Pimento cheese: Share the love

Today I made a large batch of pimento cheese. My family and I have a love relationship with this “Southern Caviar.” I make it for people I love -  when family is visiting and when I visit them; because northerners are visiting and need a little bit of good old Southern love; and for fellowship hour at church on Sunday because who doesn’t love pimento cheese on celery sticks. It’s all about love.

I make it the way Mom made it. I think of her and play classical music when I make it. One important factor in good pimento cheese is to grind the cheese yourself. I use Mom’s cast iron meat grinder, circ. 1940s. Unlike Mom, whose cheese sometimes had a bit of a metallic taste, I wipe the grinder down with olive oil before grinding the cheese and I only use it for cheese. Mom used good cheese, good mayonnaise, and never an ounce of sugar.

My dad, who grew up with a cook who made their mayonnaise, complained about store-bought mayonnaise and waxed on about how wonderful Mary Zella’s was. I use only Duke’s and it is excellent. Dad, whose taste buds seemed to need a lot more stimulation than Mom’s, was forever trying to get her to add more cayenne pepper or Tabasco sauce.

Pimento cheese has always been in my world. I've licked many cheesy spoons. My brother and sister both recall that, when Mom was making a batch, it was an indication something fun was about to happen. We took pimento cheese sandwiches on picnics, in the car when we traveled, and we always had it when we got together with friends. We eagerly anticipated the coming activities when Mom got out the grinder and bricks of cheese.

Dear family friends sent a hamper of our favorite Southern comfort foods when my family gathered here in Fernandina Beach after Mom died. In addition to ham biscuits, cheese wafers, quiches, and cake, the bounty included a large container of pimento cheese. Mom loved it when her nest was full and there was plenty of good food. It was a perfect way to honor her. Family plus pimento cheese equals a lot of love and that’s even more important when you’re grieving; it is true comfort food.

Not everyone knows about pimento cheese and I do my best to encourage others to enjoy it. At the local Winn Dixie, where I was buying large quantities of cheddar cheese, many jars of pimentos, and several quarts of Duke’s mayonnaise, the young clerk said, “I guess we’ll have to order more cheese.”

I love a good dry sense of humor, so I smiled and added, “I’m making pimento cheese, but you probably figured that out by the rest of the order.”

“Never heard of it,” he said. “I don’t understand. You are making cheese out of … cheese? Crazy.”

Like a good Southern mom, I said, “You sound like you are from around here, so why don’t you know about pimento cheese?”

“Dunno,” he responded.
Noting that he was probably in high school, I said, “When you get home you ask your Mama to make some for you. If you are from the South, you need to know about pimento cheese.”

“What’s a pimento?” he asked.

I held up a jar and said, “Ask your Mama.”

Despite being a true Southerner, my friend Lori doesn’t like mayonnaise; it is hard to eat pimento cheese and ignore the mayonnaise. She says she dislikes mayonnaise so much that she can’t celebrate Cinco de Mayo. I love her anyway.

Katherine Dudley Hoehn was raised in Florida, spent her career in Washington, D.C., and moved to Amelia Island six years ago. She’s finalizing the manuscript of an historical novel based on more than 1,000 family letters and is a member of the Amelia Island Writers. She posts her photography and stories at KatWritesandSnaps.com/blog.

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Large Batch Pimento Cheese Recipe

Fills three one-quart jars

• 2/3 quart of Duke’s mayonnaise
• Four pounds of sharp, extra sharp, and mild cheese (1/2 extra sharp; ¼ sharp; ¼ mild)
• Three 7-ounce jars of diced pimentos (not the roasted kind-the black flecks look bad)
• Juice of 2 lemons or 4 limes
• Tabasco sauce to taste
• Two teaspoons garlic powder to taste
• Fresh ground pepper
• Salt to taste

Grate or grind your cheese; mix mayonnaise, juice, tabasco, garlic, salt, and pepper; add mixture to cheese; drain pimentos and fold them in last.  Adjust tabasco, salt, and pepper to taste.  It is also important to grind/shred your own cheese – pre-shredded cheese has less flavor. Trust me on this (Mom’s instructions).

Serve pimento cheese on celery, toast, plain bread, and good old saltine crackers.  You can’t beat it for grilled cheese sandwiches or added to scrambled eggs.