Dry Jack Cheese
Monterey Jack Cheese

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dry Jack Cheese
Made in northern California and unlike most cheese, Dry Jack Cheese is aged standing up on its edge, perpendicular to the floor. The wheels have to be hand-rotated regularly throughout the aging process to ensure even moisture and flavor distribution.

It has a firm texture and low moisture making it an ideal addition to your camping and hiking provisions. That's why it's known as the "backpackers cheese".

The invention of this cheese began back in 1931.
Tom Vella had arrived in Sonoma nearly a decade earlier. He held various jobs with the Sonoma Mission Creamery, in which his brother, Joseph, owned considerable stock. By 1931, Tom had built a reputation for hard work, honesty, and a talent for making superior cheeses. It was that year that a group of dairymen called on Tom with an idea they had been mulling over for a while. They wanted to know if he would be interested in starting a cheese factory of his own if they guaranteed him all the quality bulk milk he would need to operate it successfully. Tom jumped at the opportunity.

A Scot named David Jacks, whose name it carries today, originally created the cheese recipe in the Gold Rush Days in Monterey. Tom knew a winner when it rolled across his counter. Their focus on quality has made Ig Vella Dry Jack an American classic.

 

Dry Jack is Monterey Jack cheese made from
skim or part-skim milk that has been aged for
an additional 7 to 10 months.

 

 

Return from Dry Jack Cheese to Types of Cheese

Or return to Finger Food Recipes Home Page