Posted on 05/09/2023 6:03:50 AM PDT by Diana in Wisconsin
MINERAL POINT, Wis. -- Cutting the cheese isn't often considered a good thing, but to Tony Hook, it's the culmination of two decades of hard work.
On Monday, Hook, the co-owner of Hook's Cheese Company in Mineral Point, cut up a 40-pound block of the company's 20-year aged white cheddar as dozens of community members watched the process unfold.
Each batch of cheddar Hook's produces begins with the same recipe, Hook explained, but factors like the feed animals eat and weather conditions can lead to differences in the milk used.
"We try to test every vat we make as we age it to taste test it and make sure it's developing like we want," he explained. "By the time it gets to somewhere between two and five years, we know it can age to a lot longer, some of those that are really good, so this particular batch we knew at the time it was five years old we could age it to 10, 12, 15, even 20 years."
The cheese sits in cold storage at 38 degrees as it ages.
While the latest batch of cheese is set to go on sale next week, most of it has already been claimed through pre-orders, and Hook said it may sell out by Wednesday if current trends continue.
Due to the amount of time and labor involved, the cheese doesn't come cheap at $209 per pound, but Hook's is donating half of the proceeds of the sale to area food pantries, including Pointer Pantry.
As for when the next batch will be available, Hook won't say.
"There'll be one coming down the chute," he said.
Pairs well wit 20 year old Scotch.................
PING!
I was at a cheese shop that had 45 year aged cheddar. Something like $60 for two ounces.
I love cheddar so sharp in makes your gums bleed. I’ve had 6 and 8 year old cheddar.
I have never gotten what ‘sharp’ means in cheeses.
I’ve always understood it as how much it bites back
Oldest I’ve had is 7-year and that was pretty expensive at the time.
I would describe ‘sharpness’ in cheese as the ‘tangy-ness’ on the tongue.
My ‘everyday cheese’ for snacking and cooking is always an Extra-Sharp Cheddar.
But it tasted awesome didn’t it?
It seems to correlate to saltiness, at least to some degree.
Reminds me of the news item about the shortage of olive oil I saw yesterday. The price has gone up 36% and some chefs oil now costs $40 (bottles looks like quarts or liters) instead of $30. Could most people actually taste the difference between that olive oil versus the 2 liter bottles they sell at Sams or Costco for much less? Same with cheese.
I have lost a lot of weight by cutting out ALL WHEAT, and my go to snack is pretty much ONLY cheese and pepperoni
I few pieces and I am good.
The biggest thing I notices from stopping all wheat is that I am no longer hungry all the time. Sometimes I forget if I’ve eaten some days.
The issue is that wheat clogs your system, and you don’t absorb nutrients, so you’re always looking for more things to eat.
Also my joint pain is completely gone. If I have anything with wheat I can barely walk the next day - instant inflamation.
Good story, I love X-sharp cheddar.
Colonel Potter liked Fig Newtons with his scotch...
I love fig newtons...................
“...20-year aged white cheddar...”
Does time spent lost at the back of the fridge count?
We’ve discovered Old Croc cheddar out of Australia. It has those wonderful crystals in each bite. We pair it with Raincoats crackers. Life’s too short for basic cheese.
Makes sense. If your body is short on nutrients, it will crank up your appetite. If you don't eat what it needs, then you will still be hungry.
That would be one expensive grilled cheese sammich.
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