Homemade Pimento Cheese Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What are the ingredients in palmetto cheese pimento cheese? ›

Palmetto Cheese is gluten free, made with Wisconsin sharp cheddar, cream cheese, mayonnaise and chopped pimentos along with other quality ingredients.

Whereas pre-packaged pimento cheese can last up to four weeks in the fridge, the homemade version will not last quite as long due to the lack of stabilizers and preservatives — it will only last for about one week.

If you can't find pimento peppers, roasted red peppers are a great substitute. Chop them up until you have a scant one-half cup. I used jarred peppers for my recipe tests, but you could go the extra mile and roast your own peppers.

Most types of cheese only need two or three ingredients, milk, cultures and rennet. These simple ingredients will ripen the milk, form curds and whey and add flavor to the finished cheese.

Most Southerners have fond memories of a loving aunt mixing up a batch for a church gathering, while Northerners haven't the foggiest idea what pimento cheese even is. Affectionately referred to as “Carolina caviar” or “Southern pate,” it has been a Southern staple for well over 50 years.

If you're hosing a Masters watch party, Homemade Pimento Cheese Dip is something that you can easily prep ahead. Follow the recipe as written, and keep refrigerated in an airtight container until you're ready to serve for up to a week.

Palmetto Cheese is a trademark for a brand of pimento cheese from Pawleys Island Specialty Foods, a division of Get Carried Away, based in Pawleys Island, South Carolina. It is manufactured and packaged at Duke Sandwich Productions located in Easley, South Carolina.

If you have homemade pimiento cheese to use up, our test kitchen suggests storing it covered in the refrigerator for up to one week.

While you can put pimento cheese in the freezer for up to three months, it can affect the texture. We suggest putting it to good use in a recipe after freezing! Is pimento cheese served hot or cold? Pimento cheese is perfect for parties, no matter how you like to share it!

The spread of pimento cheese

It may have become popular in the South because it didn't spoil easily at room temperature, making it easy to pack in lunchboxes, particularly for textile workers. But it was also fashionable as a sandwich in tea rooms.

Why is my pimento cheese too thick? ›

The pimento cheese will thicken up in the refrigerator; if you want it to be thinner in a day or two, simply add more mayonnaise.

Costco has reportedly stopped selling Palmetto Cheese after the owner of the pimento cheese brand called Black Lives Matter a "terror organization."

Pimento cheese is most closely associated with Southern cuisine and has been referred to as the "pâté of the South", "Carolina caviar" and "the caviar of the South." Pimento cheese sandwiches have a long history at the Masters Tournament.

Pimento is a dried berry from a tropical evergreen tree. Its pleasant aroma resembles a blend of cloves, cinnamon and nutmeg with peppery overtones, and is used to flavour pickles, relishes, sauces, poultry, fish, stuffings and cooked vegetables. The warm, aromatic spice may be used in cakes, puddings and preserves.

One of my favorite Southern specialities is pimento cheese, which is often referred to as “the pâté of the South.” Made from sharp Cheddar, mayonnaise, cream cheese, and jarred pimentos, this spread is wonderful on crackers, crudités, sandwiches, or even burgers.

INGREDIENTS: Extra Sharp Cheddar Cheese (Pasteurized Milk, Cheese Cultures, Salt Enzymes, Annatto For Color), Mayonnaise (Soybean Oil, Vinegar, Eggs, Egg Yolks, Salt, Sugar, Water, Lemon Juice Concentrate, Dried Garlic, Spices), Pimento (Pimento, Water, Citric Acid), Jalapeño (Jalapeño Peppers, Water, Vinegar, Salt, ...

The Beginning of Pimento Cheese

According to Serious Eats, back in the 1870s, New York farmers started making soft, unripened cheese that eventually evolved into cream cheese. Around the same time, Spain began sending canned red peppers or "pimiento" over to the United States.

It's made with shredded Cheddar cheese, mayonnaise, and pimento peppers, though cream cheese is often added for texture and taste along with a few seasonings and spices. And while it may not be the most attractive-looking spread in the world, it wins big time for its cheesy, tangy taste and creamy texture.