Spicy Pepper Jack Cheese

Feel the Burn with Spicy Pepper Jack Cheese

Spicy pepper jack cheese is the perfect choice when you want to add more bite to your burger, kick to your casserole, or more “oh-my-gosh!” goodness to your omelet. This popular cheese variety mixes the mild-mannered flavor of monterey jack with the spicy, zesty heat of peppers like jalapenos, serranos, or habaneros. The result is a powerful taste sensation, where the pepper's spicy burn is perfectly balanced by the cheese's creamy, buttery texture. Spicy pepper jack cheese is a “go-two” ingredient for nachos and enchiladas, sandwiches and burgers, or mac and cheese.

Meet Wisconsin's Spicy Pepper Jack Cheeses

Spicy pepper jack is exactly the kind of cheesy greatness Wisconsin is known for. For more than 180 years, our cheesemakers have been perfecting and improving on traditional recipes to dream up new styles and varieties. Today, we make more than 600 cheeses in Wisconsin. That includes Monterey Jack Jalapeno from Springside Cheese, a mellow monterey jack studded with bits of fiery jalapeno peppers. Smoked Natural Pepper Jack Cheese from Jim's Cheese is a cold-smoked variety with a creamy texture and a peppery bite. And Henning's Pepper Jack Cheese features jalapeno and habanero peppers that deliver a pleasant kick.

Here's the Skinny on Spicy Pepper Jack Cheese

Spicy pepper jack cheese brilliantly fuses the mild flavor and meltability of monterey jack with the fireworks of spicy jalapeno, habanero, serrano, chipotle, or ghost peppers. It's a powerful flavor combination that adds spicy zest to burgers, nachos, pasta, casseroles, grilled vegetables, and cheese boards. This semi-soft, cow's milk cheese boasts a buttery flavor and slight sweetness, with heat that ranges from medium to a five-alarm burn, depending on the peppers the cheese is made with.

Who invented spicy pepper jack cheese?

Monterey jack cheese originated in Monterey, California, in the 18th century. While it's believed that Franciscan monks first brought a form of jack cheese to California, this mild, white cheese with a creamy texture and slight sweetness found its popularity in the 19th century when a California businessman named David Jack expanded production and distribution. As the volume grew, cheesemakers began experimenting with other ingredients, mixing small bits of spicy peppers with the cheese curd.

How is spicy pepper jack made?

Spicy pepper jack cheese is made with curds from cow's milk, which are washed and then drained of whey. The curd is salted and mixed with bits of pepper, then placed in cheesecloth for shaping and additional draining. The cheese is then aged for several weeks to several months.

How hot is spicy pepper jack?

Spicy pepper jack cheese ranges from medium to ultra-hot, depending on the types of peppers that are used to make it. The amount of heat in a pepper is designated in Scoville Heat Units (SHU), which measure the number of times a pepper must be diluted before the heat in the pepper can no longer be detected. Milder peppers like jalapenos typically measure 2,000 to 8,000 SHUs, while habanero peppers are in the 100,000 to 350,000 range. The ghost pepper may have an SHU rating of up to 1.5 million, while the Carolina Reaper - the world's hottest pepper - has an SHU rating of around 2 million. And yes, there is a Wisconsin cheddar that features this firebomb of a taste experience!

Videos: Discover Your Next Favorite Cheese

What to Sip and Savor with Spicy Pepper Jack

There are two approaches to pairing spicy cheese like pepper jack with food and beverages. You might choose wines, beers, and cheese board ingredients with big, bold flavor profiles that can go toe-to-toe with the cheese. Or you might opt to contrast the cheese's spicy creaminess with light and sweet pairings.

Pairing food

For savory pairings, consider olives, radishes, and pickled vegetables, along with spicy cured meats. Sweeter options include fruits like blackberries, pears, dried mango, and strawberries. Raspberry jelly is a lovely complement to spicy pepper jack cheese - the sweetness of the jelly is a perfect contrast to the buttery heat of the cheese.

Pairing beverages

Spicy pepper jack cheese loves a prosecco or riesling for their sweet sides. The sweetness of the wine helps smooth out the power of the peppers. Alternately, try a big-bodied red like a zinfandel if you want a wine that will stare your spicy pepper jack in the eye and not back down. For beer, a lighter lager or red ale offer a pleasant contrast, while a stout or brown ale will hold its own with your pepper jack cheese.

FAQs

What is spicy pepper jack cheese?

Spicy pepper jack cheese is made with monterey jack cheese to which bits of peppers or peppercorns are added before the cheese is pressed into a mold.

What makes cheese spicy?

Spicy cheese like pepper jack gets its heat from the hot peppers, peppercorns, horseradish, mustard seed, or spices that are added to the curd or rubbed onto the rind.

Does Wisconsin make other types of spicy cheese?

When searching for spicy cheese from Wisconsin, you'll find everything from ghost pepper cheese and pepper colby jack to honey sriracha gouda and jalapeno cheese curd snacks. Wisconsin is also home to hundreds of other varieties of spicy, savory, and sweet cheese, including classics like parmesan, cheddar, swiss, havarti, mozzarella, and fontal.

Craving award-winning aged cheddar, pining for parmesan, or searching for a new cheese to try? The world’s best cheese is just a click away! Explore our directory of Wisconsin cheesemakers and retailers who offer online cheese shopping and get cheese shipped right to your door. What are you waiting for?

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