Blue Cheese
The Giant Eagle® cheese shop carries blue cheeses from around the world. Choose from the American Maytag Blue, England's Stilton, Denmark's Saga Blue, Rosenborg® Danish Blue, and many other delightful blue cheese choices. Emperor Charlemagne relished crumbly blue cheese — and you, too, can eat like a king after shopping in the Giant Eagle® cheese shop.
Blue cheese varies by region, but all varieties share telltale characteristics: blue-green veins made from bacteria lacing through the thick, creamy body. All blue cheeses are crumbly with pungent, spicy aromas.
Making blue cheese
No matter where blue cheese originates, the artisanal process is the same. Blue cheese is made from cow, sheep, or goat's milk, either un-pasteurized (raw milk) or pasteurized (milk that has been heated to over 100°F).
Artisans use large needles to inject the ivory cheese with Penicillim roqueforti, penicillin bacteria that turns blue when exposed to oxygen. After aging in a cave for three months, the cheese ripens to its full, zesty flavor.
Serving blue cheese
- For a tasty, sophisticated snack, combine crackers or crusty bread with crumbles of blue cheese, or pair your blue cheese with a dry red wine.
- Crumble bits of blue cheese onto a salad for added tang, or mix cream cheese and blue cheese for a party dip.
- For a decadent main course, combine Gorgonzola and heavy cream with fresh Italian herbs to make a rich cream sauce that brightens any pasta.
Storing blue cheese
- Because of its pungent aroma, store blue cheese in a container away from other cheeses and food.
- If stored correctly, blue cheeses will last in your refrigerator for up to eight weeks.
- Wrap the cheese tightly in foil or parchment paper.
- Each time you unwrap the blue cheese, discard the wrapper. Used wrappers don't seal properly — and will expose your blue cheese to air, causing it to spoil.