# Aged gouda cheese?



## Mylegsbig (Jul 17, 2006)

Has anyone ever seen aged gouda cheese? I bought some stuff at the grocer for 13.99 a lb, got a lil 5 dollar chunk and it wasnt refrigerated, it was just sittin in the store on a big block.

question: is aged gouda supposed to be hard? this has a parmesan like consistency

if it was supposed to be kept refrigerated and it's bad i hope i dont get sick cuz i ate some

ima take it back if they stored it wrong

thanks in advance


----------



## Sabrine (Jul 18, 2006)

We have different sorts of gouda here : young gouda, half aged gouda, aged gouda and extra aged gouda .

Aged gouda is hard and looks like parmesan 

But it is better to keep it in the fridge or at least in a cold place . Just take it out from the fridge  a 1/2 h or an hour before so you bring it at room temperature . That allows the cheese to develop the flavors.


----------



## Gretchen (Jul 18, 2006)

I have had it--and have some right now. It is delicious and yes, harder than usual. But I have not had it to be as hard/dry as parm. That would not exactly be "my cup of tea".  However, a good use might be the way I have used good parm--grate it onto the top of a bowl of EVOO (really good stuff) and serve with baguette slices. This is a lucious appetizer.  And as sabrine said, let it be at room temp.


----------



## jennyema (Jul 18, 2006)

Aged gouda is one of my favorite cheeses!!!  I always have some around.  It tastes entirely different that unaged gouda, with a deep tangy, sharp and salty flavor.

Depending on how long it has been aged for, it can be quite hard and crumbly.  Usually it takes on a deep gold color upon aging, too.

You can find goudas ranging in age from new (in the supermarket) to 3+ years old.  Next time you are at the cheese store ask to taste a variety of ages (if they have them) and you can really discern a big difference in the taste and texture depending on the age.

Many cheese stores will have it sitting out, as hard cheeses don't have to be constantly refrigerated like soft cheeses do.  But you should keep it in the fridge, wrap it in waxed paper or foil, then plastic so the cheese can breath a bit. 

Recommendation from Foramaggio Kitchen on how to store cheese:
"*Caring for Your Cheese*
When you buy cheese in our store or on our site, we wrap it in a lined paper that we import from France that is designed for cheese.  Ideally, we recommend using a clean wrap of this paper each time you open your cheese.  However, in a pinch we've found that wax paper, butcher paper or aluminum foil, will work reasonably well.  We choose not to store cheese in plastic wrap because we find that imparts an unpleasant chemical taste if left in contact with the cheese.  Depending on the cheese and the condition of your refrigerator (humid or dry), you may want to overwrap the waxed paper with plastic wrap to avoid the plastic wrap contacting the cheese, while preserving moisture.  If you must wrap in plastic wrap, be sure to clean the cut surface of the cheese by giving it a light scraping to remove the contacted area.

Store your cheese, tightly wrapped, in an area of higher humidity such as the meat or vegetable drawer and away from drafts.  Most of the cheeses will keep for several days to several weeks if properly stored (aged, hard cheeses will last longer than fresh, soft ones).  Any cheese will grow white, blue, yellow or black mold over time.  These molds are natural and harmless to most except the severly immunocompromised.  However these molds can add flavors of sharpness or bitterness so we recommend scraping the mold from the surface of the cheese."


----------



## ironchef (Jul 18, 2006)

MLB, most aged cheeses will take on a drier, more crumbly texture. During the aging process, the cheese loses moisture but flavor gets intensified. The longer a cheese has been aged, the more intense it's flavor will become.


----------



## Gretchen (Jul 18, 2006)

The aged goudas I have had are compact and a bit "waxy", not dry and crumbly. And sheep's or goat's milk gouda is reall lovely.


----------



## ironchef (Jul 18, 2006)

Gretchen said:
			
		

> The aged goudas I have had are compact and a bit "waxy", not dry and crumbly. And sheep's or goat's milk gouda is reall lovely.


 
Could be the cheeses that you had were just not aged as long as the one that MLB bought. And I agree that goat's milk gouda is very good. Never tried it made with sheep's milk.

Aged cheddars are a good way to compare the differences in the aging process. Cheddars aged for 12, 18, and 24 months each have different textures and intensity in flavors.


----------

