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Supermarket Sharp Cheddar Cheese

Does aging make for better sharp cheddar? Turns out, it’s complicated.

Top Pick

WinnerCabot Vermont Sharp Cheddar

This white cheddar took top honors for its “nutty,” “almost smoky” “caramel” notes and “complex” sharpness. Tasters loved its “buttery,” “creamy” texture that “completely satisfied comfort food cravings” when it was melted for grilled cheese.

pH: 5.4

Color: White

Aged for: 9 months

Moisture: 35.8%

Price at Time of Testing: $3.78 for 8 oz ($0.47 per oz)

This white cheddar took top honors for its “nutty,” “almost smoky” “caramel” notes and “complex” sharpness. Tasters loved its “buttery,” “creamy” texture that “completely satisfied comfort food cravings” when it was melted for grilled cheese.

pH: 5.4

Color: White

Aged for: 9 months

Moisture: 35.8%

Price at Time of Testing: $3.78 for 8 oz ($0.47 per oz)

What You Need to Know

You don’t have to go to a fancy shop to find great cheddar. In recent years, inexpensive supermarket cheddars have taken top honors in international cheese competitions, beating out much-pricier artisan brands. Supermarket cheddar comes in a few varieties—mild, medium, sharp, extra-sharp—but we reach for sharp cheddar when we need a cheese that’s complex enough for snacking but versatile enough for cooking.

But what exactly is “sharp” cheddar? In general, cheese gets sharper the longer it ages, but the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) doesn’t regulate cheddar labeling, and it’s up to the manufacturer to determine what’s sharp. We’ve found that most manufacturers consider the aging time frame for sharp cheddar to be six to 12 months.

We selected seven nationally available products to test: five cheeses labeled sharp cheddar and two “aged” cheddars that fall within the six-to-12-month time frame. Since many brands offer both orange and white sharp cheddars, we asked each manufacturer to identify its best-selling color and ended up with an almost equal mix of orange and white cheeses.

Texture was a nonissue: Most products were “creamy” and slightly “crumbly,” just how we like sharp cheddar; in grilled cheese they were pleasantly “melty” and “gooey.” Flavor differences were more apparent when we tasted the cheeses plain. While we liked most of the cheddars, a few fell to the bottom of the pack for “funky,” “sweet” flavors that, while not necessarily unpleasant, were unexpected. We preferred products with the familiar “bright” and “buttery” flavor of “classic” cheddar.

Tasters preferred sharper cheeses. But when we contacted manufacturers to find out how long each product is aged, we learned that our top-ranked cheeses actually age three months less than lower-ranked products, for nine versus 12 months. While time is one factor in flavor, how well a cheese ages also depends on how it was made and stored. Most cheesemakers weren’t willing to share those secrets, so we sent the cheeses to an independent lab to learn why some younger cheeses tasted sharper and more complex.

Here, things started to line up: The longer-aged cheddars at the bottom of our rankings had higher pH values (meaning they were less acidic) than top-ranked cheddars. According to Dean Sommer, cheese and food technologist at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, a high pH is a good indication that the product didn’t age well. Many factors during production can influence the pH of a cheddar—what the cows were fed, the type of bacteria used to culture the cheese, how long the milk was heated and to what temperature. Whatever the cause, Sommer said cheddar that begins life at a high pH will typically end up overfermented, off-flavored, and sweet by the time it’s ready for sale.

When the cheeses were melted into grilled cheese, however, the funky flavors mellowed. In fact, tasters thought that the “fruity” and “grassy” flavors of lower-ranked cheeses added a nuanced complexity to an otherwise mild sandwich. Only one product, which tasters found mild when tasted plain, mellowed even more when melted, becoming “boring” and “bland.” Here, moisture was the problem. According to our lab tests, it contained the highest percentage of moisture in the group—roughly 37 percent moisture compared with 34 percent to 36 percent moisture in winning products. High moisture content, like high pH, can prevent the development of flavor and cause the cheese to age poorly. With the exception of this one product, most cheeses made grilled cheese that was “nutty,” “buttery,” and “rich” enough for our tasters.

Ultimately, we ended up recommending six of the seven cheddars we tried. Our former winner once again took top honors for its complex nutty flavor and balanced sharpness.

03:19

Cook's CountrySupermarket Sharp Cheddar CheeseWatch Now

Everything We Tested

Recommended

WinnerCabot Vermont Sharp Cheddar

This white cheddar took top honors for its “nutty,” “almost smoky” “caramel” notes and “complex” sharpness. Tasters loved its “buttery,” “creamy” texture that “completely satisfied comfort food cravings” when it was melted for grilled cheese.

pH: 5.4

Color: White

Aged for: 9 months

Moisture: 35.8%

Price at Time of Testing: $3.78 for 8 oz ($0.47 per oz)

This white cheddar took top honors for its “nutty,” “almost smoky” “caramel” notes and “complex” sharpness. Tasters loved its “buttery,” “creamy” texture that “completely satisfied comfort food cravings” when it was melted for grilled cheese.

pH: 5.4

Color: White

Aged for: 9 months

Moisture: 35.8%

Price at Time of Testing: $3.78 for 8 oz ($0.47 per oz)

Tillamook Sharp Cheddar Cheese

This faintly orange cheddar was deemed “bright” and “almost citrusy” for its “zesty” tang and “bold” sharpness. When melted, its “gooey,” “buttery” texture earned this cheddar recognition as “a perfect cheese for grilled cheese.”

pH: 5.2

Color: Orange

Aged for: 9 months

Moisture: 34.6%

Price at Time of Testing: $5.48 for 8 oz ($0.69 per oz)

This faintly orange cheddar was deemed “bright” and “almost citrusy” for its “zesty” tang and “bold” sharpness. When melted, its “gooey,” “buttery” texture earned this cheddar recognition as “a perfect cheese for grilled cheese.”

pH: 5.2

Color: Orange

Aged for: 9 months

Moisture: 34.6%

Price at Time of Testing: $5.48 for 8 oz ($0.69 per oz)

Cracker Barrel Sharp Cheddar Cheese

This popular block cheese was “salty,” “acidic,” “balanced,” and “punchy,” with a “quintessential sharp cheddar” flavor that made it “great for snacking.” In grilled cheese, tasters found this cheddar “friendly” and “tame.”

pH: 5.2

Color: Orange

Moisture: 35.2%

Aged for : Proprietary

Price at Time of Testing: $3.89 for 8 oz ($0.49 per oz)

This popular block cheese was “salty,” “acidic,” “balanced,” and “punchy,” with a “quintessential sharp cheddar” flavor that made it “great for snacking.” In grilled cheese, tasters found this cheddar “friendly” and “tame.”

pH: 5.2

Color: Orange

Moisture: 35.2%

Aged for : Proprietary

Price at Time of Testing: $3.89 for 8 oz ($0.49 per oz)

Kraft Natural Sharp Cheddar Cheese

“Mild,” “bright,” and “waxy,” this orange cheddar had a “rich,” “elegant sharpness” and “smooth” texture that made for “gooey,” “melty” grilled cheese. “Tastes like childhood,” said one taster, who thought this product’s “classic” flavor would be popular with kids.

pH: 5.2

Color: Orange

Aged for: Proprietary

Moisture: 35.2%

Price at Time of Testing: $4.79 for 8 oz ($0.60 per oz)

“Mild,” “bright,” and “waxy,” this orange cheddar had a “rich,” “elegant sharpness” and “smooth” texture that made for “gooey,” “melty” grilled cheese. “Tastes like childhood,” said one taster, who thought this product’s “classic” flavor would be popular with kids.

pH: 5.2

Color: Orange

Aged for: Proprietary

Moisture: 35.2%

Price at Time of Testing: $4.79 for 8 oz ($0.60 per oz)

Kerrygold Aged Cheddar

With a “mild” sharpness, this Irish import earned comparisons with Swiss cheese for its “slightly funky,” “tangy” flavor. Its subtle “grassy,” “onion” notes added “complexity” to grilled cheese, though a few tasters felt that it had “too many unexpected flavors” for cheddar.

pH: 5.6

Color: White

Aged for: 12 months

Moisture: 36.6%

Price at Time of Testing: $5 for 7 oz ($0.71 per oz)

With a “mild” sharpness, this Irish import earned comparisons with Swiss cheese for its “slightly funky,” “tangy” flavor. Its subtle “grassy,” “onion” notes added “complexity” to grilled cheese, though a few tasters felt that it had “too many unexpected flavors” for cheddar.

pH: 5.6

Color: White

Aged for: 12 months

Moisture: 36.6%

Price at Time of Testing: $5 for 7 oz ($0.71 per oz)

Sargento Tastings Aged Wisconsin Cheddar Cheese

This petite orange wedge was “thick” and “chewy,” with “toasty” “butterscotch” notes that became “sweet” and “slightly nutty” when the cheese was melted. A few tasters thought that this cheddar had an unusual “tannic,” “tart flavor,” “like port wine cheese.”

pH: 5.7

Color: Orange

Aged for: 12 months

Moisture: 35.3%

Price at Time of Testing: $2.79 for 3.95 oz ($0.71 per oz)

This petite orange wedge was “thick” and “chewy,” with “toasty” “butterscotch” notes that became “sweet” and “slightly nutty” when the cheese was melted. A few tasters thought that this cheddar had an unusual “tannic,” “tart flavor,” “like port wine cheese.”

pH: 5.7

Color: Orange

Aged for: 12 months

Moisture: 35.3%

Price at Time of Testing: $2.79 for 3.95 oz ($0.71 per oz)

Recommended with reservations

Boar's Head Sharp Wisconsin Cheddar Cheese

Tasters enjoyed this product’s “mild,” “creamy” flavor and “smooth” texture for snacking, but a higher moisture content caused this white cheddar to become “bland” and “boring” when melted into grilled cheese. Summarized one taster: “more reminiscent of Monterey Jack than cheddar.”

pH: 5.2

Color: White

Aged for: 9 months

Moisture: 37.1%

Price at Time of Testing: $4.50 for 10 oz ($0.45 per oz)

Tasters enjoyed this product’s “mild,” “creamy” flavor and “smooth” texture for snacking, but a higher moisture content caused this white cheddar to become “bland” and “boring” when melted into grilled cheese. Summarized one taster: “more reminiscent of Monterey Jack than cheddar.”

pH: 5.2

Color: White

Aged for: 9 months

Moisture: 37.1%

Price at Time of Testing: $4.50 for 10 oz ($0.45 per oz)

*All products reviewed by America’s Test Kitchen are independently chosen, researched, and reviewed by our editors. We buy products for testing at retail locations and do not accept unsolicited samples for testing. We list suggested sources for recommended products as a convenience to our readers but do not endorse specific retailers. When you choose to purchase our editorial recommendations from the links we provide, we may earn an affiliate commission. Prices are subject to change.

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The mission of America’s Test Kitchen Reviews is to find the best equipment and ingredients for the home cook through rigorous, hands-on testing. Have a question or suggestion? Send us an email at atkreviews@americastestkitchen.com. We appreciate your feedback!

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