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National Cheese Lover’s Day With Wisconsin Cheese Monday January 2020

When you think about the US and everything it’s known for, a lot of things come to mind. When you think of Hershey, Pennsylvania, for instance, you might think of chocolate. When you think of Philadelphia you might think of cheesesteaks. When you think of Florida you might think of Disney World or the miles of beautiful beaches. When you think of Wisconsin you might think of the Green Bay Packer or cheese. After all, they do call them cheese heads right?

Wisconsin has earned its reputable name in the cheesemaking industry with a legacy of over 175 years – before Wisconsin was even a state! Differentiating itself from other cheese-loving states, Wisconsin is home to one of only two Master Cheesemaker programs in the WORLD – making it a hub for high quality, top-notch cheese shops and enthusiastic cheese lovers.

Here are just some highlights on our virtual cheese tour through Wisconsin today:

– Andy Hatch’s Uplands Cheese (Dodgeville, WI)

Upland farm’s location and layout is specified to curate the most flavorful and fresh cheese by producing cheese in accordance to the season. Cheesemaker Andy Hatch spent years making cheese in Europe before returning home to Wisconsin to create his award-winning varieties.

– Marieke® Gouda Store & Penterman Farm (Thorpe, WI)

Known for its’ modern twist on family farming and award-winning Marieke Gouda, created by Master Cheesemaker Marieke Penterman who came to the U.S. from the Netherlands and essentially earned her green card from cheesemaking!

– Dane County Farmers’ Market (Madison, WI)

America’s largest producers-only farmers’ market with specialty products from approximately 275 vendors throughout the year, this is a can’t-miss stop overlooked by the beautiful Capitol building.

– Emmi Roth Cheese (Monroe, WI)

Visit the leading provider of specialty cheeses inspired by two distinct cheesemaking regions – Emmi, imported from Switzerland and Roth from the State of Cheese™, Wisconsin!

– Fromagination Artisan Cheese Store (Madison, WI)

Iconic WI cheese shop that offers an array of artisanal cheeses and leaving guests with a truly immersed cheese-loving experience.

– Widmer’s Cheese Cellars (Theresa, WI)

Operating for more than 80 years, Widmer’s is renowned for producing the finest Brick, Cheddar and Colby cheese in the world. You’ll be greeted by Owner Joe Widmer, the third of three generations of Master Cheesemakers in the Widmer family.

– Carr Valley Cheese Company (La Valle, WI)

o Operating for over 100 years, with over 8 locations throughout WI, Carr Valley has won a variety of awards on the basis of tradition and taste. Owned and operated by the Cook family, including Master Cheesemaker Sid Cook who is a fourth-generation cheesemaker.

– Wisconsin Cheese Mart (Madison and Milwaukee, WI)

Wisconsin Cheese Mart carries over 150 cheese varieties and ships cheese to all 50 states. Cheese Marts efforts to provide its customers with both quality and quantity does not go unrecognized, as they carry an array of award-winning cheeses.

– Roelli Cheese Haus (Schullsburg, WI)

Roelli prides itself on four generations of Roelli family cheesemaking. Chris Roelli is a fourth-generation cheesemaker and in 2015, became one of Wisconsin’s distinguished Master Cheesemakers – cranking out over 135,000 lbs. of cheese per year at Roelli Cheese Haus!

Cheesy Halloween Recipe Ideas Sure to Please All the Muensters

During Halloween there are an abundance of sweet treats. Give your Halloween party guests an alternative to the sweets with these fun cheesy Halloween appetizer ideas.

Mini Pumpkin Cheese Balls: Made with Wisconsin Bucky Badger Creamy Garlic Cold Pack cheese with a cream cheese base and rolled in crushed cheese puffs… these festive treats will be a crowd favorite!

Jalapeno Mummy Poppers: Featuring bacon, jalapeno peppers and Wisconsin’s Kindred Creamery Ghost Pepper Colby Jack cheese, these poppers will appeal to the spice-lovers who won’t be satisfied with just a box of Red Hots

Asiago Bat Crackers: Combine Wisconsin’s BelGioioso® Asiago cheese with the kick of smoked paprika and cayenne pepper to create a cute and crispy addition to your party table – they’ll fly off the table!

I love cheese. I’m trying hard to stick to a keto-diet right now. Cheese is definitely allowed. While the above recipes don’t quite fit into the Keto category (thought with some changes definitely could) here is one that will work for all the ketogenic and gluten-free ghouls out there.

Candy Corn Cheese Picks super cute and easy idea. Great for your keto and gluten-free party guests.

Find even more cheese recipes from Wisconsin Cheese makers.

National Cheese Curd Day Fun Facts

Did you know Monday October 15 is National Cheese Curd Day? Wisconsin cheese curd makers do. Have you ever had the tasty, cheesy, squeaky snack before? Yes I said squeaky. The texture of the cheese has a signature squeak when chomping down on these tasty morsels. Since I’m trying to do the keto diet, these are yummy snacks I can actually have! Here’s some more fun facts about Wisconsin cheese curds you might not know:

Milk it Up: Wisconsin cheese curds get their fresh flavor from top-quality Wisconsin milk. It takes 10 pounds of milk to make one pound of cheese.

Wait, So What is a Cheese Curd? A cheese curd is young cheddar. Instead of growing up into an aged block of cheese, they are separated from the whey during the cheesemaking process, leaving behind a solid curd of cheese that has a milky flavor. They give you an eye into the magic of cheesemaking, since all cheese starts by separating the curds from the whey.

The Snack that Squeaks: Fresh cheese curds will make a squeaky sound as you bite into them, but why? The elastic protein strands in the curds rub against the enamel of your teeth to create that characteristic sound.

Fresh is Best: The “squeak” is also a sign of curd freshness. And by fresh we mean they were made less than two days ago.

No Curd Left Behind: If you don’t eat all of your curds within two days, you can restore the squeak by microwaving them for a few seconds. (You are also blessed with immaculate impulse control.)

Variety is the Spice of Life: Cheese curds can be white or yellow because they are typically made from white or yellow cheddar cheese, and they come in many flavors. Aside from the traditional cheddar curds or occasional muenster curds, you can also find fresh cheese curds in flavors like garlic, spicy Cajun, taco or mild ranch.

Curd Lover’s Dreams Come True: There’s an entire festival dedicated to cheese curds where you can celebrate, admire and eat Wisconsin cheese curds.

Cheese Law: You must have a license to make cheese in Wisconsin and Wisconsin is the only place outside of Europe where you can pursue an elite Master Cheesemaker certification (which takes approximately 13 years). You’ll find some of the very best curds in Wisconsin.

Curd Ambassador: Culver’s, the popular Wisconsin-based restaurant is the unofficial cheese curd ambassador, selling millions of their infamous fried curds a year.

Taking Bets: It’s near impossible to eat less than five Wisconsin cheese curds, the cheesy goodness is addicting- you’ve been warned!

***Still hungry to learn more? For more information, check out: WisconsinCheese.com

Wondering How Fresh Wisconsin Cheese Curds Made? Here’s the 9 Steps:

Step 1: Each day insulated tanker trucks pick up top quality milk from Wisconsin dairy farms which is delivered to cheese plants.

Step 2: Milk is carefully tested, weighed and heated, or pasteurized.

Step 3: Milk is pumped into a large vat. Rennet, starter cultures and enzymes are added. They thicken the milk and give it the desired cheese flavor.

Step 4: Next, the cheesemakers begin cutting the custard-like milk into tiny pieces. This separates the liquid, called whey, from milk solids, called curd.

Step 5: The curd and whey are stirred and cooked until the curd reaches just the right amount of firmness for the type of cheese to be made.

Step 6: The whey is drained and saved for other uses.

Step 7: Depending on the types of cheese to be made, the curd is cut and specially handled by the cheesemaker.

Step 8: The matted curd is milled in small bite-size pieces.

Step 9: The curd is salted, stirred and packaged.

***For more information and a list of 60+ of Wisconsin’s finest cheese curd retailers, check out: WisconsinCheese.com

I live in Pennsylvania so I don’t have ready access to these yummy little bites. The closest thing I have is the Wisconsin cheese bites at Sheetz lol