Cream Cheese

From a reader:

Still haven't found Einstein's shmear info online - but next time I get their bagels, I'll bet they'll have it at the store.  I agree it's the best.

So, Philly has 5 ingredients : pasterurized milk and cream, salt, carob bean gum and cheese culture.

Lucerne, which is Albertson's house brand, has pasteurized milk and cream, cheese culture, salt, guar gum, carob bean gum and xanthan gum.  I imagine most house brands have a similar surfeit of ingredients.

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The order they're listed is representative of their proportion in the product.  So, Lucerne has markedly more cheese culture since it's the 3rd listed, where it's last on the Philly list.

I buy only Philly for certain things (cheesecake or lox), but I buy house brands on sale and keep them in the freezer for use in a number of cooked recipes where there are enough things going on that I can't tell the difference.  It's fine to use frozen/thawed for hot dips, casseroles, etc., but it wouldn't work for cheesecake or lox.  As it thaws, a lot of water separates and the consistency is weird.  So, if I'm going to make a cheesecake, I get fresh Philly.

Mmmm remembering cheesecake with huckleberry sauce at a restaurant outside of Kalispell - divine.

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I do things similarly for sour cream.  Daisy brand has only 1 ingredient - cultured cream.  Other brands add guar gum, gelatin, etc.  So, if I want sour cream to top baked spuds or blintzes (haven't made blintz in a long time - great "lady lunch" recipe) I'll only get Daisy.  If it's going in a recipe, I may grab another brand on sale.... or not!  Since you can't freeze sour cream, there's no sense stocking up, so I don't keep any more around than what I plan to use.