Cheese

[chrisoc]

What's a good cheese to carry that does not need refrigeration?

[Coffee]

Aged Parmigiano-Reggiano. Try to get "Stravecchio" which is aged 24+ months. Readily available at Whole Foods (very expensive) and more recently at Trader Joes (much more reasonable). I've only carried this cheese on shorter trips but I've read reports of it lasting for weeks in resupply packages and on the trail. It is tasty and addictive stuff, great consumed alone but better with crackers or bread. Mixes in really well with pasta meals adding some calories to Knorr sides or Mac & Cheese.

[Hikes in Rain]

Cheeses in general require no refrigeration. Harder cheeses will keep longer than softer ones, but all were created to store milk before refrigeration was invented. Besides, you'll eat it all long before it has a chance to go bad! They might get a little "oily", but it'll be fine.

[Odd Man Out]

I brought a chunk of sharp cheddar, which at home I like a lot, but on the trail, it didn't seem to appeal to me. But I also brought some of those Mini Baby Bel cheese snacks. Each comes in a wrapper and wax. Pull the tab and it opens up. There is a bit more packaging waste/weight, but they pack nicely. Each one is 21 g (0.75 oz) and 70 cal. There is a variety to choose from.

http://www.thelaughingcow.com/products/mini-babybel/

[Ricky&Jack]

as far as I know...... Just like beer and cheese is refrigerated in the united states, overseas it's preferred to be stored and consumed at room temperature.

So take beer and cheese and both will be good warm.

[Coffee]

as far as I know...... Just like beer and cheese is refrigerated in the united states, overseas it's preferred to be stored and consumed at room temperature.

So take beer and cheese and both will be good warm.

I was very surprised recently to see eggs stored at room temperature at a supermarket in the Netherlands. In general, Europe is less "refrigerated" than America, and I'm referring to both food items and the lack of the air conditioning we take for granted in the US even in the most modest accommodations. Maybe they are onto something... I feel like we overuse A/C.

[shelb]

I was very surprised recently to see eggs stored at room temperature at a supermarket in the Netherlands.

My dad was amazed when he went on a 3 week sailing trip in the Carribean. They said the eggs could be stored without refrigeration for 6 months. The shell was first coated with Crisco, and then the eggs had to be rotated (cartons flipped) every day. At the time he was on the eggs were 2 months old, and he ate them without a problem.

Regarding cheese: I dislike the way it gets "oily." Is there a way to store it to help this situation? Would it be better to place the cheese in wax paper and then in plastic?

[imscotty]

Cheese requires refrigeration? I never had cheese last long enough on the trail to worry about spoilage. It does get 'sweaty', however. Still tastes the same to me. Just eat and enjoy.

[rocketsocks]

Cheese requires refrigeration? I never had cheese last long enough on the trail to worry about spoilage. It does get 'sweaty', however. Still tastes the same to me. Just eat and enjoy.

+1 on the not stickin' around long enough for spoilage.

Confirmed "Cheese Please" Lover

[overthinker]

I was very surprised recently to see eggs stored at room temperature at a supermarket in the Netherlands.

IIRC, eggs are generally sold unwashed in Europe. Unwashed eggs will keep without refrigeration MUCH longer than washed eggs. Eggs you buy in America are always washed, unless you know a farmer who will slide you some on the side.

[squeezebox]

What about sucking the air out of a ziplock before you seal it. Less O2 means less spoilage, But putting your mouth on something spreads germs.??
use a straw ?? just scrape the mold off and eat the rest?? There are a fair amount of cheeses that the moldy rind gets scraped off before eating.

[Siarl]

IIRC, eggs are generally sold unwashed in Europe. Unwashed eggs will keep without refrigeration MUCH longer than washed eggs. Eggs you buy in America are always washed, unless you know a farmer who will slide you some on the side.

Correct. I grew up on a small farm that my family had. We had chickens just for the fresh eggs. We would gather them and keep them out unwashed on the counter or wash them and put them in the fridge if we weren't going to use them right away...which was rarely the case. There were eight of us kids and nothing stayed long enough to spoil in our house. Eggs have a natural coating or bloom on them that protects the egg or unborn chick and allows it to form until hatching. If you don't wash the eggs or rub off the bloom, eggs can keep safely for up to two weeks or more with no harm done. But I wouldn't push the "or more" factor too much. In order for eggs to arrive as fresh as possible to the supermarket shelf, the commercial egg businesses refrigerate the eggs since there is quite a bit of lag time between lay date and the purchase date. And...the U.S. egg business is Big Business where as in Europe, Central America, South America and Asia the egg farmers are smaller and more locally delivered and can afford to place them on the shelf. When I lived in Honduras and the Philippines, the eggs were never refrigerated in the stores. But growing up in the Appalachians, almost every home in the mountains, my grandmothers for example, had a root cellar or spring house to keep things such as milk, eggs, and cheese cool. It's my opinion that in the U.S. there is a history of refrigerating quite a number of things that wouldn't necessarily be otherwise in other countries.

[Coffee]

That's the main problem with the Mini Baby Bel ... there is so much packaging weight that a normally calorie dense food gets pretty inefficient in terms of calories per ounce of weight carried.

[Odd Man Out]

That's the main problem with the Mini Baby Bel ... there is so much packaging weight that a normally calorie dense food gets pretty inefficient in terms of calories per ounce of weight carried.

I know, but those little packages sure were convenient.

[Ricky&Jack]

We have to store eggs in refrigeration because of whats added/fed at the chicken farms.

Growing up on a farm you could go check the chicken pens every few days, and the piles of eggs would still be good.

Also, I think in Italy and etc butcher shops hang meat in windows and outside, and its still good.

[Wise Old Owl]

Cabot Alpine CHHHHHEDDDAR!

xclassic-cheddar.pngDid I say I was addicted to this stuff? Don't forget the crackers...

SProBr8z2.jpg

[MyName1sMud]

Cabot Alpine CHHHHHEDDDAR!

xclassic-cheddar.pngDid I say I was addicted to this stuff? Don't forget the crackers...

SProBr8z2.jpg

Looks like I need to try some of this stuff

[ChuckT]

And the cheese is tasty too!

[rocketsocks]

Hard uber sharp cheddar for me.

[Venchka]

Don't forget the old standby: individual serving string cheese.
Does the empty Baby Bel packaging work as fire starter material?

Wayne


Sent from somewhere around here.