What are the preferred uses for different sharpness of cheddar cheese?
As I eat nachos and cheese with some medium cheddar (dipping the nachos into melted cheese,) I notice the cheese is congealing differently than sharp cheese does and seems to be more elastic, not to mention the flavor difference.
What tasks are the different sharpnesses of cheddar cheese best suited to? Examples: dipping, eating with wine, quesadillas, etc. Bonus if you provide scientific explanations.
Best Answer
Milder cheddars are for melting. They get used in things such as grilled cheese sandwiches, grating into chili, nachos, or in quesadillas. In these uses, they don't need the full-bodied flavor of a sharp cheddar, but they do need to melt down into soft, gooey, creamy deliciousness.
Sharper cheddars are for flavor. I commonly see them in sandwiches, macaroni and cheese, topping salads, and as part of cheese boards.
The reason it works like this is that "sharper" cheddars get their bite from additional aging, which develops a richer flavor but makes the cheese drier and increases the melting point.
That said, there are no hard and fast rules for how to use mild vs. sharp cheddar. In my house we always use extra sharp cheddar because even everyday cheese should be a gustatory delight. It's a little trickier to make into a quesadilla or melt on a cheeseburger, but the extra tang is worth it!
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What do you use sharp cheddar for?
Different types of cheddar are better when used in different types of recipes. As the cheese ages, it loses moisture and it takes more heat to melt it. So for gooey grilled cheese or casseroles, use a mild, medium, or sharp cheddar. For cheese trays or just basic snacking, try the sharper cheddars.What is the sharpness of cheddar?
Sharp is the term that indicates how cheddar changes in flavor and texture as it ages. Mild cheddars are aged 2 to 3 months, sharp 6 to 9 months, and extra-sharp 1 1/2 to 2 years old. As cheddar ages, it goes from mild to tangier with more complex and deeper flavors.Whats the difference in sharp Cheddar?
Cheddar Cheese SharpnessAging is the only difference between mild and sharp Cheddars. The longer cheese is aged naturally, the sharper and more pronounced the Cheddar flavor becomes. Mild Cheddar cheese is generally aged for 2 to 3 months, whereas an extra sharp might be aged for as long as a year.Here's the difference between mild, sharp, and extra sharp cheddar cheese
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