Cheese Crystals
39 comments
·October 23, 2025tomcam
delichon
Isn't it a little unusual for a state university to run a creamery? If it's also a trade school for cheese production, I approve.
fishmicrowaver
I'm not easily Influenced so I'm mystified at how canned cheese had me checking out ways to order it.
jmdeon
Yeah I just ordered one. The effectiveness of this HN post plus this parent comment has me convinced they're in cahoots.
bombcar
An elite zeal team has been dispatched from Wisconsin to take care of the issue.
tomcam
NOT CAHOOTING
AlanYx
The canning process is the result of post-WW2 government funded research at WSU. It's a cool backstory for a cheese.
tomcam
Had no idea! Love this! The website looks like it dates from WWII tbh
tomcam
I knew you had it in you
omnicognate
I'd love to try that but the only site I can see selling it here in the UK wants 85 quid a tin.
There are plenty of extra mature cheddars with crystals here, though. Marks & Spencer have a 2 year aged one called Cornish Cruncher that I'm partial to.
TheAmazingRace
I'll be making a stop in Seattle here in a few weeks. I'll see if this is available for purchase at Haggen.
msuniverse2026
I remember hearing about that cheese in the past. Does it need a cold chain to be shipped overseas?
tomcam
Not sure what a "cold chain" is but yes, it's shipped ice-filled styrofoam containers. Without it the cheese would sweat, which freaks people out.
jhaile
I enjoyed reading the article, but really wish it had photos to help educate the reader on how to distinguish between crystals and mold.
nlawalker
Totally agree - interesting info but nothing of practical use, especially because white spots can be mold.
See https://www.eatortoss.com/how-to-tell-if-white-stuff-on-chee..., https://www.eatortoss.com/aged-cheddar-with-a-crusty-white-s....
the__alchemist
This is a bit confusing: "The crystals are soft, white, and sometimes appear damp."
The rule of thumb I've heard is hard white: crystal. Soft white: mold.
If you can't tell, I would dump it.
president_zippy
Hard calcium-lactate crystals are an intentional feature of Belvitano cheese. They add a great texture and add tanginess to parmesan-esque taste.
supportengineer
Rum Runner is one of my favorites
https://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/product/sartori-cheese-rum-...
FumblingBear
LOVE Bellavitano! I'm a huge fan of most of their cheeses, but especially the Garlic & Herb—it's like a delicious pizza :)
president_zippy
Thanks for catching my typo, I hope more people discover their cheese. I love every variety of their cheese, but the Merlot and Tennessee Whiskey cheeses are on another level.
chrisweekly
Same! The Merlot is my go-to, but the "Herbs de Provence" was my all-time fave (can't seem to find it in local grocers these days)
Frotag
> Actually, all cheese making produces quite a bit of wastage. On average, if a dairy starts with ten-thousand pounds of milk, they’ll end up with only a thousand pounds of cheese. The remaining nine-thousand pounds ends up as whey while the curd is formed.
> That’s right: if you run the numbers on cheese manufacturing, the percent yield is only about 10%.
Yogurt-making produces a lot of whey too, though probably closer to ~50% whey rather than 90% (when made at home). The only difference between greek yogurt and regular yogurt is that greek yogurt is strained to remove the whey, making it thicker / creamier. Though most commercial brands try to cheat and thicken it with something like pectin (which usually makes it kind of jello-y).
Anyways all that to say my favorite yogurt is the one where the only ingredient is milk + yogurt culture. No thickeners, added sugars, flavoring, I like to add those myself.
FuriouslyAdrift
Whey goes to make protein powder, whey butter, animal feed, etc. The Ag industry is so competitive that usually every little bit gets used for something.
kragen
I usually make my yogurt with powdered milk so that I can have less water in it. I don't add thickeners or sugar.
null
flobosg
Related, from a few months ago: It’s not mold, it’s calcium lactate (2018) – https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=43535688
skinwill
There is an error on that page. src="https://www.media.snipettemag.com/wp-uploads/2019/09/cheese-..." should be src="https://media.snipettemag.com/wp-uploads/2019/09/cheese-stre..."
There is an extra "www." which breaks the link.
carterschonwald
Aged Cabot Brand cheese often has these crystals. It’s like a little salty crunch in every bite.
pinewurst
Aged Gouda from the Netherlands (my favorite!) is riddled with these crystals.
r4ge
My favorite super market bought cheese is mainland tasty cheddar, the best tasting blocks always have crystals.
pak9rabid
The Coastal aged cheddar that Costco sells has these. And she's right, it makes the cheese much more enjoyable.
temp0826
I'm picturing the author as Ratatouille, sniff-testing all the food for poison for his family
ribs
Right about the calcium lactate crystals, though wrong about lactic acid causing muscle pain; this has been debunked.
If you like sharp cheddar, the best cheese in the world is "Cougar Gold" from WSU Creamery in eastern Washington, USA, a region not known to be a hotbed of find cheeses. It comes in a can, also not thought of as a delivery vector for a great cheese, but there you have it. Tastes great out of the can or you can age it for a few years in the refrigerator. Five or 6 years is fine. I absolutely love the crystals. No mold forms unless you open the can.
WSU's other cheeses are okay but do not stand out to me. Nothing from England or France has delivered the sharp cheddar experience like Cougar Gold.