Freeze-Dried Cheese: Best Choice for Backpacking Trips

Cheese is a delicious and nutritious trail food that is also very versatile. You can add it to a wide range of backpacking meals or eat it by itself.

As a Trail Chef and gourmet backpacker, I can’t imagine my pasta, pizza, or risotto without cheese. I always make sure to pack a few portions when heading out on a short or long hiking trip. However, not all types of cheese are suitable for backpacking. So what kinds of cheese are best for backpacking trips? And what can you do with freeze-dried cheese?

You can sprinkle it on your favorite foods or use it in recipes that call for grated cheese. It works well in pasta dishes, soups, sauces, stews, and one-pot backpacking meals. It also makes a great snack on its own!

What types of cheese are best for backpacking trips?

Fresh, soft cheeses like Mozzarella, Ricotta, or Chevre are best left at home because of their high moisture content. They tend to spoil faster, especially in hot weather.

You should also avoid taking blue cheeses (like Gorgonzola, Roquefort, or Stilton) and strong-smelling washed-rind cheeses (such as Taleggio, Pont l’Evêque, Livarot, Munster, Stinking Bishop, or Camembert). Unless, of course, you want your pack to smell like dirty socks!

Semi-firm and firm cheeses like Parmesan, Dry Monterey Jack, or Pecorino Romano are great choices for warm-weather outings. These low-moisture aged hard cheeses have concentrated flavor and a long shelf life. They can usually last a couple of weeks without refrigeration. To help keep them fresh even longer, wrap them in vinegar-soaked cheesecloth and store them in a ziplock bag.

Freeze-dried cheese doesn’t require refrigeration and can be stored for years, making it an ideal option for hiking, backpacking, or emergency food kits. And don’t worry — it’s not that suspicious powder you find in boxed macaroni and cheese. It’s 100% real cheese that’s been freeze-dried. It’s full of flavor, tasty, and melts just like fresh cheese.

What can you do with freeze-dried cheese?

You can sprinkle it on your favorite foods or use it in recipes that call for grated cheese. It works well in pasta dishes, soups, sauces, stews and one-pot backpacking meals. It makes a great snack too!

How to use freeze-dried cheese

Rehydrate and then use as if it is regular grated cheese.
Simply put the cheese you want to hydrate into a zip lock bag or bowl. Start to add water slowly while stirring gently. Drizzle the water right over the cheese until it basically won’t accept any more. You don’t want your cheese to be soggy.
Grind freeze-dried cheese in a coffee grinder or run through a food processor to make homemade cheese powder. This form is more preferable for outdoor cooking – it doesn’t require any rehydration and melts so quickly!