This is why we have cheese, right?
May 17, 2023 4:00 AM Subscribe
I need to pack my own allergen-safe food for a two-night/three-day trip in Southwest England this weekend. I want to bring a big block of Cheddar or Red Leicester so that I can have some protein in my thrice-daily sandwiches without spending fancy nut butter money (peanuts are among the relevant allergens). This is fine. Is this fine?
I'm almost certain this is exactly why hard cheeses were invented in the first place, but Google and the FDA have me questioning myself.
The ambient temperature won't get above 20 Celsius all weekend and will usually be cooler. I'll be keeping my food in a foil-lined cool bag. I could put ice packs in there, but I won't be able to refreeze them during the trip. I'll probably open the cheese some time in the afternoon on the first day, and eat from it through the second and third days (I'll clip the packaging shut between sandwiches).
I'm overthinking this, right? This is exactly what cheese is for?
And if I'm not overthinking this, can someone please explain how and why we have hard cheese if the point isn't that you can keep it in a cellar for months then carry it around for several days?
Thank you MetaFilter!
I'm almost certain this is exactly why hard cheeses were invented in the first place, but Google and the FDA have me questioning myself.
The ambient temperature won't get above 20 Celsius all weekend and will usually be cooler. I'll be keeping my food in a foil-lined cool bag. I could put ice packs in there, but I won't be able to refreeze them during the trip. I'll probably open the cheese some time in the afternoon on the first day, and eat from it through the second and third days (I'll clip the packaging shut between sandwiches).
I'm overthinking this, right? This is exactly what cheese is for?
And if I'm not overthinking this, can someone please explain how and why we have hard cheese if the point isn't that you can keep it in a cellar for months then carry it around for several days?
Thank you MetaFilter!
Totally fine. Yes, this is what cheese is for.
posted by pompomtom at 4:07 AM on May 17, 2023 [5 favorites]
posted by pompomtom at 4:07 AM on May 17, 2023 [5 favorites]
I'd probably still put an ice pack in the cold bag, but I think you'll be OK.
posted by Johnny Assay at 4:08 AM on May 17, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by Johnny Assay at 4:08 AM on May 17, 2023 [1 favorite]
Best answer: You are overthinking this.
Stop reading any US sites - who knows whether that is really cheese. Here's a good British site:
Cheese has been manufactured for centuries, long before refrigeration was even invented and therefore there are countless varieties that not only survive but thrive outside of the fridge.
The likes of cheddar, swiss, parmesan and other hard cheeses will be perfectly fine stored outside of the fridge. If you choose to store hard cheese in the fridge (which arguably many are in the habit of doing so) then we would recommend storing in the warmest part of the fridge, such as the vegetable drawer.
posted by vacapinta at 4:18 AM on May 17, 2023 [13 favorites]
Stop reading any US sites - who knows whether that is really cheese. Here's a good British site:
Cheese has been manufactured for centuries, long before refrigeration was even invented and therefore there are countless varieties that not only survive but thrive outside of the fridge.
The likes of cheddar, swiss, parmesan and other hard cheeses will be perfectly fine stored outside of the fridge. If you choose to store hard cheese in the fridge (which arguably many are in the habit of doing so) then we would recommend storing in the warmest part of the fridge, such as the vegetable drawer.
posted by vacapinta at 4:18 AM on May 17, 2023 [13 favorites]
Yes. I once went on a 5-day kayaking trip and we brought blocks of cheese as part of our food supplies. Obviously there was no way to refrigerate it and the temperatures were quite hot. The cheese got a bit sweaty by the end of the trip but it was fine.
posted by mekily at 4:52 AM on May 17, 2023 [2 favorites]
posted by mekily at 4:52 AM on May 17, 2023 [2 favorites]
It will be fine/delicious and I have done it successfully in the past. It doesn't even get that hot here most of the time.
posted by plonkee at 5:15 AM on May 17, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by plonkee at 5:15 AM on May 17, 2023 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: Thanks guys! I will enjoy my cheese in peace.
posted by cabbage raccoon at 5:33 AM on May 17, 2023 [6 favorites]
posted by cabbage raccoon at 5:33 AM on May 17, 2023 [6 favorites]
For what it's worth, my company once did a virtual cheese-tasting event with a fancy US cheese shop and the owner said that while they were required to keep everything in the store in the fridge, once something came home with him all hard cheeses lived on the counter UNLESS they were having a heatwave bad enough that it would make them go oily, in which case he would keep them in an insulated lunch bag with a cold pack on top through the heat of the day. Even semisoft cheeses, he said, he generally kept out but would then pop in the fridge for 20 minutes if he needed them firmer for cutting or crumbling.
posted by Lyn Never at 6:16 AM on May 17, 2023 [2 favorites]
posted by Lyn Never at 6:16 AM on May 17, 2023 [2 favorites]
Some other travel/allergy thoughts -
I know someone who had a catastrophic allergic reaction on a camping trip when he shared a knife that he didn't know had been used by a friend to spread peanut butter, and then not cleaned thoroughly, so it had invisible peanut residue - so bring your own cutlery and don't share it.
Make sure others on the trip know about the allergy and what food not to bring. If I were on a wilderness trip with someone who had a severe allergy I would be absolutely willing to accommodate it in my own food choices.
Bring enough medication to deal with reactions, and train others on how to use it.
Remember that epi-pens wear off after 30 mins, so if you're deep in the bush, you might need like 8 of them to keep you breathing until first responders arrive.
Sorry for the scary tips but the story of that guy with the peanut butter knife haunts me.
posted by nouvelle-personne at 7:08 AM on May 17, 2023 [2 favorites]
I know someone who had a catastrophic allergic reaction on a camping trip when he shared a knife that he didn't know had been used by a friend to spread peanut butter, and then not cleaned thoroughly, so it had invisible peanut residue - so bring your own cutlery and don't share it.
Make sure others on the trip know about the allergy and what food not to bring. If I were on a wilderness trip with someone who had a severe allergy I would be absolutely willing to accommodate it in my own food choices.
Bring enough medication to deal with reactions, and train others on how to use it.
Remember that epi-pens wear off after 30 mins, so if you're deep in the bush, you might need like 8 of them to keep you breathing until first responders arrive.
Sorry for the scary tips but the story of that guy with the peanut butter knife haunts me.
posted by nouvelle-personne at 7:08 AM on May 17, 2023 [2 favorites]
The only concern I would have is that depending on the fat content cheese can get pretty oily. So I would bring it in a bag that seals well and put that in a bag that won't get all your gear oily if the first bag leaks. Bags only weigh a few grams and have endless uses, so an extra is no big deal. One thing, the softer the cheese, the more water, so you want firmer cheeses for better caloric efficiency.
posted by wnissen at 9:18 AM on May 17, 2023 [2 favorites]
posted by wnissen at 9:18 AM on May 17, 2023 [2 favorites]
We did a week-long backpacking trip in July when it was scorching hot, and our unrefrigerated cheese -- and canned ham! -- never let us down or made us ill.
Enjoy your cheese in peace, and in pieces (i.e., not all at once).
posted by wenestvedt at 12:19 PM on May 17, 2023 [1 favorite]
Enjoy your cheese in peace, and in pieces (i.e., not all at once).
posted by wenestvedt at 12:19 PM on May 17, 2023 [1 favorite]
My grandmother used to keep Stilton above the radiator. (To make it go extra blue, obviously.) She did not die of Stilton.
posted by How much is that froggie in the window at 10:56 PM on May 17, 2023 [3 favorites]
posted by How much is that froggie in the window at 10:56 PM on May 17, 2023 [3 favorites]
You are not logged in, either login or create an account to post comments
posted by lokta at 4:04 AM on May 17, 2023 [2 favorites]