Keeping cheese on the trail

[Joker4ink]

Do you guys bring cheese on the trail (day hike or backpacking)? If so, does it keep well without frigeration? Specifically hard cheese.

[tagg]

i took a block of extra sharp cheddar with me when i was out for a week in may. other than getting a little greasy towards the end of the week, it did fine and tasted great.

[jeepcachr]

Cheese is one of my favorites. It does fine for a week, but I think the less moisture in it the better.

A little Parmesan shredded on top will liven up nearly anything. A small block of that goes a long way.

[Dogwood]

Hard cheeses like cheddar, colby, etc tend to last longer. Keep them in the darker cooler parts of your pack.

[Llama Legs]

Buy hard cheese in smaller blocks. The longer it stays sealed, the longer it will keep as well. I know that can't live without it.

[Wise Old Owl]

I wrap the water bladder in a thin mylar foam (car window reflector) and the cheese and wine goes right next to it or under.

Don't forget the knife and corkscrew..... Well I don't use a corkscrew anymore... the new thin film bags are awesome.

[Danielsen]

I've had bad experiences with nasty bacteria growing in the "cheese sweat" that accumulated in the plastic bag, resulting in violent illness one morning in Nazca when we had a 7am bus to catch. Bad situation, I couldn't stomach cheese for a week. The harder the better, certainly, but I'm considering cheesecloth.

[sixhusbands]

I usually take a blue cheese so you don't notice the mold right away!

[garlic08]

Cheese was the Old World's answer to keeping dairy without refrigeration. Then the New World comes along, invents refrigeration, and dictates that you must refrigerate cheese. Go figure.

I'll carry cheese for the first three to five days, depending on how hot it is. After that, it's peanut butter, a far second in preference.

[Slo-go'en]

Keeping cheese in the plastic bag is the worst thing to do. Wrap the cheese in brown paper or better yet, cheesecloth (duh!) and it will keep for a long time. The paper or cheese cloth absorbes the mosture and leaves a thin, dry crust on the outside of the cheese, which inhibits the growth of mold. Of course, you need hard cheese. I've carried cheese for over a week in hot weather this way with no problems.

[Moose2001]

I always carry lots of cheese! Grated parmesan in a plastic baggie keeps forever and adds lots of taste and calories to any meal. I also carry a block of sharp cheddar but it never seems to last long. Within a couple of days of leaving town, it's all gone! Never had any problems with cheese unless it's really hot.

[Hikes in Rain]

Alternatively, get your cheese dipped in wax (or dip it yourself). Keeps indefinitely, plus you can use the wax as a firestarter. Any way you look at it, you'll run out before it has a chance to go bad.

[Wise Old Owl]

Alternatively, get your cheese dipped in wax (or dip it yourself). Keeps indefinitely, plus you can use the wax as a firestarter. Any way you look at it, you'll run out before it has a chance to go bad.

isn't that like - Mad Cow.... No wait "Laughing Cow!":eek:

[The Solemates]

i take cheese in the winter. lasts til spring :)

[Pedaling Fool]

I've had cheese get very greasy from not being refrigerated, but didn't affect the taste and I never got sick. I don't believe I could keep cheese long enough to go bad; the only problem I ever had with cheese was rationing.

[Jester2000]

In my opinion, this is one of the better threads on the topic:

http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/showthread.php?t=27201&highlight=Cheese

[Hikes in Rain]

isn't that like - Mad Cow.... No wait "Laughing Cow!":eek:

:p I'd think cows that laugh would be quite mad!

But that's one. I was actually thinking of the small rounds of smoked gouda and similar. Baby bells would work, too, but they're pretty small.

[Odd Man Out]

I recall the Italian deli I shopped at in grad school. They had a ginormous wheel of Parmesan cheese setting on the counter. It must have taken a long time to sell that much cheese so I'm sure it sat there for weeks.

[harryfred]

Two things I always take with me. Cheese and whiskey. I've carried all kinds of cheese. If you have too worry about it lasting over a week You are carrying too much. I carried Wally World Great Value Colby Five days in VA this past summer in July when the temps went over 100*. It was fine got kind of oily and lost its shape but was still tasty. The stuff I get at the local deli holds up better and my wife gets this low fat cheese that has a dry consistency but holds up very well on the trail.

[Odd Man Out]

Two things I always take with me. Cheese and whiskey. I've carried all kinds of cheese. If you have too worry about it lasting over a week You are carrying too much. I carried Wally World Great Value Colby Five days in VA this past summer in July when the temps went over 100*. It was fine got kind of oily and lost its shape but was still tasty. The stuff I get at the local deli holds up better and my wife gets this low fat cheese that has a dry consistency but holds up very well on the trail.

So does the "If you have too worry about it lasting over a week You are carrying too much." rule apply to the whiskey too???:cool:

[Elder]

In my opinion, this is one of the better threads on the topic:

http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/showthread.php?t=27201&highlight=Cheese

and of course, this brings up the most important part of keeping cheese on the trail..

KEEP IT AWAY FROM JESTER!! :D

[Skidsteer]

So does the "If you have too worry about it lasting over a week You are carrying too much." rule apply to the whiskey too???:cool:

Oddly enough, it works exactly the opposite for whiskey.

Strange.

[mweinstone]

lets say a guy has a gun to your head and if your chease goes bad he shoots. and lets say he hikes with you and never sleeps . allways checking your cheese. allways threatening to do you if it goes south. i could beet this guy at his own game. i can keep cheese like nobodys buissness. i keep cheese thru wars. i keep cheese thru epochs and ages and till god comes back. governments ring my phone off the hook calling about cheese. when denmark had cheese strikes....thats right. they called me to ask what to do to make cheese last . i have cheese from my childhood. i own nepolions cheese. im eating cheese recovered in ice cores drilled from artic massif estimated at 50 million years old from the very dawn of cheese. dont ever talk to me again about your cheese keeping concerns. my dog keeps cheese for years in his pillow and eats it only on yom kippour. dont know why,....but its freash. children in pakastan carry cheese from their youth till tthey are married off at 12. thats a dozen years of cheese dowry keeping in harsh temps by children. sheesh.

[Blue Jay]

So does the "If you have too worry about it lasting over a week You are carrying too much." rule apply to the whiskey too???:cool:

No, for two reasons. One, it is not possible for cheese to not be eaten in a week. Two, running out of cheese is very very bad, running out of whiskey is a not acceptable.

[George]

Amen to that

[earlyriser26]

Recently I have been bringing good size block of parmesan (sp?) cheese. I have had no trouble with it for a week (but it rarely lasts that long.... yummy and heavy).

[harryfred]

No, for two reasons. One, it is not possible for cheese to not be eaten in a week. Two, running out of cheese is very very bad, running out of whiskey is a not acceptable.
There it is!

[wvgrinder]

I love Cheese on the trail. I must have a dozen SCI shows on my mp3 player :D

[Julie T]

Baby bells would work, too, but they're pretty small.

I've taken baby bell cheese for 3-4 days and they were fine :) Probably not a good idea in very warm weather though.

[Julie T]

Sorry for the double post.. I've also taken individually wrapped mozzarella sticks, but they never lasted more than 2 days (yes I know they're not "REAL" cheese.. but damn tasty!)... The oil hadn't even separated much yet... Anything longer than 2-3 days, stick with hard cheeses such as Parmesan, Romano, aged cheddar, and my fav: aged Gouda.