Cheese Crystals (2019)

Posted3 months agoActiveabout 2 months ago

Kaibeezy

87 points

70 comments

snipettemag.comOtherstory

calmpositive

Debate

20/100

CheeseFood ScienceAging Process

Key topics

Cheese

Food Science

Aging Process

The article discusses 'cheese crystals' that form during the aging process of certain cheeses, and the discussion revolves around personal experiences and preferences related to these crystals.

Snapshot generated from the HN discussion

Discussion Activity

Very active discussion

First comment

Peak period

Day 6

Avg / period

17.5

Comment distribution70 data points

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Based on 70 loaded comments

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01Story posted
Oct 23, 2025 at 10:00 AM EDT
3 months ago
Step 01
02First comment
Oct 28, 2025 at 3:46 PM EDT
5d after posting
Step 02
03Peak activity
56 comments in Day 6
Hottest window of the conversation
Step 03
04Latest activity
Nov 8, 2025 at 9:08 AM EST
about 2 months ago
Step 04

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Analyzing up to 500 comments to identify key contributors and discussion patterns

Discussion (70 comments)

Showing 70 comments

jhaile

2 months ago

3 replies

I enjoyed reading the article, but really wish it had photos to help educate the reader on how to distinguish between crystals and mold.

the__alchemist

2 months ago

1 reply

This is a bit confusing: "The crystals are soft, white, and sometimes appear damp."

The rule of thumb I've heard is hard white: crystal. Soft white: mold.

If you can't tell, I would dump it.

IAmBroom

2 months ago

Mold on cheese is rarely pathogenic. In fact, fermented foods in general are often quite safe, even in areas with unsafe water supplies.

Now, that doesn't mean rando-mold doesn't ruin the cheese's flavor...

nlawalker

2 months ago

1 reply

Totally agree - interesting info but nothing of practical use, especially because white spots can be mold.

See https://www.eatortoss.com/how-to-tell-if-white-stuff-on-chee..., https://www.eatortoss.com/aged-cheddar-with-a-crusty-white-s....

bfkwlfkjf

2 months ago

To my untrained eye: not sure about the first one,but the second one is obviously good. Correct?

deeg

2 months ago

1 reply

The article is from 2019 and I think it originally had photos.

bigiain

2 months ago

There's a bunch of broken images there (at least I see them in Safari).

Sadly, the wayback machine has snapshots of the article going back to 2020, but doesn't seem to have archived those broken image links.

tomcam

2 months ago

9 replies

If you like sharp cheddar, the best cheese in the world is "Cougar Gold" from WSU Creamery in eastern Washington, USA, a region not known to be a hotbed of find cheeses. It comes in a can, also not thought of as a delivery vector for a great cheese, but there you have it. Tastes great out of the can or you can age it for a few years in the refrigerator. Five or 6 years is fine. I absolutely love the crystals. No mold forms unless you open the can.

WSU's other cheeses are okay but do not stand out to me. Nothing from England or France has delivered the sharp cheddar experience like Cougar Gold.

fishmicrowaver

2 months ago

4 replies

I'm not easily Influenced so I'm mystified at how canned cheese had me checking out ways to order it.

AlanYx

2 months ago

1 reply

The canning process is the result of post-WW2 government funded research at WSU. It's a cool backstory for a cheese.

tomcam

2 months ago

Had no idea! Love this! The website looks like it dates from WWII tbh

jmdeon

2 months ago

2 replies

Yeah I just ordered one. The effectiveness of this HN post plus this parent comment has me convinced they're in cahoots.

tomcam

2 months ago

NOT CAHOOTING

bombcar

2 months ago

An elite zeal team has been dispatched from Wisconsin to take care of the issue.

supportengineer

2 months ago

Same...

https://cougarcheese.wsu.edu/DirectionsWEB/webcart_itemBuy.p...

tomcam

2 months ago

I knew you had it in you

msuniverse2026

2 months ago

1 reply

I remember hearing about that cheese in the past. Does it need a cold chain to be shipped overseas?

tomcam

2 months ago

2 replies

Not sure what a "cold chain" is but yes, it's shipped ice-filled styrofoam containers. Without it the cheese would sweat, which freaks people out.

SideburnsOfDoom

2 months ago

1 reply

> Not sure what a "cold chain" is

Why do you choose that over looking it up? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cold_chain

tomcam

2 months ago

Because I’m an idiot and assumed it was a typo. Thanks—had no idea that was a thing. Enthusiastically upvoted your comment.

tbrownaw

2 months ago

"chain" as in "supply chain".

omnicognate

2 months ago

1 reply

I'd love to try that but the only site I can see selling it here in the UK wants 85 quid a tin.

There are plenty of extra mature cheddars with crystals here, though. Marks & Spencer have a 2 year aged one called Cornish Cruncher that I'm partial to.

noir_lord

2 months ago

2 replies

Not like we are short of Cheddars in the UK tbf.

tomcam

2 months ago

1 reply

What's your fave?

ndsipa_pomu

2 months ago

Davidstow Reserve - matured for 36 months.

omnicognate

2 months ago

1 reply

Indeed, including a cave aged one actually made in Cheddar (which is amazing). Godminster and Black Bomber are both very nice, and are wax sealed so might be similar to the canned stuff. And that's before you get into the unpasteurised stuff you're not even allowed to sell in the states. (Edit: I'm wrong about that - you can if it's aged more than 60 days.)

I'd really like to try this Cougar Gold, though. People get nationalistic about cheese, but good is good wherever it's made. If England can have the best brie I know of (Baron Bigod) there's no reason in principle the US couldn't have the best cheddar. Canada makes rather nice cheddar too, which you can buy in UK supermarkets.

The US terminology is odd, though. Sharp isn't how I'd characterise most extra mature cheddar.

omnicognate

2 months ago

Re unpasteurised cheddar: Keen's is a good example of that. Makes your teeth itch... in a good way.

TheAmazingRace

2 months ago

1 reply

I'll be making a stop in Seattle here in a few weeks. I'll see if this is available for purchase at Haggen.

tomcam

2 months ago

1 reply

I'll give you a can if you're willing to visit Redmond, a suburb of Seattle.

TheAmazingRace

about 2 months ago

Sorry stranger. I just saw this. Maybe I can work something out? I’ll let you know and I appreciate the offer.

peterldowns

2 months ago

2 replies

I just ordered two cans of the cougar gold, one of the viking, and one of the mild cheddar. If it's not good I will blame you.

The archaic checkout system and the fact that this is a Washington State school agricultural product make me think that this will be the best cheese I've ever eaten in my life. Quite fond of their apples!

carabiner

2 months ago

1 reply

Each can is almost 2 lb. You are ready for this?

peterldowns

2 months ago

Born ready

tomcam

2 months ago

The responsibility weighs heavy on my shoulders

carabiner

2 months ago

1 reply

Some guy cracked open a 15 year old can of Cougar Gold and said it was good: https://www.reddit.com/r/Cheese/comments/1oas900/update_i_op...

foofoo12

2 months ago

1 reply

We once popped open a bottle of red wine from 1968. After tasting, we figured it was probably the best before date.

IAmBroom

2 months ago

Aging requires (1) fairly constant temperatures (no extremes) and (2) only helps some wines. Many wines, especially whites, tend to lose too many of their ideal esters with age, while gaining too many undesirable notes.

Or, to put it another way, they go stale.

ndsipa_pomu

2 months ago

2 replies

Hmmm, I'm somewhat doubtful about cheese from the USA as my experience there (only on holiday, mind) was that most cheese seems to be made of plastic. However, I fully acknowledge my lack of knowledge about good/great american cheeses and I'm sure there are small scale producers of quality products.

Some of the best cheddars that I've tried are Wyke Farms Cheddar (from Somerset, but not quite in Cheddar itself) and my favourite is Davidstow which comes from Cornwall. Quite why you'd be expecting quality Cheddar cheese from France is beyond me - wouldn't they consider it insulting to be making an English style cheese when they have so very many unique types of French cheese?

carabiner

2 months ago

1 reply

Isn't McDonalds massively successful in Paris? Here's one artisanal creamery in the US: https://www.cascadiacreamery.com/photo_gallery.html

There are hundreds of these across the country, but you have to seek them out. You can also get raw milk cheeses in the US.

ndsipa_pomu

2 months ago

1 reply

Those certainly look like proper, tasty cheeses.

I don't doubt that there's a thriving junk food culture in France, but they do have something like 1000 different varieties of cheese, so I can imagine the french getting annoyed if someone asks them for a nice bit of cheddar.

The U.S. seems to have a strange relationship with raw milk - I believe it can be fairly freely sold over there, whereas we in the UK can't buy/sell raw milk in shops although it can be purchased from farms and farmer's markets. Meanwhile, raw milk cheese are common in supermarkets - they just put a label on it warning pregnant women and people with compromised immune systems.

IAmBroom

2 months ago

Raw milk is outlawed in many places, but allowed in others. We do indeed have a strange relationship.

technothrasher

2 months ago

Most of the mainstream cheese that you're going to encounter here in the US is boring and tasteless. Even most of the cheddar we get imported from the UK is terribly mediocre, I've found. It's just what many American's like, apparently. But that doesn't mean you can't get good cheese, both domestic and imported, if you frequent a specialist local cheese shop. There are quite a few farms in Vermont and New Hampshire, and also a couple in Massachusetts, that I've found make really good cheddars, rivaling some of my favorite Somerset cheddars. I'm sure there are good producers outside of New England too, I just know those ones as that's where I am.

Wingman4l7

2 months ago

Not the first time I've seen it organically recommended, and I'm not surprised. A buddy has some of this stuff, he usually ages it for a minimum of a year, ideally 2+, in the fridge. Will sometimes have fantastic crystals, and even if it doesn't it's still exceptional sharp cheddar.

PeterHolzwarth

2 months ago

The well known Rainier cherry cultivar similarly comes from Washington State University - quite an ag program they have there!

president_zippy

2 months ago

2 replies

Hard calcium-lactate crystals are an intentional feature of Belvitano cheese. They add a great texture and add tanginess to parmesan-esque taste.

FumblingBear

2 months ago

2 replies

LOVE Bellavitano! I'm a huge fan of most of their cheeses, but especially the Garlic & Herb—it's like a delicious pizza :)

chrisweekly

2 months ago

Same! The Merlot is my go-to, but the "Herbs de Provence" was my all-time fave (can't seem to find it in local grocers these days)

president_zippy

2 months ago

Thanks for catching my typo, I hope more people discover their cheese. I love every variety of their cheese, but the Merlot and Tennessee Whiskey cheeses are on another level.

supportengineer

2 months ago

Rum Runner is one of my favorites

https://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/product/sartori-cheese-rum-...

Frotag

2 months ago

4 replies

> Actually, all cheese making produces quite a bit of wastage. On average, if a dairy starts with ten-thousand pounds of milk, they’ll end up with only a thousand pounds of cheese. The remaining nine-thousand pounds ends up as whey while the curd is formed.

> That’s right: if you run the numbers on cheese manufacturing, the percent yield is only about 10%.

Yogurt-making produces a lot of whey too, though probably closer to ~50% whey rather than 90% (when made at home). The only difference between greek yogurt and regular yogurt is that greek yogurt is strained to remove the whey, making it thicker / creamier. Though most commercial brands try to cheat and thicken it with something like pectin (which usually makes it kind of jello-y).

Anyways all that to say my favorite yogurt is the one where the only ingredient is milk + yogurt culture. No thickeners, added sugars, flavoring, I like to add those myself.

FuriouslyAdrift

2 months ago

1 reply

Whey goes to make protein powder, whey butter, animal feed, etc. The Ag industry is so competitive that usually every little bit gets used for something.

carlob

2 months ago

1 reply

And ricotta, how can you forget ricotta!

NetMageSCW

2 months ago

I have a sad that most lasagna from restaurants here don’t seem to have enough Ricotta - I had to get my fix from cheese Manicotti.

colechristensen

2 months ago

1 reply

>> That’s right: if you run the numbers on cheese manufacturing, the percent yield is only about 10%.

Percent yield is an odd choice of words when the "waste" product is 90-95% water.

IAmBroom

2 months ago

The waste is not useful as water. You can get the runs from drinking it. It won't clean your car bumper well. Etc.

Urine is mostly water as well, but I'd still classify it as a waste product.

IAmBroom

2 months ago

> Yogurt-making produces a lot of whey too, though probably closer to ~50% whey rather than 90% (when made at home). The only difference between greek yogurt and regular yogurt is that greek yogurt is strained to remove the whey, making it thicker / creamier.

If you don't strain the whey, yogurt-making produces 0% whey. And I make it at home, so I know I'm not missing anything. Your math is wrong.

kragen

2 months ago

I usually make my yogurt with powdered milk so that I can have less water in it. I don't add thickeners or sugar.

barbegal

2 months ago

1 reply

Is it just me or does this have a familiar "edited by Chat GPT" feel to it? I can only take this chatty writing style in moderation but it seems everyone is using Chat GPT to edit their work in the same way.

gus_massa

2 months ago

1 reply

The article is dated in 2019, and the wayback machina has a version saved in 2020 [1] but ChatGPT was launched in 2022.

[1] https://snipettemag.com/cheese-crystals/

barbegal

2 months ago

1 reply

Thanks, good to know that I'm wrong!

NetMageSCW

2 months ago

1 reply