Tag: cheese curds
Cheese Curds: Everything You Need to Know
We love to tell you more about our different products here on the blog. We’ve noticed that there are often questions about our cheese curds so we’ve chosen to answer them today.
What are cheese curds?
They are fresh, young cheddar cheese in the natural, random shape and form that the cheese takes before being processed and aged. If you live somewhere without a cheese factory, you may not have encountered them before. They have the same firmness as cheese, but with a springy or rubbery texture. Fresh curds are squeaky when bitten into because of the air trapped within. They are sometimes referred to as “squeaky cheese”!
What do cheese curds taste like?
Curds have a mild taste, somewhat like the cheddar that we are used to. They are sometimes salty and can also be flavored.
Where can I buy cheese curds?
If you’re looking for where to buy cheese curds, then you need to look no further. Here at Shisler’s Cheese House, we stock Fresh Cheddar, Roasted Garlic, and Buffalo Wing cheese curds.
Ours are made in Upstate New York and we truly believe that they are the best around.
How should I eat cheese curds?
Deep-fried cheese curds are sometimes found at carnivals and fairs in the Midwestern United States. They are covered with batter or breaded and placed in a deep fryer to create a crisp outer coating.
If you have ever been to Canada, you may have eaten poutine. This is a dish combining French fries, cheese curds, and gravy. Sometimes other toppings are added. It’s a decadent dish and particularly good if you’ve slightly over-indulged in the bar the night before!
They are delicious on a skewer combined with antipasti meats, olives, and tomatoes. You could also melt them onto a pizza or toss them into a salad. They’re a great garnish for a Bloody Mary.
If you are making burgers, incorporating curds into the mix can add both flavor and texture. For a healthier option, they are lovely stirred into a pasta salad. We think our roasted garlic curds are some of the best for this.
Buffalo wing curds can almost be an alternative to real chicken wings. Serve them with a side of celery and some blue cheese or ranch dressing for the classic flavors.
If you want to surprise your guests with something new, serve them up on a cheeseboard and see if anyone can tell you what they are.
What should I drink with cheese curds?
Classic cheddar flavors pair well with beer, red wine or even a fortified wine such as Port. Consider the rest of the dish that you are serving when selecting your drinks. Poutine pairs well with beer or a rich Pinot Noir. Spicy buffalo flavors are great with cocktails like a martini or a mojito. Roasted garlic is delicious with a light, summery rosé wine.
Do you love cheese curds? Or are you trying them for the first time? 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!
Cheese Curds: Cheese’s Best Kept Secret
There’s nothing like a 4-year-old cheddar to remind us of how very great cheese can be. It’s creamy; it’s sharp; and it’s downright addictive. But as great as aged cheddars are, their polar opposite — which go by the mildly unappetizing name of cheese curd — are equally delicious yet a thousand times harder to find.
If you have the good fortune of being from Wisconsin, have indulged in Canada’s famous poutine, or have just sought these curds out on your own then we don’t have to educate you on the wonders of this food. BUT, if hearing the words “cheese curd” causes you to wrinkle your nose instead of making you hungry, you need to read on. Because, folks, you are seriously missing out.
Cheese curds are what your mouth has been missing all this time. And you might want to head to the nearest cheese maker to remedy that, like, stat. But first, here’s what you need to know.
What are Cheese Curds?
Fresh Cheddar Cheese Curds
Cheese curds are eaten as standalone foods by some. Small, solid chunks of cheese are produced as a part of the cheese making process. Cheese curds are separated from natural whey and pressed into molds to make cheese. Different types of cheeses are produced by treating curds in different ways. These curds can also be eaten straight. In the American Midwest, cheese curds are very popular, especially curds obtained during the process of making cheddar cheese.
The first step in making cheese is to curdle the milk using a combination of bacterial cultures, rennet and acid. You get cheese curds separated from whey as the milk solids coagulates during the curdling process.
Curds are then separated from the whey. To make the process of separation easier, the curds are cut into small pieces. Cheese curds are then packed into molds after adding salt which eventually turns into cheese. Rich, mature cheese is created by aging the finished cheese.
Some find cheese curds bizarre as they have a characteristic squeak when eaten. Eat them days after they are made and you will find them squeaking against your teeth. Squeak in them is due to the moist whey. As the cheese curds get older, the whey or moisture in them dry up and the squeakiness disappears.
Cheese curds are used in many different ways. Apart from eating them as it is, people deep fry them, serve them on appetizer platters or sprinkle them on top of foods. One of the reasons why cheese curds are not available in areas where there are no cheese manufacturers is the fact that they go bad very quickly. To enjoy optimum texture, flavor and squeak, cheese curds must be eaten within 12 hours.
You can store cheese curds by freezing them for up to six months. Even though they may crumble when thawed and may not be as fresh, they still taste great. Fried cheese curd is made using frozen curds.
There are many different varieties of cheese manufactured around the world including the soft cottage cheese and the hard cheeses like Pecorino and Parmesan. Interestingly, all of them are made from the squeaky, humble cheese curds.
Poutine
Today you can also find a variety of different cheese curd flavors. Some of the popular flavors include Roasted Garlic, Chive, Hot Pepper, and spicy Buffalo Wing. These curds make for a friendly snack and are used by some to make poutine (Cheese curds melted over french fries with gravy) or to put on salads.
How do you like to enjoy your cheese curds?
