One of the perks of my job is early access to new products — cookbooks, gadgets and groceries. These products are often sent to me unsolicited, but sometimes I receive a pitch for something that intrigues me enough that I request a sample or review copy.
When determining which products to write about, I try to be mindful of availability. Cookbooks can be ordered from practically any bookseller (even before their release date) and kitchen gadgets, when not available from local brick-and-mortar kitchen stores can often be ordered from the manufacturer's website, but food products are tricky. I simply have no way of knowing if a product is available where you shop. Just because one Kroger, Walmart or Harps store carries it doesn't mean they all do. Furthermore, the fact that one store has it the day I'm there doesn't guarantee they'll have it the day you shop.
And that's why I don't often write about specific products. But today, I'm making an exception for Crystal Farms Cheese Wraps.
The wraps are thin, foldable, 6-inch-round slices of cheese available in mozzarella and marble jack. They're being marketed to the keto crowd as a replacement for bread, but I found them to be perfect for making quesadillas as they were an exact fit for my flour tortillas. If using them to make wrap sandwiches, be careful not to overstuff them. I recommend a large leaf of butter lettuce as backup. But they are easy to fold and work as advertised.
I can't tell you where to buy them — I can tell you the wraps are listed on the websites of several grocery chains with stores in Arkansas, and the Crystal Farms website, crystalfarmscheese.com has a list of retailers.
But don't worry, I wouldn't whet your appetite only to leave you with no options for sating it.
It is possible to make your own cheese wraps. The method in this "recipe" is loosely based on a video by 2KrazyKetos.
Their do-it-yourself wraps are a bit different from Crystal Farms. Notably, they're a little, um, greasy because they're made by melting and re-firming cheese. But they're inexpensive and you can make them in almost any flavor you like, so the pros outweigh the con in this case.
I made them with bagged shredded cheese and with cheese I grated myself. Both worked great. To get the wraps evenly thin and round, I had the best luck using the bottom of a pie plate, but you can use a rolling pin or even your fingers.
DIY Cheese Wraps
8 to 12 ounces shredded cheese such as cheddar, colby, Monterey Jack, mozzarella or Swiss
Dried herbs, chile powder, cumin, crushed red pepper flakes, optional
Special equipment:
Microwave safe bowl
Rubber spatula
8 (11-by-15-inch) pieces parchment paper
Glass pie plate or rolling pin
For each wrap:
Place 1 to 1 ½ ounces of cheese and a pinch of any desired herbs or spices, if using, in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave for 20 to 30 seconds or until just melted.
Arrange an 11-by-15-inch sheet of parchment paper with the long side parallel to your work surface. Using a rubber spatula, scrape the melted cheese onto one-half of the parchment. Fold parchment over cheese. Gently press into a circle, using the bottom of the pie plate, a rolling pin or your fingers. Refrigerate until set, 1 to 2 minutes. Repeat with the remaining cheese and additional parchment. Wraps can be used immediately or stored in parchment inside an airtight container, such as a zip-close bag, for up to a week.
Makes about 8 wraps.
Food on 04/15/2020