Timeline for Why didn't cheese spoil when it was given as rations to soldiers?
Current License: CC BY-SA 3.0
17 events
| when toggle format | what | by | license | comment | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 19, 2017 at 10:58 | comment | added | Greg | Maybe we should compare cheese to other obvious protein sources: other diaries, meet, eggs. Dry cheeses ares definitely easier to preserve than any of the alternatives. | |
| Aug 16, 2017 at 10:55 | comment | added | liftarn | It was military cheese. xenohistorian.wordpress.com/2014/04/27/… | |
| Jul 18, 2017 at 6:00 | comment | added | Chris H | @Pieter indeed. Cheddar used to use black (and occasionally still does for show). I didn't quite have the time or material to write an answer about it though. | |
| Jul 17, 2017 at 23:57 | comment | added | Pieter Geerkens | @ChrisH: Red wax for Edam, and yellow wax for Gouda. | |
| Jul 17, 2017 at 20:24 | answer | added | kingfrito_5005 | timeline score: 8 | |
| Jul 17, 2017 at 18:53 | comment | added | user2848 | Did Romans eat cheese? Lactose intolerance is pretty common even among modern Italians. Or are we talking about Roman soldiers who may have been ethnically Northern European? | |
| Jul 17, 2017 at 15:22 | comment | added | slebetman | Modern high quality parmesan cheese are stored in non-refrigerated rooms for around 2 to 3 years before they're cut up and sold to consumers. So that's already 2 to 3 years hard cheese can last outside of a fridge. After that, if stored properly and avoiding condensation (it is the film of water on the surface that spoils the cheese) parmesan can last a few more years at room temperature. | |
| Jul 17, 2017 at 14:14 | history | tweeted | twitter.com/StackHistory/status/886952262030966785 | ||
| Jul 17, 2017 at 13:22 | comment | added | Chris H | Waxing also helps (wikipedia on Edam) | |
| Jul 17, 2017 at 13:21 | comment | added | Reed | During my hiking trips I take chunks of Swiss cheese (1lb). The cheese stays good without refrigeration for more than a week. I do keep it in plastic baggies but I am sure if it were made with the intention to last cheese could be stored for about a month. | |
| Jul 17, 2017 at 12:44 | comment | added | Luaan | Cheese-making was a preservative, so longevity was a given. Climate had much impact - the hotter it gets, the more salty the cheese. The right kind of cheese can last for many months just stored up in the basement, especially during winter (which was the main need for preserving food - little food in winter). Even for an army on the march, you could expect the cheese to last for a month or two, more than enough for a typical medieval expedition. Note that we're not talking about particularly good cheese - it was very salty and dry. Quality cheese was eaten fresh, even more so than today. | |
| Jul 17, 2017 at 11:00 | comment | added | MCW♦ | This question would benefit from sources. "I've come across many mentions of cheese. . . " Were these credible sources? How long was the cheese stored? Did they mention cutting off the spoiled bits? | |
| Jul 17, 2017 at 10:31 | answer | added | SJuan76 | timeline score: 29 | |
| Jul 17, 2017 at 10:29 | answer | added | Gangnus | timeline score: 13 | |
| Jul 17, 2017 at 9:43 | answer | added | Jeff | timeline score: 5 | |
| Jul 17, 2017 at 8:54 | review | First posts | |||
| Jul 17, 2017 at 9:17 | |||||
| Jul 17, 2017 at 8:52 | history | asked | Marc R | CC BY-SA 3.0 |