As seen in
The Only Wrapper Made Expressly For Cheese Storage
While most casual fromage fans might not even know that a proper way to store cheese exists, a cheese-centric startup in Portland, Oregon developed a product specifically designed to help preserve and protect their favored food.
Formaticum makes their Cheese Paper with an outer layer of wax paper that allows the cheese to breathe. An inner plastic membrane guards against excess moisture, but is porous enough to allow oxygen exchange, creating a cave-like environment for prolonging the cheese's shelf life. The difference, as the brand puts it, is "between eating vibrant and delicious cheese or dead and rotten cheese."
A concept nicely in synch with the international Slow Food movement, Formaticum prints the wraps with a map of small-batch farmers in the U.S., hoping to raise awareness about the many delicious cheeses produced domestically.
Each package of 15 contains 11" x 14" two-ply sheets—enough to wrap nearly 25 pounds of cheese—and retails for about $10. It sells throughout the U.S. at specialty stores, as well as online from Sur la Table or directly from Formaticum.
It's A Wrap
You can extend the life of your cheese by wrapping it in two-ply cheese paper from Formaticum, based in Portland, Ore. Printed on one side with maps showing US artisan cheese makers, the paper has a porous plastic inner layer and a wax-coated outer layer that preserves flavor by maintaining proper humidity and allowing cheese to breathe. Traditional food wraps...
A Cheap Way To Cherish Your Cheese
Cheese paper helps you properly store expensive cheeses, retaining their flavors while keeping them fresh. In most cases, I have no problem cooking for just myself. Instead of allowing fresh vegetables and cuts of meat to go to waste, I make large batches that I can pack for lunches. Living in New York helps, since I always have access to produce shops and can visit them as often as the need arises.
But, even though it is one of my favorite things to eat, one thing that rarely shows up on my shopping list is expensive cheese. Seldom available at the shops down the street in small portions, I typically get to eat from a block of fancy fromage only a couple of times before it starts to taste sour, the edges turn inedible, or it begins to grow mold. And, since cheese doesn't freeze too well, I'm unable to pack any portion of it in the icebox.
What causes most of these problems is improper storage, according to the makers of Formaticum Cheese Paper. According to their Web site, wrapping moisture and air around live cheese cultures kills them and causes cheese to get moldy and smell like ammonia. The cheese paper is made from an outer layer of waxed kraft paper and an inner layer of polyethylene, a combination that is porous enough for oxygen to reach the cheese and keep the cultures living and fresh.
The paper is fun to look at, too. Printed on each sheet is a map of the United States, along with regional cheese specialties. The kit of papers also comes with adhesive labels that you can use to note the region, type, and characteristics of the block of cheese you're wrapping.
The kit comes with 15 sheets measuring 11 inches tall by 14 inches wide and 15 adhesive labels, enough to wrap 30 1/4 pound pieces of cheese. It's available at the Formaticum Web site for $9.
Fresher Cheeses
Extend the life of good cheeses by wrapping them in Formaticum cheese papers, made by a company in Portland, Ore.; $8 for a pack of 15 double-ply waxed sheets, 11 by 15 inches each, with labels (enough to wrap up to 30 four-ounce pieces). Maps printed on one side of the paper highlight locations of artisan cheesemakers across the United States. Available at La Cuisine, 323 Cameron St., Alexandria, 703-836-4435, or buy online at http://www.formaticum.com .
Welcome to the formaticum Blog
Our home to share our cheese chronicles and more.
Categories
Recent Posts
For The Friend Who Loves To Cook
Kitchen Tools You Didn't Know You Needed
Connect with Us
Join the Newsletter
Sign up to receive special offers, new product releases, updates from the cheese shop, and more.
