Maytag Blue A Classic American Blue Cheese

Maytag Blue Cheese is made on the Maytag family farm in Newton Iowa and has been a prized American farmstead cheese since the early 1940's. 

 Details: Maytag Blue is made from unpasteurized cow's milk  from the Holstein - Friesian cows that graze on the farm. Each step of its production is still done by hand. The raw milk is entered into vats and rennet is added to form the curd. The curd is then ladled into hoops and formed into four pound wheels. The cheese wheels are then pierced and seeded with Penicillium Roqueforti  mold and left to age for six months in cellars on the farm. When the cheeses are fully aged they are wrapped in Maytag's iconic blue and silver foil.

 Flavor:The finished cheeses have a light straw colored paste and ample blue veining, a nice peppery zing and wonderful crumbly but creamy texture. Maytag Blue's flavor will become more assertive as it ages and this cheese holds up well so this is not a bad thing. If you enjoy Roquefort, Cabrales or Stilton give this American classic a try and I promise that you will not be disappointed.

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When shopping for Maytag Blue do not purchase any that have a grayish or pinkish tint to the paste or are excessively runny. These are signs of excessive aging and will make for a very unpleasant purchase . As noted above this cheese will hold up pretty well so wrap it in wax paper or tin foil and place it in the refrigerator but remember to keep it separated from other foods and cheeses. Maytag Blue can be found in most good cheese shops, Whole Foods and online at Amazon.

You can serve Maytag Blue crumbled over salads or melt it over grilled burgers. It also makes a great blue cheese dressing.

Wine pairing: Strong domestic reds or sweet whites like Sauternes. It also goes well with medium bodied ales.