how to make a wine cheese basket?

[muffyn]

I am trying to make a wine cheese basket for a fundraiser.
I get the concept. but am running into problems finding cheese for it!
everything I see in the stores have "keep refridgerated" on it.

I have one cheese ball from some other purchase I had & it says "refridgerate
after opening".

I , personally, don't have a problem with cheese being in those vacuum bags being not cold, but don't want to put somethign in a bag that obviously says to keep cold.

any ideas? why do they say KEEP COLD & would it really hurt not to keep it cold? or what do I do now trying to find cheese that is ok?

 

[hrh_disney_queen]

I don't have a suggestion about the cheese, but if you want it to look professionally wrapped, Dollar Tree has these large clear shrink-wrap plastic bags that come with a bow. All you need to use is a hair dryer on it and it looks very nice wrapped up.

 

[ChrisinNJ]

I would look to accesories. How about an inexpensive cutting board? If you have a Christmas Tree shop near you they have nice bar sized boards in Bamboo for $1.00 - $5.00. Maybe a wine bottle opener and or topper? A set of cheese spreader knives? Some crackers, maybe even a small cracker sized basket & and a cloth napkin to line it with.

That way you keep items in the theme without worrying about the cheese going bad.

 

[semo233]

Cheese flavor is at its most intense when at room temperature or even warm. To keep the cheese fresh for an extended period of time, yes, it should be refrigerated.

You could either put the entire basket in a cool place (garage, unheated basement, etc) or keep everything in the refrigerator and then put the basket together at the last minute. Cheese can remain unrefrigerated for the evening with no problem.

 

[hrh_disney_queen]

I had another thought. I would not feel comfortable buying a cheese basket with actual cheese in it..wondering how long it had sat out. Why not get a gift certificate from your local gourmet shop or deli? You could even have them write on it to "redeem for your choice of $XX.00 worth of your favorite cheese." Maybe they would even donate it or discount it for your cause.

 

[java]

I agree- no real cheese in it.
Think "accessories" for cheese- like someone mentioned cutting board, cheese knives, cheese picks(to name the cheeses), spreaders, wine charms, wine glasses,
Good luck.

 

[oande2004]

If you have a World Market near by, they have a section with small processed cheese spreads, cookies/biscuits, etc that do not require refridgeration and would be perfect for such a basket.

 

[muffyn]

I had another thought. I would not feel comfortable buying a cheese basket with actual cheese in it..wondering how long it had sat out. Why not get a gift certificate from your local gourmet shop or deli? You could even have them write on it to "redeem for your choice of $XX.00 worth of your favorite cheese." Maybe they would even donate it or discount it for your cause.

you can't imagine how many places I have been looking for donations for the cancer victim benefit we are having. grocery stores are the worst at saying NO. they tell you check with 'corporate' & then They want a 501 designated charity . that means no individuals. grrr.
anyway the mom & pop stores & a lot of restaurants are nice & give gift certificates.
I just wanted to add some other baskets & felt a wine & cheese one would go well....I'll check around some more. I DID buy cheese in a can , I think that goes over well.

 

[muffyn]

I don't have a suggestion about the cheese, but if you want it to look professionally wrapped, Dollar Tree has these large clear shrink-wrap plastic bags that come with a bow. All you need to use is a hair dryer on it and it looks very nice wrapped up.

darn dollar trees are so far away from me.
I do have a thought. I have a bunch of that shrink-wrap stuff you put over windows. I wonder if I can wrap it somehow & use that.???
won't have a bow & wil have to slice it open,,,,,,, hmmm, I guess i can experiment & see if I tape it underneath if it will hold.

 

[PoohHappens]

I believe laughing cow wedges are shelf stable. There really are many cheese products that do not require refrigeration. Also even refrigerated cheeses are good for about 20 hours without refrigeration if properly sealed. Here is a shop that sells lots of shelf stable products just to get an idea. Any gourmet food shop or really good deli near you should be able to help you with finding a couple cheeses to inclued and then put in some accesories as others mentioned. Good luck

http://www.wholesalegourmet.com/cheese.html

 

[dawson5]

I was just at the grocery store and they had some there were not refrigerated. I think they were hard cheeses (it said something about goat cheese. I think I've seen some parmesans not refrigerated). Like the PP's have stated, go to a high end store and I'm sure you'll find some.

If I get a chance, next time I'll write down or take pics to remember what they were.

 

[jacksmom]

I am trying to make a wine cheese basket for a fundraiser.
I get the concept. but am running into problems finding cheese for it!
everything I see in the stores have "keep refridgerated" on it.

I have one cheese ball from some other purchase I had & it says "refridgerate
after opening".

I , personally, don't have a problem with cheese being in those vacuum bags being not cold, but don't want to put somethign in a bag that obviously says to keep cold.

any ideas? why do they say KEEP COLD & would it really hurt not to keep it cold? or what do I do now trying to find cheese that is ok?

This is a great idea (sounds like it would make a great Christmas gift)! What all are you planning on putting in it?

 

[nyccajun]

http://cheese.about.com/od/cheesebuyingguide/tp/travelling_cheese.htm


This article may help...

Or maybe look for one of those small cheeses that are totally covered with wax.....

I'm thinking that Swiss colony and Figi's ship cheese all the time so similar types must be ok...

 

[TifffanyD]

This may not be helpful but how about a "wine and chocolate" basket? I was just looking through Martha Stewart living and they had a thing about wine and chocolate pairings

 

[semo233]

I had another thought. I would not feel comfortable buying a cheese basket with actual cheese in it..wondering how long it had sat out. Why not get a gift certificate from your local gourmet shop or deli? You could even have them write on it to "redeem for your choice of $XX.00 worth of your favorite cheese." Maybe they would even donate it or discount it for your cause.

I never thought of that! Great Idea!

 

[reducereuserecycle]

i don't think you have to refrigerate those tubs of cheese spread until they have been opened

 

[nunzia]

You can get those little shelf stable cheeses (like the kind you see in all the Christmas gift boxes like Hickory farms, etc.), at a Cost Plus. If you don't have one nearby (I don't anymore, darn it) you can order little size items from Minimus.biz. Great company! I always use them for travel and little food items.

 

[AntePrincess]

There are three easy options that I can think of:

1. Processed shelf stable cheese products like Laughing Cow or a cheese spread. (Maybe Cheez Whiz wouldn't be the effect you were going for. )
2. A hard cheese, such as a wedge of good pecorino romano. If you have a good cheese counter nearby, you can ask about the hard cheeses. They'll keep them refrigerated, but for a few days, it'll be fine.
3. Or you can just go for a good quality wax coated medium to hard cheddar type cheese and keep your basket in a cool, dry place for an evening. Assemble the basket at the last minute.

If it were me, I might hit up a discount store and raid a few Hickory Farm or similar style gift items for components. It depends, though, some might be getting pretty old this time of year. (And, for the record, I'm pretty sure that even the Hickory Farm's gift packages are supposed to be kept chilled.)

 

[Cindy B]

Cheese ball isn't the best cheese to use. If you want decent cheese that can complement wine, go to a decent wine store or cheese shop (Wegman's grocery store has a very nice cheese shop inside the store)

Decent wines do not need to be refigerated either. Look at the wine shelves at any store, none are refridgerated.

I personally wouldn't buy Hickory Farms/Swiss Colony stuff in a basket. I have no idea on the actual processed date since the shelf life is FOREVER on those things.

I would go to a decent liquor store or cheese shop and get suggestions

 

[AntePrincess]

I personally wouldn't buy Hickory Farms/Swiss Colony stuff in a basket. I have no idea on the actual processed date since the shelf life is FOREVER on those things.

I would go to a decent liquor store or cheese shop and get suggestions

Agreed on not buying them for personal consumption, but they are a solution to the OP's dilemma. Then again, I'm really only familiar with the baskets that you refrigerate such as Harry & David's or our local wine shop's.

The trouble with real food is that things, including bacteria, eat it. Fake food will last because the microbes aren't fooled by the food-like appearance. But we seem to have worked out how to eat fake food, so caveat edax!