What Is Hoop Cheese?

Hoop cheese is the name of a mild, semisoft cow's milk cheese originating in the American South. Other names include red ring cheese or baker's cheese. Today, the name may be used to refer to this traditional cheese or to modern versions that more closely resemble cheddar cheese.

What Is Hoop Cheese?

Hoop cheese is a highly perishable, semisoft to semifirm cheese produced in the Southern United States in the 19th century and the first half of the 20th century. It was typically displayed for sale at small-town town general stores, where the proprietor would cut wedges for customers to order using a special cheese cutter. The wheel sat on a rotating round board, with a large knife suspended above that could cut a wedge of a precise weight for a customer.

Hoop cheese is similar to simple, fresh cheeses such as farmer's cheese, which is made with milk, cream, and salt, or dry-curd cottage cheese, which is typically salted. However, traditional hoop cheese is made from cow's milk only, with no salt or cream added. Because of this, the cheese had a much shorter shelf life than aged cheeses, only one to two weeks. It also has a very mild, neutral flavor and a rubbery texture when young. Because it was so perishable, hoop cheese was typically made by the store owner or a nearby cheesemaker or farmer and was not mass produced or transported for sale outside of the area where it was produced.

What's in a Name?

Hoop cheese got its name from the hoop-shaped molds that were used to drain and shape the curds. It's also called red ring cheese, after the red-wax coating typically applied to wheels. Baker's cheese, the name for the soft, fresh version of hoop cheese, is so named because it's often used to make baked goods such as cakes and pies.

How Hoop Cheese Is Made

Raw milk is heated in a large vat, and then cultures, beneficial bacteria used in cheesemaking, are added to the milk. Depending on the recipe, rennet may be added to coagulate the milk, or the milk may be coagulated by allowing it to culture for several hours.

The curd is cut with a large knife into half-inch pieces, then the curds and whey are heated and stirred to remove moisture. When the curds are springy and rubbery, they are drained into wide, round cheese molds lined with cheesecloth and pressed firmly to remove all remaining whey. The 22-pound wheels are coated in red or black wax before being cut and sold by the piece to customers.

Types

Today, hoop cheese is still produced and sold, but it more often resembles a mild cheddar cheese. Contemporary versions may be produced with the addition of salt and annatto, which adds a bright orange color. Modern hoop cheese may be aged to have a sharper flavor. Hoop cheese can be found at small grocery stores, restaurants, and gas stations across the American South or purchased online. It's also produced and sold by cheesemakers in Wisconsin.

The name hoop cheese or baker's cheese may also be used to refer to a softer, fresh cheese similar to farmer's cheese—basically the drained curds of hoop cheese before they have been pressed and waxed.

Substitutes

Mild, semisoft cheeses such as young cheddar or Monterey Jack can be used as a substitute for hoop cheese in recipes. Dry-curd cottage cheese or ricotta cheese may be used as a substitute for baker's cheese.

Uses

Hoop cheese can be eaten as a table cheese, on sandwiches, or used in cooking. It can be used as a soft, creamy melting cheese along with a sharper, more flavorful cheese in macaroni and cheese recipes or grated and melted into casseroles. Hoop cheese is also a traditional ingredient in pimento cheese spread.

Storage

Store hoop cheese in the refrigerator. Wrap the cheese in a piece of wax paper or parchment paper, then put it in an unsealed plastic sandwich bag or plastic container. This will allow for some airflow while protecting the cheese from drying out.

Hoop cheese will keep in your refrigerator for up to two weeks. Remove any mold growth on the surface by cutting around the mold with a knife to remove it completely, taking care not to touch the knife with the mold.

Hoop Cheese Recipes

• Chicken and Ham Pasta Bake
• Easy Cheddar Cheese Sauce
• Sausage Cheddar Biscuits

Can You Eat the Rind?

Hoop cheese has a waxed rind, which is inedible and should be removed before eating.