Cheddar is the most widely purchased and consumed cheese in the world.

The annatto seed, which comes from the tropical tree Bixa orellana, produces the vegetable dye used to create orange (yellow) Cheddar cheese.

If cheese develops mold, cut away the moldy surface 1/2” to 1” in depth.

“Cheddaring” refers to the process of turning and stacking slabs of curd to release whey and press the curds together.

The name brick cheese originated because cheese makers originally used bricks to press moisture out of the cheese.

Always bring table cheese to room temperature one hour before serving it; the flavor is much better.

It’s usually best to keep cheese in its original packaging. If the cheese has been cut, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap to hold in the moisture. If it hasn’t been cut, wrap it first with waxed paper and then with plastic wrap; this allows the cheese to breathe.

On waxed cheese, cut away only enough of the wax for the amount of cheese you want. The wax will remain on the unused portions of cheese, therefore protecting the cheese, then follow instructions above.

Store cheese near the bottom of the refrigerator where temperature fluctuations are minimal. Don’t freeze cheese, it ruins the flavor.

Harder cheeses have a longer shelf life than soft, moist cheeses.

Don’t serve cheese with citrus or tropical fruits. However, Cheddar cheese is great with fruits, such as grapes, red or green apples, dates, pears and cherries, as well as cashews, crusty French bread and an assortment of wines, such as Cabernet, Rioja, and Sauvignon Blanc. Because tastes differ greatly, please peruse these websites to find a great cheese and wine combination for you:
theWineMan - www.thewineman.com/winecheese.htm
Gourmet Sleuth - www.gourmetsleuth.com/cpairing.htm

Find out how cheese is made:
www.mistupid.com/food/cheese.shtml
www.wisdairy.com/cheeseinfo/virtual_tours.asp