If you’re steering away from packaged cheeses and considering artisanal small-batch options, you’re on the right track! However, if your favourite cheese brand is based out of a different city, it may take 2-4 days to reach you. In summer, temperature and humidity play a role when it comes to shipping dairy products like cheeses. Most homegrown artisanal labels use insulated boxes or insulation lining on the inside of the shipping box, which helps keep the temperature cool and stable, maintaining the integrity of the cheese.
But while hard cheeses like Parmesan, Pecorino Romano, and aged Cheddar are less moisture-rich and have a lower water content, making them more resistant to heat; brie, mozzarella, and young cheddar are prone to melting especially if they are made from pure airy and do not include preservatives that include their shelf life. If you’re thinking of exploring artisanal, naturally produced cheeses with zero preservatives, here are some expert-approved pointers that can help.
All cheeses need to be transported cold
Even if you’re ordering aged cheeses such as Gouda, Gruyère, and Manchego which are more stable and less perishable, you should insist on cold packaging. These varieties of aged cheese undergo an ageing process that reduces their moisture content and makes them suitable for shipping in warmer temperatures. But cold shipping makes sure they reach you in optimal condition.
Vacuum-sealing also helps preserve their freshness and prevent them from spoiling during shipping, especially when it comes to blocks of Mozzarella, Provolone, or Emmental.
Mumbai-based creamery The Spotted Cow Fromagerie only makes handmade artisanal, small-batch cheeses that are 100% preservative free, sells Italian, French and Swiss cheese; from buttery black truffle brie and French goat cheeses to Italian Bocconcini Di Bufala, each variety comes with a specific shelf life (usually between 15-60 days).
“Cheese is a dairy product and all cheese has to be transported cold as they have to maintain its temperature during shipping or else it will begin to spoil,” says Prateeksh Mehra of The Spotted Cow Fromagerie
“Humidity does not affect packaged cheeses whether it’s in transit or on the shelf. But all pure dairy products need to be shipped cold. I guess harder cheese is a bit easier to ship than other varieties,” he adds.
Enquire about packaging details
If you’re ordering your cheese from an artisanal label or an independent creamery, chances are they’ll be responsive to customer queries about shipping and packaging. Insulated boxes or frozen gel packs are good options for cheeses which will need more than 24 hours to reach you. When shipping our cheeses to other cities during the summer months, we typically opt for insulated boxes with frozen gel packs, and we ship them by air. This ensures that our cheeses, which are all made with 100% dairy and lack artificial preservatives, maintain their quality despite the restricted shelf life.
“When shipping our cheeses to other cities during the summer months, we typically opt for insulated boxes with frozen gel packs, and we ship them by air. This ensures that our cheeses, which are all made with 100% dairy and lack artificial preservatives, maintain their quality despite the restricted shelf life,” says Mausam Narang, who owns Mumbai’s Eleftheria Cheese.
The lower the moisture, the safer a cheese is for shipping
“High humidity or temperature can significantly affect cheese during shipping. Fresh cheeses with a higher moisture content are more susceptible to spoilage compared to cooked, pressed aged cheeses with a lower moisture content,” says Narang.
Some people may find hard cheeses easier to digest compared to softer, high-moisture cheeses due to their lower lactose content. Hard cheeses are typically higher in protein and fat and lower in moisture and lactose compared to softer cheeses.
In peak summer, choose hard or aged cheeses
“For those ordering cheese from another city, aged cheeses with a lower moisture content, such as mature Cheddar, Gouda, Parmesan, or Alpine-style cheeses, are a safer choice,” Narang shares.
Besides lower moisture content, hard cheeses typically have higher protein and fat content compared to soft cheeses. When exposed to heat, the proteins in the cheese denature and the fat begins to soften, resulting in a creamy texture. However, since hard cheeses have a firmer structure, they retain their shape even when softened by heat.
Hard cheeses have a denser and firmer texture than soft cheeses, affecting how they melt. While they may soften and become creamy when heated, they maintain their structure and don't flow or spread like softer cheeses. Narang shares that one of Eleftheria’s acclaimed releases has been the Norwegian-style brown whey cheese Brunost travels really well.
The cheese won the Super Gold title at The World Cheese Awards 2023 and tastes like a salted caramel milk fudge with toffee notes; it’s made by heating leftover cheesemaking whey, has a slice-able fudge-like consistency and has a shelf life of 30 days.