Applewood Cheddar
Applewood Cheddar
Raw
A2-A2
100% Grass Fed
- Raw
- A2A2
- 100% Grass-Fed & Regeneratively Raised
- Traditional Animal Rennet
- Artisan, Small-Batch
- No Chemicals, No GMOS
- No Antibiotics, Hormones, or Vaccines
- Description
- Ingredients
- Standards
- Best Uses
Crafted the way cheese used to be made, our raw cheddar retains all of its natural nutrients and enzymes, delivering superior flavor and a wealth of health benefits. Unlike many industrial cheeses, we use traditional animal rennet (no vegetable or GMO FPC rennet here!)—making our cheese not only more authentic but also easier on your digestive system.
The raw milk used in our cheddar comes from 100% grass-fed, regeneratively raised Jersey cows. These cows are carefully rotated on lush pastures, ensuring they graze on a variety of nutrient-dense forages. This natural diet contributes to healthier cows and, in turn, healthier cheese. Our cows are A2A2, meaning they produce milk that’s gentler on the digestive system, so many people who can’t tolerate traditional dairy can enjoy this cheese without discomfort.
The benefits don’t stop at digestion. Nourish cheeses are packed with essential nutrients like bioavailable calcium, vitamin K2, lactoferrin, and anti-inflammatory phytochemicals that promote overall wellness. Raw cheese is also a natural source of B vitamins, bioavailable protein, and gut-friendly probiotics—a true superfood!
Say goodbye to bland, pasteurized cheese that’s been stripped of its nutrients. With our traditional methods and the highest-quality A2 raw milk, our Applewood Smoked Cheddar offers you a richer, more nourishing experience—just like our ancestors enjoyed for over 7,000 years.
To get the full benefits of raw cheese, it’s best to enjoy it uncooked or add it to dishes at the end of cooking when the heat is lower. What makes raw cheese unique? It’s made from raw milk, which means it’s never heated above 110°F—the temperature the milk comes out of the cow’s teat, preserving its natural enzymes, probiotics, and beneficial bacteria.
Here are some of the best ways to enjoy raw cheese:
- Raw Enjoyment: Eat it straight as a snack, include raw slices in your meals, or pair it with fresh fruit on a charcuterie board for a delicious, easy snack.
- Toppings After Cooking: Add raw cheese to dishes after they’ve been cooked, such as thinly slicing, grating or shredding and placing it on top of a bowl of roasted potatoes, rice, eggs, hashes, sourdough bread slices, or a freshly cooked burger patty. For pasta, stir in chunks after cooking or freshly grate. For pizza, sprinkle it atop a freshly baked sourdough crust with tomato sauce and herbs for a delightful touch.
With this approach, you allow the cheese to gently melt a top your cooked meal without exposure to high heat.
While it’s best to avoid high heat, don’t be afraid to use raw cheese in dishes above 110°F! You don't ruin the cheese and it doesn't lose all of its value! While some of its probiotic and enzymatic benefits may be lost, key nutrients like CLA, Vitamin K2, and bioavailable minerals like calcium will still be present. The rich, complex flavors of the cheese will still enhance your recipes.
For maximal gut health benefits, consuming cheese in its raw form or using low-heat cooking methods is your best bet!
However, even when cooked, the high quality of our raw cheese—thanks to the care and pasture-raised diets of the cows—means that it still adds a ton of nutritional value and depth of flavor to your meals.
Applewood Cheddar Reviews
Great cheese!
Frances
31/08/2024
Cheese review
Carol
31/08/2024
Holy cow!
Jim F
05/09/2024
Amazed
Bethann
06/09/2024
Incredible cheese
Carla
06/09/2024
Extraordinary!
Bonnie
06/09/2024
Great order
Sharon
19/09/2024
Cheese!
Brenda M
31/10/2024
Nourish cheese
Rachel M
18/11/2024
Cheese
Dave G
16/12/2024
artisan cheese box
Jan M
31/01/2025
Wow
Berry
07/09/2024
THE BEST
Theresa
06/06/2024
Delicious
Jenny
15/12/2023
The best
Tammy
20/02/2024
Blown away
Carolyn
06/03/2024
Just so good
Barb
04/03/2024
Wow
Bob
05/02/2024
Finally can eat cheese
Erin
10/05/2024
WOW
Eric
20/02/2025
Finally eating cheese again
Debra
21/02/2025
Thank you <3
Victoria
22/02/2025
No indigestion
Christie
29/03/2025
The best!
Bruce
13/04/2025
incredible taste!!!
Grace
19/11/2023
Best cheese ever
Sharon
23/02/2024
Store doesn't compare
Rita
01/06/2025
Raw & Nutrient-Dense
For thousands of years, raw cheese has been a dietary staple for good reason—it’s packed with natural enzymes, probiotics, and vital nutrients that support digestion and overall health. When milk is pasteurized, many of these beneficial components are lost, which is why raw cheese is often easier to digest and more nutrient-dense. The natural enzymes and probiotics in raw cheese integrate into the gut microbiome, supporting digestive health and helping maintain microbial balance. It truly is Mother Nature’s probiotic, delivering benefits that pasteurized cheese simply can’t match.
In addition to its probiotic power, raw cheese is rich in lactoferrin, a powerful antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory protein that promotes gut health by encouraging the growth of good bacteria, protecting the gut lining, and preventing harmful toxins from entering the bloodstream. Lactoferrin also supports bone health, improves cognitive function, and enhances metabolic function. Since lactoferrin is a heat-sensitive protein, its concentration and bioactivity is reduced through pasteurization.
Our raw cheese is made from milk sourced from rotationally grazed livestock on diverse, nutrient-rich pastures. This results in cheese with higher concentrations of vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients, bioactive compounds that have anti-inflammatory and anti-carcinogenic properties. With its superior nutrient profile, it’s no wonder that so many of our customers can finally enjoy cheese again!
Traditional Animal Rennet, No GMOs
If you’ve ever struggled to digest cheese, it might not be the dairy itself—but instead, how its made. At Nourish, we honor traditional cheesemaking methods, using only natural animal rennet to curdle our milk.
Unfortunately, over 90% of cheese in the U.S. is made with fermentation-produced chymosin (FPC), a genetically modified enzyme that has only been minimally tested for long term safety. Many who find conventional cheese hard to digest may actually be reacting to FPC, not the dairy itself. In contrast, our cheese is made the old-fashioned way, with just four simple ingredients: milk, salt, starter culture, and traditional animal rennet.
Animal rennet, derived from the stomach lining of ruminant animals like cows, has been used for thousands of years and is naturally easy to digest. It is a far cry from the synthetic, lab-made alternatives used in most mass-produced cheese. By using animal rennet, we ensure that our cheese is pure, nutrient-dense, and free from genetically modified ingredients. No synthetic enzymes, no shortcuts—just real, traditional cheese that’s as nature intended, making it easier for your body to enjoy and benefit from.
The A2A2 Difference
Many of our customers have found they can finally enjoy dairy again, and the key is that all of our cheese is made from milk from A2A2 cows, goats, and sheep, which means the dairy contains only the A2 casein protein variant, which is easier to digest for many relative to A1 casein. Historically, humans only consumed A2 dairy from traditional breeds of cows, goats, and sheep, which naturally produce the A2 form of beta-casein. The shift to A1 dairy has occurred relatively recently with the rise of modern commercial breeds like the Holstein. Unlike typical cheese on the market, which contains a mix of A1 and A2 casein, our cheese is carefully crafted from A2A2 milk, making it gentler on the digestive system.
This difference is especially relevant when it comes to cheese, as it’s almost pure casein—since most of the whey is drained out during the cheese-making process. The casein proteins in cheese are concentrated, and with our A2A2 dairy, you’re getting a smoother, easier-to-digest option. A2A2 dairy has been shown to improve gut health, lactose tolerance, and overall digestive comfort. For those sensitive to traditional dairy, switching to our A2A2 cheese can offer a more enjoyable experience without the discomfort.
