Who does not love to eat cheese, especially when it comes to the famous Gouda cheese from the Netherlands? But the cheese is tempered with red wax to keep it fresh for a long time. We often get confused on how to Remove Wax from Gouda Cheese.
Some of us cut some extra cheese while removing the Wax from Gouda Cheese. But this is an expensive cheese and we can not let it waste like this. With the right procedures and techniques, you can do it in the right way.
What is Gouda Cheese
Gouda is a semisoft cheese produced from cow’s milk from the Netherlands. The name is after the location where it was created. Gouda is usually manufactured in flat wheels weighing 10 to 12 pounds and coated with yellow or red wax. Get a good quality Slow Cooker for Bone Broth.
Goudas are available in many sizes. Baby Goudas are smaller wheels weighing 10 to 20 ounces. The inside of Gouda is smooth and velvety, with a soft white color. Except for aged Gouda, which is deeper gold in color, sharper and saltier in flavor, and firmer in texture, the flavors are bland and smooth.
When cultured milk curdles, a portion of the liquid whey is drained and replaced with warm water. This is referred to as “washing the curds,” and it aids in the removal of excess lactose, thus reducing part of the lactic acid development. Top 5 Margarita Recipe Pitcher An expert review and buying guide.
After that, the curds are squeezed into circular molds and placed in a saltwater bath. The cheese is then allowed to dry before being wrapped in wax or plastic and aged for ranging from one month to more than a year.
Why Use Wax on Cheese?
The cheese on wax has multiple purposes. This is a very common question by the users that why they use wax instead of just covering it in a plastic bag? But the wax on cheese is intended to give a protective layer. Our selected Caulk For Kitchen Sink list for you – Top 5 picks.
Waxing cheese is a simple way for protecting hard cheese against airborne pathogens, undesirable mold, and over-drying. Waxing is used on cheeses that have matured for a few months or less, whereas bandaging is used on cheeses that have been aged for four or five months or more.
Waxing is often applied to semi-soft and hard cheeses. Like gouda is a semi-soft cheese that’s why there is a wax coat on the cheese. Hard cheese wax is a food-grade, paraffin-based wax that comes in 1-pound slabs, which is enough to cover a large number of cheeses.
It aids in the prevention of mold formation while also keeping moisture and preventing the cheese from drying out. When it’s time to eat your cheese, simply cut into the wax as if it were a cake.
It’s ideal to cut right into the middle of a waxed truckle and cut it into wedges so you can enjoy the complete flavor profile of the cheese.
How to Remove Wax from Gouda Cheese
It is easy to peel off the wax from the Gouda cheese. We all have vegetable peelers in our house, and we can use that to remove the wax out of the cheese. It scrapes away just enough of the outside to remove the wax without removing too much cheese.
And, because most cheeses are spherical and cannot be easily trimmed with a knife, this procedure is particularly successful.
To begin with, clean the peeler properly, and dry it. Take the cheese, and hold it, use the peeler to peel the outer portion of the cheese. It is better to not put too much pressure and do it gently. That is how you will not eat too much cheese.
Another way to cut the red wax of gouda is with a knife. Take the knife and cut just the portion of the cheese you need. It is better not to peel the whole wax out of the gouda because this protects the cheese from bacteria.
So with the knief put pressure on the middle portion of the cheese, the wax will start to peel off from that side. Then take dab on the cheese to loosen the wax. After that cut the portion you will need. After cutting off you will be able to easily remove the cheese using your fingers or knife.
Final Words
Now you know How to Remove Wax from Gouda Cheese, hopefully, the next time you won’t face the problem with the cheese. The process is pretty easy, right?
Sometimes it is hard to handle the large wheel of Gouda cheese, in that case, you have to keep it on a board and cut it into small pieces. If you find this article helpful, share it with your friends and family
