Black Diamond brand extra sharp cheddar :(

S

short of infinity

New member
Black Diamond brand extra sharp cheddar :(

TJs was out of sharp cheddar slices so I bought a package of Black
Diamond extra sharp cheddar cheese slices instead.

I put a slice on a sandwich* and I couldn't taste anything extra sharp
about it. TJs other brand of just sharp cheddar was sharper. I ate a
slice by itself to see if it wasn't being overpowered. It WAS the
cheese.

The other thing I disliked about Black Diamond is the slices are so
brittle they easily break/tear just getting a slice out of the package.

Another TJs offering off my list. I'm going to return it and hopefully
my sharp cheddar slices are back.

Whether if Black Diamond shortened the aging process had anything to do
with it? I dunno.

Cracker Barrel extra sharp cheddar is clearly superior.

Andy

*Roast turkey BLT with the slice of extra sharp cheddar with Miracle
Whip on rye bread.
 
Andy wrote:

TJ's has _so_ many good, inexpensive cheddar cheeses - _if_ you're
willing to slice it yourself.

The grass-fed cheddar from New Zealand is great, nice and sharp.
They've also got a Wisconsin sharp or extra-sharp cheddar that my kids
like - the kids find the grass-fed New Zealand stuff a bit too nippy for
them, so I buy both. Without giving a huge sermon here, cheese from
grass-fed cows is better for you, says me and many other folks - and it
certainly tastes different. The same sort of thing from Whole Paycheck
costs 2-3 _times_ as much most of the time.

I agree w/ you that, of name brand sharp/extra-sharp cheddar, Cracker
Barrel has been the best.

We've had good results storing already grated or sliced cheese in a
glass container in the 'fridge - maybe a solution if you don't want to
get the knife or cheese slicer out every time you want to eat the stuff.
We don't generally do this on purpose, just a way to save it when we've
grated/sliced too much, but it seems fine days later.

-S-
 
On 2011-04-12, Andy wrote:



What makes natural cheddar cheese "sharp" is the aging process. The
longer it ages, the sharper it becomes. Also, it tends to dry out.
The longer it is aged, the drier and more brittle it becomes. A five
yr old aded chedder is almost crumbly.


Clearly, there are ways to make cheese taste sharper, other than
aging. I'm no cheese expert, so can't say how it's done, but I will
agree that Kraft's Cracker Barrel cheese seems to have the secret.
Nice soft moist cheddar with an aged flavor. Too bad it's damn near
as expensive as REAL aged cheddar.

With so many mom/pop cheese places sprouting up everywhere, now that
manufacturing is all but dead in the US. it's no big thing to find
REAL aged cheddar cheese. Used to be a 5 yr old cheddar was hard to
come by. Now, 5, 8, and 10 yr old cheddars are readily available,
online. Give yerself a treat. Buy some real cheese ....and I don't
mean that so called Real Cheese garbage from CA, either. ;)

nb
 
"Steve Freides" wrote:



Steve,

I broke my cheese slicer a while ago and fell back to cheese slices. It
was thickness adjustable. It was a really great slicer. I'll have to
stop in at BB&B for a new one.



for
it
Paycheck


I've never paid attention to places of origin except I always order
imported Provolone. Thanks for the mentions. TJ's iss pretty good about
places of origin. I'm all in favor of free-range!

There's a cheese shop at the Italian market in South Philly.that sells
many cheeses, many wheels and lengths hanging from the ceiling. I
remember the first time I walked in the shop I just about fainted from
the deluge of aromas filling the placce! I actually couldn't wait to hit
the sidewalk and catch my breath. I imagined the employees were immune
to the "stentch."

Best,

Andy
 
On 4/12/2011 5:24 AM, Steve Freides wrote:
If you vacuum seal the cheese, it stays good without mold for a very
long time in the refer.

Wayne
 
On Apr 12, 9:59?am, "graham" wrote:

I was kind of hoping that they were buying 'real' cheese that was
sliced which we can get here. Although most of it is Emmenthaler
style, or Guyere, or Mozarella etc. There is some cheddar that is
sold sliced.
 
On Tue, 12 Apr 2011 06:59:25 -0500, Andy wrote:


Isn't that because it's extra-sharp? The sharper it is, the drier and
crumblier it is.

I would use it to make some macaroni and cheese.
I don't even look at cheddar, hubby was the one who liked it... but
I'm surprised to hear it the stuff in black wax comes pre-sliced these
days.


--

Today's mighty oak is just yesterday's nut that held its ground.
 
On Tue, 12 Apr 2011 08:25:17 -0500, Andy wrote:


The Happy Cow commercials were the best thing this side of the Geico
Cavemen and the E-Trade talking baby.

--

Today's mighty oak is just yesterday's nut that held its ground.
 
"graham" wrote:



To be fair the Black Diamond sells blocks of "Grand Reserve" that's aged
two years. That could make a big difference. My package is only marked
"Select" and aged for one year. Amazon wants $20 for a one pound
block!!! Imported from Canada.

So I think it's safe to say it's in fact real cheese slices, just not
top-of-the-line.

Andy
 
"Andy" wrote in message news:[email protected]...
I never buy cheese slices. In fact I don't buy BD either as I particularly
like Balderson's from Ontario. You can buy 1yr, 2yr, 3yr and 5yr old
cheddar in most Canadian supermarkets and I've bought some 9yr old from a
specialty shop. It ain't cheap, but it's worth it once in a while.
Graham
 
"graham" wrote:



Graham,

If I lived there, I probably might've bought the brand also but, being a
tourist we ate in restaurants and pubs as often as possible or as
invited guests to dine.

Hotel rooms are stingy on in-room full kitchens. Too much of a
liability. They don't need Andy "burnin' down the house!" Besides
there's no local culture to be had sitting in a hotel room. This was
touched upon in another thread in rfc earlier today.

It was more enjoyable writing postcards from wherever. How old fashioned
now!!! ;)

Best,

Andy
 
On 2011-04-12, sf wrote:

Also the biggest lie on TV. Anyone who ever seen the hundreds, if
not thousands, of dairy farms all over CA knows, the reality is
actually a walking-the-edge-of-death nightmare for the dairy cattle.

nb
 
On Apr 12, 9:04?am, Chemo the Clown wrote:




I've really enjoyed the Rogue products I've bought - blue, smoked
blue and (I think) a raw milk cheddar.
 
On 12 Apr 2011 21:29:49 GMT, notbob wrote:

I was not talking about any great truth. I was talking about
pure entertainment value. They are commercials where I may not
remember the name they hoped I wouldn't forget, but I don't flip the
channel either. That's a BIG plus for advertisers.


--

Today's mighty oak is just yesterday's nut that held its ground.
 
Back
Top