Parmesan is so expensive...

shammyjack

Take a block of extra mature cheddar and wrap lightly in grease proof paper and place somewhere cold, dry and dark for at least 3 months untill rock hard, scrape off any light mould and grate . Beats any parmesan by miles !



shammy

MrsE_2

shammyjack wrote: »

Take a block of extra mature cheddar and wrap lightly in grease proof paper and place somewhere cold, dry and dark for at least 3 months untill rock hard, scrape off any light mould and grate . Beats any parmesan by miles !



shammy

Seriously?

shammyjack

Yes seriously!

starsapart

There is a nice alternative to parmesan called Grana Padano, which is a lot cheape!

valk_scot

LoneRifle wrote: »

If your children are not picky there's also the grated Italian hard cheese from the Sainsbury's Basics range, details here:

http://backtosainsburysbasics.blogspot.com/2010/08/chicken-fried-steak-parmigiana.html

This stuff is actually pretty good for sprinkling over your pasta or into mash or cheese sauce. I like block parmesan in salads but a tub of the above is a highly useful thing to have in the fridge.

frugal_shopper_2

valk_scot wrote: »

This stuff is actually pretty good for sprinkling over your pasta or into mash or cheese sauce. I like block parmesan in salads but a tub of the above is a highly useful thing to have in the fridge.

Tubs of dehydrated hard cheese are marked store in a cool dry place do not refrigerate for good reason, if even a little bit of moisture gets into the tub then they will go mouldy incredibly fast.
Most people will just reach for the tub & sprinkle it over their meal without checking wether the contents are ok or not, given how finely grated the product is you are unlikely to notice the cheese is covered in mould if you do that & ingesting mouldy cheese is not going to do your health much good.

valk_scot

frugal_shopper wrote: »

Tubs of dehydrated hard cheese are marked store in a cool dry place do not refrigerate for good reason, if even a little bit of moisture gets into the tub then they will go mouldy incredibly fast.
Most people will just reach for the tub & sprinkle it over their meal without checking wether the contents are ok or not, given how finely grated the product is you are unlikely to notice the cheese is covered in mould if you do that & ingesting mouldy cheese is not going to do your health much good.

They keep this particular in the fridge at Sainsburys. But I supposed they're sealed so I do take your point. I will check the tub I've got. I've never had it go mouldy on me though and I usually serve it in a ramekin dish with a little spoon for sprinkling rather than the oh-so-attractive tub.

Thinking about it though...blue cheeses and many soft cheeses are mouldy on purpose, and if something like ordinary cheddar goes mouldy you just trim the visible mould off and eat the rest. Even parmesan rind is a bit mouldy on the block. How does that work then? Different type of cheese-loving mould?

rosie383

I also buy the grano padano and always look for a pack without a rind. I figure I am paying per kg and that would include the rind, so why pay for something that has limited use.

frugal_shopper_2

valk_scot wrote: »

Thinking about it though...blue cheeses and many soft cheeses are mouldy on purpose, and if something like ordinary cheddar goes mouldy you just trim the visible mould off and eat the rest. Even parmesan rind is a bit mouldy on the block. How does that work then? Different type of cheese-loving mould?

The blue/green mould that appears on dried cheese that becomes damp is penicillum which is not particularly dangerous itself however it acts as a host for numerous other bacteria such as listeria, salmonella etc.. to grow. The same applies to grated fresh cheese if it has blue/green fuzzy mould growing on it then it should be discarded. Any cheese with grey fuzzy mould (botrytis) growing on it should also be discarded.

nikflo

lidl's is the best tasting, as for using cheddar i wouldn't!