the milk of sheep that have grazed on specific grasses to impart flavor into the milk. If you love blue cheese, then Roquefort is made with sheep’s milk and has a great tang to it.
Goat’s milk
Goat’s milk is more regularly enjoyed on cereal or as a drink than sheep’s milk. Its qualities mean that it sometimes suitable for those who cannot have cow’s milk.
You’ll find it in simple goat’s cheese or chevre. These cheeses have a creamy texture and a distinct, complex flavor. They are great for cooking with as this flavor works well with many sweet and savory ingredients. It also melts very well, making it an excellent way to add cheesiness to dishes.
Cow’s milk
The most common of the kinds of milk used to make cheese. It has a good amount of fat and protein which makes it favorable for the cheese making process. Look out for cow’s milk cheeses that do not contain any artificial hormones.
You’ll find it in Cheddar, Swiss, and Parmesan amongst many others.
Buffalo milk
This is one of the hardest types of milk to get hold of and so it is very prized within the dairy industry. It is mostly used to make mozzarella and gives it a particularly creamy taste and texture as it has a high fat content.
More unusual milk
These are the different types of milk that you’ll usually find represented on a cheese shelf, but there are still more unusual ones being used all the time. Perhaps you might like to try reindeer or moose cheese? In some countries, cheese made from the milk of a camel is enjoyed. Donkeys, horses, and yaks have all had their milk used to make cheese to enjoy. We are also seeing a rise in non-dairy milk being used to create cheeses that are suitable for vegans or those who cannot eat dairy products. Who knows what will be next into the cheese market?
We hope you’ve enjoyed our quick tour of the different kinds of milk used in the cheese making process. Next time you pop in to fill up your cheese shelf, why not try something made form a more unusual milk and see if you can taste the difference?
Which kind of cheese is your favorite? Let us know in the comments!
Pepper Jack Cheese: Everything You Need to Know
What is Pepper Jack Cheese?
Pepper Jack Cheese is a cow’s milk cheese that blends the creamy, buttery flavor of Monterey Jack cheese with the intensity of spicy peppers. Jalapeños, serrano peppers, and habañero peppers are all used to create heat. As the cheese ages, the peppery flavor intensifies. Some older pepper jacks can taste quite zesty, but generally, the cheese is only aged for a few months. It will take on a creamy color and semi-firm textures.
How is Pepper Jack Cheese made?
Monterey Jack Cheese was made by the Mexican Franciscan friars of Monterey, California, in the 19th century. Then David Jack, a California businessman, decided that the market for the cheese could be developed. He produced the mild, white cheese that we now call Monterey Jack. Later, producers began to add small pieces of spicy peppers to the curds of their Jack cheese, creating Pepper Jack Cheese.
How should I eat Pepper Jack Cheese?
Pepper Jack Cheese melts very well. This makes it great for quesadillas, hot sandwiches, and nachos. Try adding it to Mexican food as these flavors pair well together.
The moist texture also makes it suitable for grating over dishes. It goes especially well with barbecued meats such as beef, and it can be used on burgers, steaks, and various broiled dishes. You could also serve cubes or slices as part of a cheese platter. Try it with melons, grapes, pickled vegetables, and olives for contrast and great texture. Slice it into sandwiches with bologna for a picnic.
Try it in mac and cheese with fresh slices of jalapeño to create a spicy side dish or comforting meal. Stuff it into a chicken breast and wrap it with bacon for a flavor explosion. You can even put a cube into the middle of a homemade burger so that you get oozing melted cheese when you bite into it.
What should I drink Pepper Jack Cheese with?
Pepper Jack Cheese goes best with slightly sweet white wines like Chardonnay, Riesling, or dessert wines. These complement the spicy and creamy nature of the cheeses. It’s also great with a light beer. You’re looking for a beer that isn’t too hoppy or powerful in flavor, as this can bring out the bitterness of the spice. Instead, go for a light lager.
Spicy cheeses
If you already love Pepper Jack Cheese and you’re looking to get even more spicy cheese into your life then we stock a huge range in the cheese shop and online. Check out our Carolina Reaper Cheese, Scorpion Cheddar, Ghost Pepper Cheese, Smoked Habanero Cheddar, Super Hot Pepper Cheese, Hot Pepper Cheese, Smoked Hot Pepper Cheese, Smoked Horseradish Cheese, Yogurt Cheese with Jalapenos, Hot Pepper Cheese Curds, and Buffalo Wing Cheese Curds.
Some of these are super hot whilst others combine chili spice with creamy cheese flavors. The smoked cheeses are great for BBQ dishes. Try them all to find your favorites!
How do you like to eat Pepper Jack Cheese? Let us know in the comments!
Buy Pepper Jack Cheese @ $ 5.99 per Lb : Click Here
Celebrate Easter with Shisler’s Cheese House
With Easter coming up this weekend, we have everything you need here at Shisler’s Cheese House. Read on to find out all about our gift options and how to make this Easter extra special for your loved ones.
Our Easter gift baskets are perfect for sharing with loved ones. You can purchase online or in store. Inside you will find Marble Cheese, Dried Fruit Chips, Yogurt Pretzels, Heggy’s Chocolates, Wild Maple Walnut Syrup, and Muddy Trail Mix.
We know that this is the perfect mix of treats. Chocolate for a sweet tooth and marble cheese for savory lovers, with dried fruit and trail mix to keep your energy up after all of the Easter fun. You could even hide each element of the basket to create a treasure hunt. Who says that kids get to have all the fun? Certainly not us!
If you’re looking to give a pure chocolate gift, then you need to look no further than Heggy’s Solid Chocolate Bunnies. These are a real treat with 20 oz of chocolate. They are available in both milk and white chocolate, so you can pick one up for everyone in the family.
If you are looking for some more grown-up chocolate options, check out our whole chocolate section. You’ll find dozens of products that will cater to every taste. Grab some Brazilian coconut or chocolate truffles for those friends that always want to try something new. Pick up a Heggy’s chocolate gift box for that special someone in your life. Take some Heggy’s milk chocolate turtles into work and share some Easter joy with your colleagues. We offer sugar-free treats for your health-conscious friends and caramels for those who just don’t like chocolate (we know it’s surprising, but they are out there!).
If you have your own Easter gift ideas, we can create a custom basket for you. Custom baskets can include anything currently available on the website. This is perfect if you know someone who would prefer cheese and pickles to chocolate, even at Easter. You could create a box full of dark chocolate treats or even pick our healthier options such as our sugar-free chocolates. Call us today for a quote!
If you are ordering online, please check our shipping policy to ensure that your gifts will reach you in time. If you can, pop into the store. We love to meet our customers face to face and help you find the perfect gifts.
We want to wish all of you a fantastic Easter weekend. How will you be celebrating? Let us know in the comments!
Spice Up Your Life with our Red-Hot Pepper Cheeses!
We know that lots of you are spice lovers. That’s why we’ve decided to dedicate this blog post to telling you all about our spiciest cheeses.
Scorpion Cheddar is our absolute hottest cheese. It has 1.2 million Scoville units of heat. A bell pepper has a Scoville rating of 0, with paprika reaching 1,000 and a jalapeno heading up towards 10,000. This should give you a sense of just how hot this cheese really is! This is one to take to a party and challenge your friends to take a bite.
Ghost Pepper Cheese is made from the Indian Bhut Jolokia pepper. It has a Scoville score of 855,000. This is a slow burner so be sure not to eat too much at once!
Smoked Habanero Cheddar is another of our hottest cheeses. It combines vintage aged cheddar, habaneros, and jalapenos. It’s great with dips and salsas as a snack or thrown into your favorite sandwich or burger. For that authentic smoky flavor, sprinkle it on your tacos.
Super Hot Pepper Cheese packs a spicy punch but won’t be as overwhelming a challenge as our Ghost Pepper or Scorpion cheese.
Hot Pepper Cheese is perfect for adding just a hint of spice, whilst still enjoying a creamy cheese.
Smoked Hot Pepper Cheese takes our Hot Pepper Cheese and adds the delicious effects of curing slowly with real hickory wood. It combines spicy and smoky flavors. Try pairing this with a Chardonnay or Pinot Noir for extra taste exploration.
Smoked Horseradish Cheese is not strictly a chili cheese, but we still think that horseradish has a similar kick to it. Our is an American, semi-firm cheese infused with horseradish root. This is perfect served alongside prosciutto or thinly sliced smoked ham. You could even try mixing it into your mashed potatoes; brilliant with beef.
Yogurt Cheese with Jalapenos is a great choice if you’re looking for a spicy cheese with lower calories. Yogurt Cheese has a lower calorie and fat content compared to traditional cheese. It is made from the creamy white cheese left over when the liquid whey drains from fresh yogurt. It has a creamy, rich taste alongside the spicy, tangy jalapenos.
Hot Pepper Cheese Curds are fresh, young cheddar cheese in the natural, random shapes that form before the cheese is processed and aged. We found the finest cheese curds from upstate New York. Their flavor is mild and whilst they have the same firmness as cheese, they have a rubbery, ‘squeaky’ texture and are sometimes salty. You will sometimes find these deep-fried in batter or breadcrumbs. They are also used in poutine, a Canadian dished consisting of French fries topped with cheese curds and gravy. Alongside our Hot Pepper Cheese Curds, we also offer Buffalo Wing Cheese Curds.
Serve your favorite spicy cheeses with some crackers and dips, and a good cold lager.
Have you taken on the challenge of Scorpion Cheddar? Let us know in the comments!
Thanksgiving at Shisler’s Cheese House – We Have Everything You Need!
The Holiday season is finally upon us!
Whether you’re having a quiet get together or filling the house with family and friends, we have the perfect accompaniments to all of the festivities. Check out our list below to make sure that you’re not missing out on anything, from the best cheeses to the perfect wine pairing for your turkey.
The Thanksgiving Menu Collection
Want to pick up everything you need for a fabulous Thanksgiving in one box? Grab our Thanksgiving Menu Collection. This contains a Troyer’s Trail Bologna Ring, Cheddar Cheese, Cranberry Delight Mix, Shisler’s Private Label Apple Butter, Pumpkin Muffin Mix and Uncle Ozgood’s Popcorn on the Cob. This will contain enough to feed 8 people. If you’re having a larger party, or want to try more treats, pick up another of our gift boxes. We love our Red Wine and White Wine Collections for all of you cheese lovers, but our Amish Country Sampler Gift Box is also the perfect addition to a party.
Read on to find out which wines we recommend for your Thanksgiving dinner.
Really treat your loved ones
We know that you’re going to want only the best this holiday season. That’s why we’ve put together our Gourmet Foods section. Here you can find the best nuts, syrups, mustards, and snacks, that are sure to make your party a roaring success.
Sweet moments
If you haven’t completely overindulged at dinner, one of the great pleasures of the holiday season is sharing a sweet treat and hunkering down to watch one of your favorite holiday movies. Head to our Chocolate section to find your favorites. We love Heggy’s Milk Chocolate Coated Marshmallows, Yogurt Pretzels and our Amish country grown White Chocolate Popcorn, but there is plenty to choose from. Find whatever takes your fancy!
Skinny Alternatives
If you’re concerned about your waistline this Thanksgiving, check out our Skinny Alternatives section. This is full of healthier cheeses, sugar-free chocolates, and calorie-free treats. You can still have all the fun of the season without the calories!
Which wines?
Don’t forget to pick up some wine to go with the cheeses and the rest of your meal. If you’re having turkey for your Thanksgiving dinner, we have a few favorites that will work well.
A Garnacha is a wonderful, cost-effective, choice with plenty of red fruit flavors. These will complement the turkey and gravy, almost as a cranberry sauce does.
Pinot Noir is also a great pick for poultry. It’s a light red wine that still has a fantastic elegance for a party.
If you are a fan of white wines, a full-bodied Chardonnay would be a wonderful selection. The oaky sweetness alongside the cream lactic acid of this wine makes it a bottle that won’t overpower your turkey but will make it sing.
We hope that our list will help you to make great choices for Thanksgiving this week.
All that’s left to say is Happy Thanksgiving from all of us at Shisler’s Cheese House!
Cheesemaking: How To Make Crescenza
When making this particular cheese, there is a trick to it. The trick is to balance the acid development with the correct moisture level in the cheese to ensure it will ripen properly. It is your choice whether you want to make it drier for a firm texture and longer aging or very moist to make it have a soft texture.
Recipe
What You Need
1 Gallon of Pasteurized Milk
2 oz Fresh Yogurt
.75 ml (just over 1/8 tsp) Single Strength Liquid Rennet
.75 oz Cheese Salt
Calcium Chloride (for pasteurized milk)
What To Do
1. Like always, we begin by heating the milk. Heat it to 100F. To do this, place the milk in a pan on the stove and heat the milk slowly, being sure to stir it consistently as it heats.
Once the temperature is at 100F, add the calcium chloride.
2. The next step, which is unusual for most cheese, we add the salt. The amount of salt is also a lot more than added to usual cheese, it ends up being around 2.5-3% of the final cheese weight. However, some of the salt will run off when the whey is draining so the final cheese will end up retaining the normal amount of salt.
Make sure the cheese is well mixed into to the milk before you add the culture.
The reason we add the salt before we add the culture is that the salt is somewhat sensitive and will work slower, making it produce lactic acid over a much longer time. Not only that, the slow acid will also slow the whey drainage which will preserve the final moisture of the cheese.
3. Now is time to add the culture. Use about 1.5% of culture volume to milk volume. So for 1 gallon, this will be around 2 oz. of yogurt which is made from Y1 yogurt culture. If you plan to store the finished cheese for long, you can also add 1/64 tsp. of C7 Geotrichum Candidum.
Let the milk sit for around 30 minutes so the bacteria can grow to a suitable size.
4. Once the culture step is finished, add around 0.85ml of single strength liquid rennet. Be sure the rennet is diluted in about 50-60ml of cool non-chlorinated water.
Stir the rennet in well with up and down motions for around 60 seconds to make sure the rennet is distributed thoroughly throughout the milk.
Let the milk sit for around an hour while the culture works and the rennet begins to coagulate the curd. The milk will begin to thicken after around 20 minutes, but a full hour is important for good coagulation.
It is important you try and keep the correct temperature of the milk during the coagulation time. You can do this effectively by placing the container in a sink of water which is a degree or so above the target temperature.
In this hour of coagulation, you can make sure you have sanitized all the molds and draining mats.
5. Now it is time to cut the curds and release the whey. Once the curd is formed properly, it can be cut to release the whey. Begin by cutting a vertical cross hatch of about 2-3 inches in size. Do not stir the curds after the cut.
Allow the curd to rest for around 30 minutes while the surface heal slightly and some whey releases.
Make a larger cut at around 5/8-7/8 inches. You can make this cut with a combination of a knife and a spoon. This second cut will determine the moisture of the finished cheese. This cut will retain whey for a higher moisture cheese. Be sure this cut is gentle and does not disturb the first curds cut. For the final cut, we should see a large piece of curd containing a good amount of moisture. You can stir but keep it at a minimum, just enough to keep the curds separated.
When the cutting has finished, let them settle with a gentle stir every 5 minutes. This process should take 10-15 minutes.
6. You can now carefully transer the curds to molds along with the remaining whey. Keep the curds at a warm temperature of 75-78F for around 4-6 hours to encourage the whey to drain and the culture to keep converting lactose to lactic acid, meaning more whey will be released.
You can turn the form as soon as all the curds have been transferred by placing a board on top of the draining form and flip it.
Allow the form to settle for a further 60 minutes before you flip it again. Remember to keep on top of the temperature, making sure it is still warm during draining.
You can flip the cheese for a third time after another 60 minutes. The cheese will be lower in the form because they whey has drained.
Following the flipping, the cheese can now be left to rest overnight in the molds.
7. The following morning, the cheese can be removed from the molds. The cheese will be around 1.25-1.5 inches in height and the final moisture will be around 20%. The cheese will be very moist and jiggly like pudding but still have a firm structure. It can be easily sliced and doesn’t need to be salted because that was already done in the behinning.
All that is left to do is place the cheese in the refrigerator.
It’s Not Too Late To Get Your Easter Goodies From Shisler’s Cheese House!
Easter is a very important Christian festival in which we come together and celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ. While it has great religious significance, it can always be an exciting time of the year, celebrating by coloring and decorating Easter eggs, enjoying special Easter Baskets and eating our body weight in chocolate!
Here at Shisler’s Cheese house, we have the answers to all your Easter food needs! Be it a beautiful Easter basket unlike any other, or a tasty Chocolate Bunny, we have what you want!
Tired of the same old boring Easter gift baskets? Send unique Easter gift baskets from Shisler’s Cheese House this Easter Season and surprise those that are special to you. If you would like to use your own unique Easter Basket Ideas, we also have custom baskets available. Just give us a call or stop by at one of our Cheese Houses!
Standard Easter Baskets Include:
– Marble Cheese
– Dried Fruit Chips
– Yogurt Pretzels
– Heggy’s Chocolates
– Wild Maple Walnut Syrup
– Muddy Trail Mix
Custom Easter Baskets can include anything currently available on our website and in store!
Also available for Easter are a wide selection of chocolate including our extra special Solid Heggy’s Chocolate Bunnies!
They are available in either milk or white chocolate and are 20 Oz.
Get your Easter goodies now!
