Say cheese! This is not only for you to say when someone is trying to take a picture! Cheese is what my kids say in almost every meal. They could eat cheese at every meal, and I think they sometimes turn into mice! Cheddar cheese is what we are going to say during the making of this great cookbook.
Although you may think all Cheddar cheese is all the same, there are a few different varieties. You can purchase mild Cheddar, medium sharp, or extra sharp. It can get a little confusing but let us explain to help you choose wisely. So, the longer the cheese has been aged, the sharper it will be or stronger in taste. For example, mild Cheddar will age for 2-3 months; however, if you are buying extra-sharp Cheddar, it probably has aged for almost 1 year.
There is orange Cheddar, as you know, but there is also white Cheddar. Actually, I should have said there is white Cheddar before there can be an orange one. It does start off white because, well, as you know, it starts with white milk, but then throughout the process, a natural food coloring coking from the achiote tree. Also, remember butter is not white but yellowish because of the fat content. The same happens with cheese, giving it a shade of colors.
Now, remember to read all products' labels, including cheese. You will be able to find out how many additives or coloring they have and any other valuable nutritional information you would be looking for.
Of course, make sure you store your Cheddar cheese in the refrigerator! If your cheese packaging has been opened, you can probably keep the cheese safely for almost a month. If it is not opened, you may be OK keeping it up to 6 months, still in the fridge, of course. Don't forget you can safely freeze Cheddar cheese as well if the packaging had not been opened.
