OMG, Silver Lewis Cheese Co-Op changed their Ghost Pepper cheese!!!

[ohland]

Being a good son of Wisconsin, I love good, squeeky, and TASTY cheese curds... I buy two bags, one is mostly gone before we get back, and the other lasts a few days.

Last year, I tried SLCC's Ghost Pepper cheese. I like a bit of flavor... Ghost Peppers have a reputation as HOT, so I was open to the possibility of anything from mild to wild. The cheese base is colby, IIRC (or cheddar? I'll have to ask again).

While the flavor was OK, the texture was more like a process cheese. When cut, the blade was slowed down by the thick consistency. The Ghost Pepper distribution was (to me) unequal, tending more towards the surface.

This Thursday (4 Sep 2015) the Ghost Pepper cheese seems to be crafted differently. When you cut it, you can see faint edges from curds (!!!). The block of cheese will tear a little when you pull on a corner... The knife drags less while going through. The Ghost Peppers appear to be more uniformly distributed throughout the cheese. I get flavor and a mild heat...

Maybe my hedonistic lifestyle has burnt out my taste buds, but I get a slight hint of Bacon... I am NOT saying they added any, but this cheese would go from really good to turn out the lights and leave me alone if they added a slight bit of bacon to give it a subtle undertone of... bacon!

http://www.silverlewischeese.com/ (very limited site)

Map link:
W3075 County Road EE Monticello, WI 53570 (http://www.explorewisconsin.com/browse/map/2524)

Note to first time visitors: If you are coming from Monticello and driving EAST on EE, you will be popping up over a ridge that SLCC is tucked up to on the EAST side of the ridge. There is a caution sign with a junction symbol, speed is reduced to 35 (or was it 45?). The three milk storage tanks (painted white) are on the south (right), they are visible when you are at the top of the ridge.

SLCC is right next to (south of) the Cty D and Cty EE intersection. The cheese outlet is only visible if you are driving WEST on EE (coming from Albany). The concrete loading dock is straight out from the loading dock entrance. The cheese outlet entrance is just to the LEFT of the entry for the loading dock.

SLCC parking is that paved area to the east, downhill from the concrete loading dock. I usually park at the "wedge" corner of the asphalt, pointing east.

I think I need to go downstairs and have some more Ghost Pepper cheese... mmm...

(608) 938-4813

Hours:
M-F: 0700-1500
Sat: 0700-1300
Sun: Closed (sniffle!)

PS. The good stuff is in the upright cooler on the right. Cheese curds are on the left side bottom shelf. Ghost Pepper cheese is the second shelf up on the right side. german style Brick cheese (akin to Limburger) is the third shelf up (?). They put the fresh curds out on Tuesdays and Thursdays. The sausages and meat sticks are in the left upright cooler. Interesting local stuff, the sausages are shrunken, low moisture (I think!). I tried the Caraway and onion... Yum. The small sticks are good. The hot ones have some heat.

PPS. The frozen, breaded cheese curds are in the white upright freezer under the window, you can't miss it. Personally, I don't deep fry (dislike large containers of hot oil) but for those looking for adventure, those breaded curds might make it happen for you.

[runfiverun]

out here we get cache valley cheese, cache valley is where Logan Utah is located.
after tasting several Wisconsin cheeses, I'm glad I live close to cache valley.
now this might be a regional thing but everybody from the west that tried both preferred the cache valley cheese's also.
now you got me wondering if they make ghost pepper or scotch bonnet pepper cheese.

[ShooterAZ]

Cache Valley cheese is good stuff. I've had some good cheese while visiting Wisconsin, they must keep the good stuff for themselves. The store bought varieties here are not as good.

[pretzelxx]

I'm not sure how you use the world mild and ghost pepper together. But that being said, I miss all the fresh cheese curds and squeaking! I went back home a few months ago and spent about half the vacation money on fresh cheese curds and other cheese things.

[Hardcast416taylor]

I can always tell when people have never had any Michigan Pinconning made cheeses, made in the `Middle of the Mitten` up near Saginaw Bay.Robert

[ohland]

I'm not sure how you use the world mild and ghost pepper together.

What I have read about Ghost Peppers are that they are upscale from Jalapenos quite a bit (GPs are @ 1,000,000 scoville units, the Jalapeno is @ 8,000). I am guessing that they only use the red flesh of the pepper and not the seeds n membranes. Also, you have the cheese making the capsicum less active... Like you want dairy products, not water, to cut the pain...

I do know that your stomach will feel somewhat warm after eating the Ghost Pepper cheese. But it still tastes good. My nose is a little runny, but not much.

For folks with lesser tolerance for spicy foods, I recommend you either don't eat it or eat it mixed with other foods, like on crackers or in a sandwich.

http://pepperheadsforlife.com/the-scoville-scale/
https://www.crazyhotseeds.com/top-10-worlds-hottest-peppers/
http://pepperheadsforlife.com/the-scoville-scale/naga-jolokia-pepper/

[runfiverun]

littlegirl just got back from the virgin islands and brought me home some ghost pepper and some scorpion pepper hot sauce.
the scorpion is hotter than the ghost pepper, but man that scotch bonnet is still hot.
it has to be the best tasting hot pepper stuff I have ever tried though.

[ohland]

it has to be the best tasting hot pepper stuff I have ever tried though.

Pleasure and pain...

I like the mild stuff, Jalapeno to Habanero, for daily use. Heat but not so much pain.

Check on Youtube for folks that munch a whole Ghost Pepper down.

[runfiverun]

I'm one of them.
I hate jalapeno's unless they are whole and filled with cheese and deep fried, but I will eat ghost peppers from the bag.
I just don't like the taste of jalapenos , habanero's make a pretty good hot sauce if you get something from the restaurant that's mediocre.
not a fan of tobasco sauce either it has too much vinegar.

[ohland]

jalapeno's... whole and filled with cheese and deep fried... not a fan of tobasco sauce either it has too much vinegar.

Behold, the power of cheese. Nice mix of fire n nice.

Tabasco is not right, vinegar or whatever. Until the imbroglio with the Marine held in mexico, I was buying El Yuccatecho Jalapeno sauce. Good price, nice texture (thin sauce) and a mild warmth. Good for pizza and chili (with yellow cornbread...).

Since then I have switched to Frank's Siracha sauce as my daily condiment. Though a bit thicker than I would prefer (like thick ketchup), it is frugal and has heat.

Slammin' Sriracha Chili Sauce - a bit thick, the flavor somewhat clashes, but for the price and flavor, I can live with it.
http://www.franksredhot.com/products/slammin-sriracha-chili-sauce/

Chile 'n Lime - Decent texture, but not that much into Lime
http://www.franksredhot.com/products/chile-n-lime/

Sweet Chili Sauce - Watery for a condiment, good flavor.
http://www.franksredhot.com/products/franks-redhot-sweet-chili%E2%84%A2-sauce/

Emeril does have a good sauce, but $$$ for size.

Yes - but not the best price for size...
http://www.tabasco.com/tabasco-products/sauces/tabasco-green-jalapeno-sauce/

[ohland]

Duplicate

[44man]

Carol bought me ghost pepper cheese. It is just not that hot but tastes good. I love some heat and spice and have a shelf full of sauces, some is so-so.

[big bore 99]

I also love those Wisconsin cheese curds. When my daughters were little, my wife and I bought some land and built a cabin in central Wisconsin. We used to take little excursions to a cheese factory near Rudolph,Wi. We loaded up the coolers with curds and about half were gone before we got back to the cabin. That was many years ago, but reading this brought back many pleasant memories of eating those sqeaky curds and washing them down with Point beer.

[TheDoctor]

Last year I went to a cheese store about 15 miles outside Ft. McCoy. Can't remember the name of the town. Had the best cheddars and garlic summer sausage that I ever had. They also had a habanero and ghost chili ghouda. They offered me a sample, but had to pass. To me, it looked like a mouthful of death!

[ohland]

Last year I went to a cheese store about 15 miles outside Ft. McCoy.

I haven't been up to "The McCoy" since 2014 (and rather doubt ever again). You missed Cranfest and Butterfest.

By 90 / 94?

[perotter]

I like cheese curds when they are less than 12 hours old and plain. Best if they are less than 1 hour old.

I moved to MN in the mid 80s and have always had to go back home for cheese curds. That is until last fall. A semi-retired dairy farmer in Rushford and his wife are now making them the get to a local super market in Rochester a couple of hours after they are made. They recently added flavored ones, but I haven't tried them yet.

[ericp]

I'll have to look into that. Us yoopers like good cheese curds too.


Eric

[ohland]

I like cheese curds... recently added flavored ones

I have tried dill and some other artisinal curds... No holy joy. Hot pepper or BACON, now that might be a different story....

SLCC has white colored curds that were cut out with the big cheese "rakes" or whatever. Nom nom nom... They have the orange cheddar curds, the sizes tend to be smaller, a bit more small curds (pea to grape size). I like the white ones, more eating, less groping in the bag....

[Clay M]

I like Troyer's Aged Swiss. My favorite cheese to eat with wine...

[ohland]

favorite cheese to eat with wine...

Cut out the middleman and drink up, then eat the cheese.

Do you want some cheese with that whine?

[jonp]

Cabot Hunters Xtra Sharp is all you need. Maybe a little Horseradish Cheddar if your feeling squirely.

[Clay M]

Cabot Hunters Xtra Sharp is all you need. Maybe a little Horseradish Cheddar if your feeling squirely.

I agree with you. That is excellent cheese.
I have two bars of it in the fridge right now..

[ohland]

Xtra Sharp is all you need. Maybe a little Horseradish Cheddar

Xsharp cheddar? Maybe with something else (BACON!) but not by itself. Horseradish? How about wasabi? Just say no...

Muenster. Provolone. Pepper Jack. Smoked string cheese (real cheese, not process). Settler's is OK. Of course, curds.... nom nom nom... If the old retrobate gets better, I might swing by SLCC for more curds n Ghost Pepper cheese... nom nom nom...

We drove down to Davis yesterday and it POURED for a bit, the OR wanted to get some tomatoes from a patch and he would not wait for it to slow down. He got wet... So did Belle.

[GREENCOUNTYPETE]

Decatur horse radish Havarti slices on slices of tart apples from Tenyck