Relieve Wrapping Stress with Formaticum Cheese Storage Bags

Relieve Wrapping Stress with Formaticum Cheese Storage Bags

Cheese lovers, rejoice! If you've got gift-wrapping burnout and the thought of wrapping cheese is exhausting, we have great news for you. You can now have all the storage benefits of professional cheese paper at home without having to learn the complex wrapping techniques that cheesemongers have mastered.

Formaticum Cheese Storage Bags are made of the same material as our professional cheese paper, and provide the same benefits with none of the stress. Simply put your cheese in the bag, fold the top under the cheese to keep it closed, place in the fridge, and enjoy fresh cheese flavor for weeks after purchase. Cheese Storage Bags allow your cheese to breathe while maintaining optimal humidity, so your cheese stays fresh and flavorful. These bags are a great gift idea for cheese lovers who want to enjoy their favorite cheeses without having to worry about wasting leftovers.

Whether you’re a cheese connoisseur or just a casual cheese lover, Formaticum Cheese Storage Bags are a must-have in your kitchen. Available in Classic, compostable Zero, and Reusable versions, there's a bag out there for everyone! 


Spruce Truths: Winter's Most Iconic Soft Cheese

Spruce Truths: Winter's Most Iconic Soft Cheese
The approach of colder months marks the re-emergence of spruce-wrapped cheeses like Rush Creek Reserve and Winnimere. While these cheeses would be a delicious treat year-round, they are released only during the winter. Keep reading to learn more about their origins and why they're so highly seasonal, and learn some tips for serving these highly sought-after holiday treats!
Both cheeses are based on the iconic Vacherin Mont d'Or, a Swiss (and/or French, if you want to get technical) cheese traditionally made from cow's milk and traditionally wrapped in spruce bark, which imparts a subtle woodsy flavor to the cheese. Vacherin Mont d'Or is a seasonal cheese that is only produced during the colder months when the cows have come down from high altitude pastures and eat dry hay rather than fresh grass, resulting in milk that is richer and fattier, and perfect for making Vacherin Mont d'Or. With a silky, luscious paste and woodsy flavors reminiscent of fresh grass, cultured butter, and even bacon, these wheels are ideal for sharing during a cozy night inside.  
If you're lucky enough to get your hands on a wheel, here are some serving tips:
1. Wait until the wheel is "a point," which is French for "at peak ripeness". This guarantees that you will be able to dig into a perfectly gooey, savory, and luxurious cheese.
3. Sharing is caring! Invite some friends over to share the experience with you. They will likely fall in love with the cheese too! 
4. Rush Creek Reserve and Winnimere are both wonderful baked in the oven for a few minutes with some garlic cloves stuck inside and a glug of white wine on top, as they would be served in Switzerland.
5. If you're serving the cheese by itself, make sure to bring to room temperature first so that you get the full experience of the texture and flavor. When you're ready to serve, use a thin knife to cut and peel off the top of the cheese, and scoop out the creamy interior. Serve with roasted root vegetables, crusty bread, sausages, or anything else you want to dip! 

Professional Cheese Storage Products for the Cheese Lover in Your Life

Professional Cheese Storage Products for the Cheese Lover in Your Life

 

 

 

It's the most wonderful time of the year - holiday party season! With holiday parties comes cheese and charcuterie platters and gift swaps, so make sure you're prepared for both with Formaticum cheese storage products. Our products are made in Europe and specially designed to help preserve the freshness and flavor of your cheese so that you can experience the cheese in peak condition. We offer classic cheese storage paper, as well as easy-to-use bags made of the same material, with none of the stress of wrapping cheese like a monger. Formaticum cheese storage products are available in a variety of materials to suit every lifestyle - alongside our Classic Sheets & Bags, our compostable Zero products offer the same performance without any plastic, and our new Reusable line can be washed and air-dried many times over. 

Unlike plastic wrap, which suffocates your cheese by trapping moisture and allowing excess mold growth, Formaticum cheese paper allows your cheese to breathe while maintaining the right humidity levels to prevent your cheese from drying out. The biggest advantage of using Formaticum cheese paper is that it can significantly extend the shelf life of your cheese, ensuring that you consume the highest quality product possible. Cheese is a living product, and plastic wrap can leach harmful chemicals into the cheese over time, as well as affect the flavor. Formaticum cheese paper does not contain any harmful chemicals and will not affect the flavor of your cheese.

If you are looking for another way to honor the work of farmers, cheesemakers, affineurs, and everyone in between, consider making the switch to Formaticum cheese storage products. Your cheese will thank you!


Fromagination: A Proud Wisconsin Cheese Shop

Fromagination: A Proud Wisconsin Cheese Shop

Hello and Happy New Year from Formaticum!

We’d like to thank you for being a part of our cheese loving community and hope that 2022 is filled with good health, happiness and all the great cheese one could ever want. To that end, over the next several months we will be featuring some pretty special cheese shops from around the country with the hopes of sharing their stories and love for cheese with you and with some luck…inspiring you to reach out and try some new cheeses in 2022. 

Today, we are highlighting Fromagination in Madison, Wisconsin.  For those who do not know, Wisconsin produces more cheese than any other state in the US.  In fact, Wisconsin cheese makers account for 26% of TOTAL US cheese production.  In 2020, Wisconsin cheese makers produced 3.39 Billion (with a “B”!) pounds of cheese.  Doesn’t that sound lovely?

While Fromagination carries cheese from all over the US and from around the globe, it’s no wonder that their primary focus is on Wisconsin’s artisan cheese producers.  Read below to learn more about Fromagination,  what makes their shop so special and unique and why they choose Formaticum cheese paper for their store.

Formaticum: How long have you been in business?

Fromagination: We began in 2007 when Founder and Creative Director Ken Monteleone, who believed that Wisconsin’s cheese-making heritage, and its growing artisan food movement deserved a proper showcase. 

Formaticum: What inspired you to open a cheese shop?

Fromagination: Wisconsin is the Capital of Cheese accounting for over $43 billion of our state's economy. We thought it was fitting to have a cheese shop located on the Capitol Square. We opened in 2007 and our goal is to leave each customer loving cheese more. Expand your imagination into the world of cheese at Fromagination.

Formaticum: How many cheeses does your shop carry at any given time?

Fromagination: We specialize in small batch cheeses that are traditionally made by artisans throughout Wisconsin and outside of our state.  We have a curated assortment of around 80 cheeses.  Taste and explore some of your favorites and our cheesemonger will introduce you to some new favorites.

Formaticum: What are some of the regional cheeses people can purchase at your shop?

Fromagination: Too many to mention from soft ripened goat cheese to cave aged cheddar and cheddars aged up to 20 years.  We have a great relationship with Wisconsin cheesemakers and we're always the first to get Wisconsin cheeses in development.

Formaticum: Tell us why you love your Fromagination branded cheese paper from Formaticum?

Fromagination: We love our Formaticum branded cheese paper. Not only does it protect the cheese and allows it to breathe, it also is a great reminder every time you open your cheese drawer.

Formaticum: What is one thing you wish all of your customers knew?

Fromagination: Our cheesemongers are experts at what they do.  You can taste your way through our cases and we can pair your cheese with everything from beer, spirits, wine and the hundreds of other cheese companions we carry in our shop.

Formaticum: Anything else you’d like to share?

 Fromagination: Wisconsin's rich tradition of cheesemaking goes back 185 years, we have Master Cheesemakers and win more awards than any other state. We are very proud of Wisconsin’s rich tradition of cheesemaking and are lucky to be a small part of this tradition.

To learn more about Fromagination, their story and to access their online shop (yes, they ship all over the US!) please visit fromagination.com


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