Cheese on the trail ?

[SENRABJOE]

:sunClass of 2009 Thru Hiker
I am preparing my foods for the hike using LIp Smakin Backpackin, the book mentions using cream cheese, cheese without refrigeration. Any old timers out there that have experience with these products. I always thought cheese had to be refrigerated until use.

Thanks for your thoughts

Senrab 09

[karoberts]

I ate Cracker Barrel cheese sticks all summer long without refrigeration for up to five days. Greasy, yummy!
http://morethananelectrician.files.wordpress.com/2007/10/aw4as.jpg

[Cool AT Breeze]

Hard cheese lasts me about a week.

[4eyedbuzzard]

Cheese has been made for thousands of years, long before refrigeration or even ice was used to cool foods. In fact, turning milk into cheese IS preserving it. Hard cheeses with high salt contents like cheddars and parmesan especially last a long time. Cheese wheels are waxed to help keep in moisture and reduce mold growth. It is typical for cheeses to mold slightly on the outside though, and even desired in some varieties(blue cheese for example). On a cheese wheel you just cut away the mold and you're good to go.

[Plodderman]

I almost always take seperate packs of cheese and have never had a problem with them. I usaully hike arouund a week. I am not sure the name of them but they also come with a sausage.

[Serial 07]

cream cheese was a staple of my diet, especially early...come hot summer time, it's not gonna last as long, but then i was making sandwiches more and slices of cheese became the norm...

[Sly]

Cheese last nearly forever. I've mailed block cheese 3 weeks in advance and ate it another week into the trail. Cream cheese should easily last week, unless it's extremely hot.

[Surplusman]

Last year I used some of those packets of cheese spread they use in MRE's. They weren't too bad, especially on some of the MRE vegetable crackers. But this year I'm going to try cheese in a different form. Lots of good ideas in this thread!

[RiverWarriorPJ]

u gotta tell me about having cream cheese on the trail
Serial 07 (http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/member.php?u=18441)

[Panzer1]

On the trail, cheese is usually eaten long before it has time to go bad, even in the summer.

Panzer

[vonfrick]

i've had cream cheese last a week no problem. block cheese is always long gone before it would ever go bad, it just gets oily so i double bag it. i usually take a block of swiss and/or parmesean. imagine any hard cheese would be just fine.

[Phoenixdadeadhead]

I wrap cheddar in wax paper and then put it in a ziplock. Sometimes it grows a little mold, but all you have to do is cut off the mold and the rest is good

[Alli]

EZ cheese is delicious and packs a pretty good weight to calorie ratio. Also, it doesn't need to be refrigerated at all.

[Homer&Marje]

Block of mild cheddar and a block of sharp cheddar. Never had it last more than a week....but that's cause it's eaten first usually...disappointing day when the cheese runs out.

Might consider the EZ cheese....not a big fan...the calorie ratio is attractive and after 4 or 5 days the body will tell you anything is good to get calories.... won't hurt over a few ounces to carry it and try next trip.

[dessertrat]

Yes, I don't think cheese would last me as long as it would take to spoil. That being said, in terms of lasting without getting greasy or even looking bad, a wheel of smoked gouda is my top choice.

[CowHead]

Yes I enjoy cutting the cheese while hiking also

[Hikes in Rain]

Cheese fixes anything culinary, and lasts forever. Or at least until it's gone.

[sarbar]

You can get shelf stable versions of many cheeses, but yes, real cheese lasts a long time! It was designed to be very stable. America is obsessed with chilling everything it can.

As for cream cheese, carry it in the 1 ounce packets or whatever size you can get. Costco sells big boxes of them in single serving packets. You can freeze them before hand as well for more time. I use cream cheese instead of sour cream in recipes. Works great! (Though Rondele at times makes a shelf stable version, but it isn't as good as regular)

[hoz]

I wrap my block cheeses (cheddar, colby, gouda) in cheesecloth saturated with vinegar, No mold.

[garlic08]

As a non-meat eater and a stoveless hiker, I rely on cheese heavily. I'll carry up to two pounds for up to a week and have never had a problem with spoilage on the trail.

[mister krabs]

My kids turned me on to string cheese. They're individually wrapped and take forever to go bad at room temperature. They go perfectly in a tortilla with some pepperoni for a pizza roll.

[sarbar]

One thing to remember: dirt hands touching the block or brick of cheese will encourage mold growth. So handle the cheese as little as you can and keep your grubby mitts off of it :D You can also cut it up into 1 or 2 ounce blocks at home and seal in paraffin or beeswax - dip in melted, let cool, dip again, etc. This gives portion control and the wax can be used as a fire starter as well.

[World-Wide]

Last year I used some of those packets of cheese spread they use in MRE's. They weren't too bad, especially on some of the MRE vegetable crackers. But this year I'm going to try cheese in a different form. Lots of good ideas in this thread!

Jalapeno and Bacon MRE cheese spread is the way to go! In the words of Nacho Libre, "Its the best!" :D

[joehiker22]

Cheese is essential on the trail. Especially cheddar.

[YoungMoose]

You dont need to keep cheese refirderated. i use cheddar cheese whenever i go becuase i can also then make mac and cheese for dinner

[SunnyWalker]

I have had block cheese for several days. Kept in a zip lock baggie. It will start to seemingly melt when it gets hot. I have ate it many ways, even then. When I come to a creek or brook for the night if you can put it in the cool water it helps. Usually though, mine does not last a week. Because of course, it is ate up!

[Canada Goose]

I wrap my block cheeses (cheddar, colby, gouda) in cheesecloth saturated with vinegar, No mold.


Before I became a hiker, I was a canoeist for many years. When on trips of up to 3 weeks duration, this is what we would do. No problem. As a hiker, I have cached cheese in food drops protected in aluminum foil, shiny side out. No problem. I always carry cheese & Triscuit crackers out of town, and to start trips; it's sooo good! In hot weather, I buy the oldest cheddar I can find, with the lowest fat content. This really reduces the "slime" factor without affecting the flavour. I also bury it it as deep in my pack as I can, trying to keep it cool.

[modiyooch]

Before I became a hiker, I was a canoeist for many years. When on trips of up to 3 weeks duration, this is what we would do. No problem. As a hiker, I have cached cheese in food drops protected in aluminum foil, shiny side out. No problem. I always carry cheese & Triscuit crackers out of town, and to start trips; it's sooo good! In hot weather, I buy the oldest cheddar I can find, with the lowest fat content. This really reduces the "slime" factor without affecting the flavour. I also bury it it as deep in my pack as I can, trying to keep it cool.
please explain to me about shiny side out vs shiny side in. I have no clue why tin foil has a shiny side. thanks oh, and as for cheese, I heard that colby lasts longer. I slice my cheese before I go. I actually don't bother carrying a knife.

[thunderson]

The reason that aluminum foil has a matte side and a shiny side comes from the rolling process. Huge sheets are fed from rolls into machine that cuts and rolls the smaller width sheets. The larger sheets are folded before feeding into the rollers, water is used to reduce friction on the metal rollers and the side of the sheets touching the rollers become polished(shiny), the side facing the other sheet remains matte.

I know this from a night of insomnia and watching "How it's Made" on the discovery channel. :D

[LaurieAnn]

The biggest culprits of mold growth are air and moisture. While dirty hands can cause bacteria growth they generally don't really contribute to mold growth. We've had cheese last without refrigeration for around 5 weeks but that was cheese that I had waxed in smaller portions.

There are a few things you can do to cut down on the mold growth and also on the greasiness. I apologize in advance if I repeat anything that has already been said.

You can reduce mold issues by...

- choosing a cheese that is harder

- looking at the moisture content on the label and going for cheeses that have a lesser humidity level

- wrapping the cheese in smaller portions so that you aren't constantly exposing the cheese to moisture from the air

- some cheeses lend very well to dehydration, such as feta

- buying cheeses that are waxed or waxing your own

- getting the store to cut the piece you are buying and vac-packing it in smaller pieces (most stores will do this for you if they aren't too busy and their commercial vac machines are way better than any home unit)

- wrapping the cheese with a piece of cheesecloth that has been dampened with vinegar

- dry the cheese slightly (we just do this by laying the pieces unwrapped on the fridge shelf for 24 hours)

- plan to eat softer cheeses like cream cheese, brie, camembert and such earilier in your trip

To reduce greasiness you can wrap the cheese in brown paper and then in plastic... the paper will absorb some of the oil.

[Allen1901]

Lots of good advice in this thread, but don't forget Velveeta. That stuff keeps forever.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Velveeta

Cheers!

[Canada Goose]

please explain to me about shiny side out vs shiny side in.


In theory, the shiny side provides a more reflective surface to repel infra red heat. Similarly, I wrap baked potatoes with the matte side out to allow faster heating of the potato. Some sleeping bags are made with relective material like this (in), as are some hiking umbrellas (out).

[garlic08]

Lots of good advice in this thread, but don't forget Velveeta. That stuff keeps forever. Cheers!

Yes--better living through chemistry!:D

[LaurieAnn]

I'll never forget when my managing editor nixed the Velveeta recipe from my book... lol... her words were "not fit for human consumption". I wasn't sure whether to be offended or laugh.

[Lyle]

In theory, the shiny side provides a more reflective surface to repel infra red heat. Similarly, I wrap baked potatoes with the matte side out to allow faster heating of the potato. Some sleeping bags are made with relective material like this (in), as are some hiking umbrellas (out).


Yep, when roasting meat, put the shiny side toward the meat. Two reasons:

1) as stated above, the shiny side is more reflective, thus reflects the heat into the meat instead of away from it.

2) The foil is rolled with the matte side out, thus the shiny side is the cleaner side, not as exposed to the dust and airborne critters as the matte side.

[Kanati]

The biggest culprits of mold growth are air and moisture. While dirty hands can cause bacteria growth they generally don't really contribute to mold growth. We've had cheese last without refrigeration for around 5 weeks but that was cheese that I had waxed in smaller portions.

There are a few things you can do to cut down on the mold growth and also on the greasiness. I apologize in advance if I repeat anything that has already been said.

You can reduce mold issues by...

- choosing a cheese that is harder

- looking at the moisture content on the label and going for cheeses that have a lesser humidity level

- wrapping the cheese in smaller portions so that you aren't constantly exposing the cheese to moisture from the air

- some cheeses lend very well to dehydration, such as feta

- buying cheeses that are waxed or waxing your own

- getting the store to cut the piece you are buying and vac-packing it in smaller pieces (most stores will do this for you if they aren't too busy and their commercial vac machines are way better than any home unit)

- wrapping the cheese with a piece of cheesecloth that has been dampened with vinegar

- dry the cheese slightly (we just do this by laying the pieces unwrapped on the fridge shelf for 24 hours)

- plan to eat softer cheeses like cream cheese, brie, camembert and such earilier in your trip

To reduce greasiness you can wrap the cheese in brown paper and then in plastic... the paper will absorb some of the oil.

Darn Laurie Ann, you're a wealth of knowledge on cheese. I now know how to keep my cheddar from becoming a greasy heap in hot weather! thanks again.

[schnikel]

World Market sells individually wraped 3 oz processed cheese for putting in care gifts. They also have good size portions of crackers and salami etc..
Good prices too
Schnikel

[World-Wide]

Hickory Farms (and similar brand products) cheese and sausage would last pretty long on the trail! Damn, now I'm hungry!

[Spogatz]

please explain to me about shiny side out vs shiny side in. I have no clue why tin foil has a shiny side.


The foil is manufactured 2 layers at a time on top of each other. The shiny side is the side that goes over the rollers and the matte side is the side facing the other piece of foil.

[LaurieAnn]

Darn Laurie Ann, you're a wealth of knowledge on cheese. I now know how to keep my cheddar from becoming a greasy heap in hot weather! thanks again.

Thanks... I've been doing this wilderness cooking gig for awhile now. I also have an elderly Mom (83 next week) who had to preserve things without a fridge so she taught me a thing or three.

[truckindust]

World Market is great....but in many locations they have closed their stores! Bummer! I bought lots of things for my hiker son there...especially the cheeses and those wine infused sausages...they make great jambalayas and soups. Make haste if yours is still in business!

[Wise Old Owl]

Don't forget apple wood smoked mozzarella at acme..... there is no explanation needed here.

[LaurieAnn]

you can also smoke your own cheeses in the BBQ with a wood plank and some wood chips in a smoker box... although we never have any left to take on our trips... lol.