Dried out cheese

[derag2]

I smoked some chese and put it in the fridge for a coupke days to mellow before I sealed them and now they are dried out? Ive done this before with no problems... What can I do to restore some moisture before sealing?

 

[gmc2003]

What type of cheese did you smoke? The sharper the cheese the dryer it becomes. When I smoke Cabots seriously sharp cheddar cheese it tends to get crumbly. Also when I smoke cheese I let it sit in the refridge over night on a cooling grate loosely cover with plastic wrap before vacuum sealing.

Chris

 

[derag2]

Mild cheddar, sharp cheddar, Monterey jack, colby. Ive havnt had this problem before. Its been open in the fridge for a couple days I'm going to seal it up tonight,

 

[gmc2003]

Mild cheddar, sharp cheddar, Monterey jack, colby. Ive havnt had this problem before. Its been open in the fridge for a couple days I'm going to seal it up tonight,

Like I said I've seen this issue with sharp cheeses, but never with the Jacks. You mentioned that you left them in the fridge for a couple of days before sealing them up. When you left them in the fridge did you cover them up? A couple of days seems like a long time. Maybe that's what caused the excessive dryness. I only leave mine in the fridge overnight loosely covered before sealing.

Chris

 

[derag2]

I didnt cover them.... Ive left them this long before like this with no problem... Maybe got lucky before.. I sealed them I guess I'll see what happens. I tasted some and it tasted fine once you got past the outside the cheese was fine,

 

[SonnyE]

I'd suggest grating it then using that.
We usually buy 5 pound blocks, then I chunk it into ~ 1/2 pound pieces to package.
Then grate up a bunch for use in cooking.

You could do what I use to do with my Prince Albert tobacco. I'd take a smallish wedge of Apple and wrap it in a paper towel and put it in my can.
Moistened the Prince Albert right up.

But don't grate your cheese, then try and Vacuum seal it....
It tends to squash it back into a lump of cheese. :oops::mad:
Live and learn! LOL!

 

[daveomak]

A refrigerator is a VERY efficient dehydrator...

 

[hillbilly jim]

A refrigerator is a VERY efficient dehydrator...

Help me out here, I'm just trying to learn something..... If what you say is the case, where does the moisture go?

 

[daveomak]

The moisture is collected on the cooling plates... the the plates warm up to thaw the ice crystals and down the drain the water goes...
Ever notice how ice cubes keep getting smaller in the freezer ??? Same deal in the refer...

 

[SonnyE]

Help me out here, I'm just trying to learn something..... If what you say is the case, where does the moisture go?

Modern refrigerators have a LOT of heaters in them to defrost them for us. Underneath if them is a tray where the moisture collected goes (by gravity) and it gets dried up by the compressors heat.
That's what that little tray under most refrigerators is for. ;)
That collected moisture and melted frost we no longer have to defrost out and clean by hand is where the moisture goes.

More here, Jim.

 

[daveomak]

This fridge is not self defrosting so the moisture just collects on the plates after it has been removed from whatever is in the refer....

 

[SonnyE]

This fridge is not self defrosting so the moisture just collects on the plates after it has been removed from whatever is in the refer....

View attachment 375674

Ahh! Nice 12 ounce kegs, Dave. ;)

Is that an old porcelain lined refer?

 

[daveomak]

A small dorm fridge.... those small kegs don't last very long... Sometimes only 5 minutes...