Sorta OT - Saving parmesan

Botch

Anybody know a trick to rescue a chunk of Parmesan cheese that's dried out?  I buy the real stuff in about a 3" chunk, but it often gets too hard to grate if it sits wrapped in the frig too long.  
I made spaghetti on NYE day, my cheese was hard and no way I was going to run to the market before NYE.  I tried microwaving the 1"-square for 45 seconds, it made a loud pop and deformed delightfully, but did not soften.
I do know not to throw those hard chunks out; if you drop one into a long-simmering pot of soup or stew, long enough, you can then fish out the rind and the cheese blends into the soup nicely.  

fishlessman

when you buy it, chip it in half and freeze half. i always buy the smallest piece i can find but freezing would help.

ValleyGirl

I find freezing parm dries it out, the parm that I make is cured for a minimum of 6 months and have left it for much longer.  Once it is cured it's vac packed and into the fridge.  I think your parm is only good now for as you say soups and sauces, sorry!

fishlessman

google says to grate it in a food processor, probably more like the stuff in those plastic kraft shakers

Botch

fishlessman said:

google says to grate it in a food processor, probably more like the stuff in those plastic kraft shakers

As even my new/sharp Micro-Plane grater can't cut it, I'd fear destroying my food processor!  

paqman

If your microplane won’t work then I would say keep it for soupe/pasta sauce.  I use the hard rind when making tomato sauce and it is awesome!

Next time, use more!

nolaegghead

I think this might warrant a visit to that cool custom tool cabinet you have with all the hand planers, chisels, etc.

bubbajack

nolaegghead said:

I think this might warrant a visit to that cool custom tool cabinet you have with all the hand planers, chisels, etc.

^^^^^Agree!^^^^^

Gulfcoastguy

Maybe a good wack or two with a hammer? 

caliking

Vac seal it.

Either split it, and vac seal the half that will be used later, or vac seal the whole thing in a longer bag, so you can cut it open, use, then reseal using the same bag. 

lkapigian

for some reason I think of Saving SIlverman when I see the title 

Canugghead

lkapigian said:

for some reason I think of Saving SIlverman when I see the title 

When I fast scrolled the main page I thought I saw 'Saving paqman'

Honest @paqman

Ozzie_Isaac

This should solve your problem.  Doesn't matter if it gets hard, it is already shaved.

Battleborn

Ozzie_Isaac said:

This should solve your problem.  Doesn't matter if it gets hard, it is already shaved.

There is a great vulgar joke there, but I will refrain. 

Ozzie_Isaac

Battleborn said:

Ozzie_Isaac said:

This should solve your problem.  Doesn't matter if it gets hard, it is already shaved.

There is a great vulgar joke there, but I will refrain. 

🤣 I should have reread my post.

paqman

🤣😂

JohnInCarolina

https://twitter.com/JoeBangles11/status/1479401895341051904?s=20

Not quite what you had in mind, @Botch, I know but… food for thought?  

Ozzie_Isaac

JohnInCarolina said:

https://twitter.com/JoeBangles11/status/1479401895341051904?s=20

Not quite what you had in mind, @Botch, I know but… food for thought?  

If I was Elon Musk or Jeff Bezos, I would buy it all just as a joke.

Botch

JohnInCarolina said:

https://twitter.com/JoeBangles11/status/1479401895341051904?s=20

Not quite what you had in mind, @Botch, I know but… food for thought?  

About five years ago the local grocery chain, Harmon's, set up cheese kiosks in their stores, mine had 240 different cheeses, and I was in Heaven.  They also had one of those big wheels of Parmesan in the front, with chunks cut off for sale.  This was great, at first, but the last two I purchased were dried out/unusable, and I complained to the manager.  
Apparently others had, too, as the wheels disappeared and individually-wrapped chunks, with a date, appeared and the quality much improved.  I'm thinking they started cutting into just one or two wheels at a central location, and distributing the chunks throughout the Salt Lake valley; I'm okay with that.