Canned cheddar kept for many years - does it get better and for how long?

Canned cheddar kept for many years - does it get better and for how long? - Glowing freeze light twining wooden stick in dusk

Cougar Gold is a cheese made in Washington and is unique in that it is canned. Because of the canning, it lasts indefinitely if refrigerated until opened. I understand that cheese can become more flavorful with additional aging. I am trying to understand how/why cheese that was sealed in an air-tight can and refrigerated would benefit from years and years of aging.

A friend of mine insists that the longer the cheese is kept in the fridge, the more crystallized and better flavored it will be. Their website seems to back this up.

Is this accurate? How long will this last (will the flavor continue to get better, will the amino acid crystals continue to develop)?



Best Answer

Cheese aging or cheese ripening is influenced by a variety of factors, ranging from the microflora to the curd, and others. The enzymatic process is the most crucial process for all cheeses, although bacteria plays a role in many varieties.

You can see the same process with certain cheeses (parmesan, amsterdam): store them properly in the fridge and they will eventually dry out and harden, while the flavor gets more intense. Hard cheeses are already slow to ripen, taking from months to years, so the canning process definitively prolongs this process (since there are no external contaminants and limited oxygen for bacteria to grow).

As with anything, it will stop developing flavor when there's nothing else to develop: the flavor components are all already combined, so ingredients are spent. According to the website you linked it's more than 30 years, it will depend how slow does the development happens, how well sealed it is, temperature variation, etc.




Pictures about "Canned cheddar kept for many years - does it get better and for how long?"

Canned cheddar kept for many years - does it get better and for how long? - From below of many red rice paper lanterns with golden hieroglyphs hanging on street during celebration of Chinese Spring Festival
Canned cheddar kept for many years - does it get better and for how long? - Bright golden freeze light with bunch of beams at night
Canned cheddar kept for many years - does it get better and for how long? - Crop anonymous person in sneakers with tattoo and heap of multicolored spray paint cans on ground standing on street in city



How long is canned cheddar cheese good for?

Yes -the unopened cheddar cheese will typically remain safe to use for about 6 months, even if the \u201csell-by\u201d or \u201cbest by\u201d date on the package expires.

How long does canned cheese last?

As long as the cheese is unopened and refrigerated it will last indefinitely. An unopened can of cheese becomes more flavorful, sharp, dry and crumbly with age. Our Natural Cheddar, Smoky Cheddar and Viking flavors may develop a bitter aftertaste, especially if over 2 years aged.

How long does sealed cheddar cheese last?

Hard Cheeses When stored properly in the fridge, an unopened package can last between two and four months. An opened package of Parmesan or block of cheddar, however, is good for about six weeks in the fridge.

Does cheddar cheese expire?

Cheddar cheese will usually keep for 3-4 weeks in your fridge. After, it slowly but surely goes bad. Signs that a block of cheddar has gone bad include mold stains on the surface, an off odor that wasn't there when the cheese was fresh, and an excessively sticky, somewhat mushy texture.



How Long Does Canned Food Last? Survival Tip




More answers regarding canned cheddar kept for many years - does it get better and for how long?

Answer 2

Aging is a process that happens when the water naturally and slowly evaporates from the cheese. I don't think this would happen in a can.

The same reason that you can't age whiskey after is bottled.

Sources: Stack Exchange - This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Exchange and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.

Images: John Zook, Angela Roma, John Zook, Felicity Tai