A Better Cheddar

Why flavorful artisan cheese is a bargain at any price

No Matter How Delicious
A handcrafted premium Cheddar may be, you’re probably not convinced you should spend $15 a pound for it. Yes, real artisan cheese—cloth-bound drums of handmade cow’s-milk cheese that you find in specialty cheese shops and upscale supermarkets—is expensive, costing at least twice as much as factory-made Cheddar. But when you consider the flavor and the complexity of the Cheddar-making process, the price may seem worth it.

The differences between artisan Cheddar and its commercial counterparts begin with the milk, which in artisan Cheddar usually comes from Jersey or Ayrshire cows—breeds whose milk has the highest amount of butterfat. (Commercial Cheddars use the lower-fat milk from massive herds of pasture-fed Holsteins.) The milk is “started” with cultures that sour it, then the enzyme rennet is added to separate the curds (solids) from the whey (liquid). The curds are hand cut to help expel the whey. At this point, the unique “Cheddaring” process begins: The curds are pressed by hand and then cut into heavy slabs that are stacked on top of one another. The weight of the curds presses out excess moisture. Next, the slabs are cut into tiny pieces resembling penne pasta, hand salted, shoveled into large cheese molds, and finally set to age for months or years, depending on the type of Cheddar. Each step of the artisanal process is done by hand. At large commercial Cheddar plants, machines usher the milk through the various stages.

The longer a Cheddar ages, the sharper it tends to be. But unlike commercial Cheddars, artisan Cheddars are usually not labeled sharp, medium, or mild. “They are described by their character and by the number of years they have aged,” says Daphne Zepos, director of cheese maturing at the Artisanal Cheese Center, a consumer and educational organization in New York City devoted to cheese.

Portrait of the Artisan
Mateo Kehler, a carpenter with serious wanderlust, spent his 20s “swinging a hammer and traveling the world.” Making Cheddar in his hometown of Greensboro, Vermont, was not exactly top of mind. But when he fell in love and married, things changed. In 1997 he and his wife moved back to Greensboro and, with Mateo’s brother Andy, purchased an old farm called Jasper Hill. They knew they wanted to make cheese, but—small problem—they had no cheese-making experience. So in 1998 the Kehlers set off for Neal’s Yard Dairy, in London, and learned the crucial process of farmstead-cheese aging. “In the cheese- making process, you set the course of the cheese,” says Mateo. “But in the ripening stages, you make sure the flavor and texture get it where you want it to go.” Today the Kehlers handcraft their Cheddar with milk from their own herd of Ayrshire cows and pride themselves on the way their cheese is aged—bandaged in three layers of muslin. After it has aged for one year, the nutty, full-flavored Aspenhurst Cheddar reflects its creators’ passion.

Crafting Your Own Cheddar Tasting
The best way to appreciate the nuances of quality Cheddars is to taste them alongside one another. Arrange your cheeses from youngest (most mild) to oldest (sharpest), and serve them at room temperature. Aged Cheddars in particular need to warm up so they are not too crumbly.

Shelburne Farms, 1-Year Cheddar, Vermont: Made from the milk of purebred Brown Swiss cows, this is a delicious young cheese with a slight bite and a grainy texture.
To Buy: $11 a pound, www.shelburnefarms.org

Jasper Hill Farm, Aspenhurst 14 to 16 Month Farmstead Cheddar, Vermont: Made from Ayrshire cows’ milk, this Cheddar has a hard, dry texture and intense, nutty flavors.
To Buy: $19 a pound, Murray’s Cheese, www.murrayscheese.com.

Fiscalini Farmstead Cheese, 18-Month Bandaged Wrapped Cheddar, California: Balanced and bold, with sweet, buttery, and grassy flavors, this cheese has a slightly sandy texture and a porcelain-like color.
To Buy: $18 a pound, www.fiscalinicheese.com.

Carr Valley, 2-Year Aged Cheddar, Wisconsin: It’s medium-bodied, with light fruit notes, a sharp and tangy finish, and a pleasant buttery texture.
To Buy: $5.50 a pound, 800-462-7258.

Grafton Village Cheese Company, 4-Star Cheddar, Vermont: Aged for four years, this cheese has a dry, crumbly texture, a very sharp flavor, and a smooth finish.
To Buy: $15 a pound, www.graftonvillagecheese.com.

For additional varieties of American artisan Cheddar, check out these retailers: the Artisanal Cheese Center (www.artisanalcheese.com), Dean & Deluca (www.deandeluca.com), Ideal Cheese Shop (www.idealcheese.com), and Whole Foods Market (www.wholefoods.com).

The Color Question
Cheddar cheese in its natural state reflects the color of its milk, ranging from pale yellow to ivory. As you have probably noticed, not many cows produce orange milk. So where does that bright color come from? It does not indicate artificial dyes or poor quality. It comes from annatto—a natural, flavorless vegetable dye that was traditionally used as a way to identify Cheddars from specific areas of the country. At one point, it was a means for Wisconsin cheese makers to distinguish their products from the white Cheddars of Vermont, but now adding annatto is a common practice everywhere.

Cheddar Pairings
You can’t go wrong with the classic combination of sharp Cheddar and apples or pears, but there are other pairings worth considering—especially when you’re putting together an hors d’oeuvre platter. Serve the cheese with toasted walnuts or almonds, dried fruits (like dates and figs), spiced fruit chutney, apple and pear butters, and whole-grain fruit-and-nut breads.