Cold-Smoking Cheeses
Have you not tried a delicious smoked cheese yet? Well you should. They are fantastic on their own as a snack, on a charcuterie board, in a grilled cheese, I seriously could go on and on about how much I love smoked cheeses. And of course you can buy smoked cheese, but why deny yourself the fun and adventure of smoking cheese yourself? Let's learn some more about it shall we?
This is the perfect time of year to smoke cheese, when the temperatures are lower and ideal for a cold-smoke environment. Cold-smoking cheese takes a few hours, at a lower temperature and is usually done with blocks of cheese. When you cold-smoke, you impart that smokey rich flavor, without melting the cheese.
Here are some tips for success:
Use a pellet smoker to smoke the cheese indirectly, keeping the heat source away from the cheese itself.
You must smoke cheese below the 90 degree threshold, at which point milk fats will start to liquefy.
Use hard or semi-hard cheeses like cheddar, mozzarella, gouda, Monterey jack, gruyere, brie, and swiss. Do not smoke soft cheeses.
Start with cheese at room temperature if possible; do not start with frozen cheese blocks.
Cut the cheese into smaller blocks, so long as they will not fall through your grill grates. Smaller pieces allow for more surface area to absorb the smokey flavors.
We suggest you use our Grandpa's Grilling Pellets in your favorite favor to smoke your cheeses.
You can place foil pans of ice on the racks below or over the rack of cheese to help keep things cool.
Turn the cheese regularly to ensure even exposure to the smoke.
Once your cheese is smoked, wrap it up and let it rest for a few weeks before eating it. This allows the flavors is continue to build and mellow as well.
