Your Own Home Store: Hydrating THRIVE Cheese

I am in LOVE with THRIVE freeze dried cheese. Dairy happens to be my favorite food group and I can't get enough cheese. It is a huge part of my diet. Months ago, I was very happy to find out that Shelf Reliance had freeze dried cheese. However, I was skeptical as to just how good it would taste. My first experience was with the cheddar cheese at a THRIVE party. I tried it strait out of the can: it tasted like cheeze-its! It was good, but it wasn't going to satisfy my need for cheese strait out of the can.

I needed to see what it tasted like hydrated. I decided to try it on pizza. So, I got out my mozzarella, added some hot water, and waited for it to hydrate.

Problem: hot water melts cheese!

I tried again: this time with cold water. It hydrated fine, but then was sopping wet. So, I strained it and let it sit on a paper towel for a while. IT TURNED OUT AWESOME! It tasted just like fresh cheese. I was sold. I immediately ordered a few more cans. Real cheese that lasts 20 years!? Unheard of!

So, after all my trial and error, here are my tips for getting it to re-hydrate perfectly:

Spread the cheese you want to hydrate on a shallow plate or pan. Add just enough COLD water to cover. Let it sit for 3-5 minutes.
Stir it up a bit (you may need to add a little more water) and let it sit for another 3-5 minutes.
Pour into a strainer and let it drain, but don't squeeze / smash it.
Once it has drained completely, spread it over a paper towel and let it sit for 15-20 minutes until almost dry.
Add 1 T. cornstarch to a plastic bag.
Add cheese to bag, shake it up a bit and place in refrigerator until ready to use.

Now, when do you need to re-hydrate the cheese first?

If you are using it in a recipe that doesn't surround the cheese in water. For example:

Grilled Cheese
Pizza
On top of Enchiladas
In Tacos

When do you not need to hydrate the cheese first?

If you are using it in a recipe that does surround the cheese in liquid (just remember to add a little extra liquid or your recipe may turn out a bit dry) For example: