We are looking for more ideas for cheeses that can be stored...in sealed containers...have made Feta, that was OK, but would like to try different cheeses as well. Concocted a really nice Mediterranean Potted Cheese, but it has a short storage life and is more of a cream style cheese. We would like to make something that can store for 1-2 years maybe. We have had difficulty with our hard pressed cheeses (so open to more suggestions, pressing options, etc). We LOVE aged sharp cheeses, so am hoping to find something that will please our taste buds!
Anna
goat cheese maker for...40 some years...perfecter of cheeses NOT but we eat them all anyway!
You need to store them in something, or store where the air can't get to create spoilage. So you can make something like a feta, and store in a clay jar, sealed up. Sounds like you already did that. It comes out spreadable. Otherwise, other options are brine and oil.
If brine, you can go for feta and its variants, like domiati, brinza, etc. They'll have a similar flavor profile. For oil storage, you can store many hard cheeses that way, but the best ones are hard cheeses with a fairly low moisture. You can even flavor the oil, and it will flavor the cheese.
Labaneh balls (Hanging a bit extra to drip) in olive oil can keep for as long as the oil keeps before becoming rancid.
I worked with a bedouin tractor operator who had some goats and had this for breakfest along with freshly baked flatbread every day,
It was terrific.
Hi Anna,
When you say stroring the cheese; did you mean without a refrigerator?
Bacteria grows and multiplies when two atmospheric conditions are in favor. These are as you might know humidity and temperature. If you like an aged sharp cheese, you need to have a cheese cave/fridge to provide the correct humidity and temperature for the aging and keep an eye on the spoilage bacteria that is growing on the surface and wipe them off with vinegar or heavy brine from time to time.