🧀 Monterey Jack
Also known as: Jack cheese
An American semi-hard cheese from pasteurised cow’s milk, originally from California: under the US standard it has no more than 44% moisture and at least 50% fat in dry matter.
Monterey Jack is an American semi-hard white cheese made from pasteurised cow's milk and named after Monterey, California. Under the US federal standard it has no more than 44 % moisture and at least 50 % milkfat in its solids. It is a young, mild cheese that melts well. 1
Who created it is still argued over in Monterey County. Local records show cheese shipped from Monterey in 1859; Doña Juana Cota de Boronda sold her “queso del país” door to door, Domingo Pedrazzi of Carmel Valley pressed his with a screw device called a jack, and David Jacks, owner of 14 dairy ranches, sold “Jacks' Cheese” far and wide. The name became official in the autumn of 1955, when the US Food and Drug Administration sanctioned it. 5
Under the standard, the milk is soured with lactic acid bacteria and set with a clotting enzyme. The curd is cut, stirred and heated, part of the whey is drained off and water or brine may be added. The curd is then wrapped in muslin, shaped into a ball and pressed, or pressed in a hoop; later the cloth is removed. Up to 0.02 % calcium chloride is allowed, and the rind may be coated with vegetable oil, with or without rice flour. 1
The USDA grading standard recognises three kinds of surface: a natural rind dipped in paraffin or wax, a rindless cheese sealed in a tight wrapper that lets in too little air for a rind to form, and a rindless cheese dipped in paraffin. 2
A plug drawn from good Jack should be reasonably firm. Depending on the method it may show small, evenly spread mechanical openings or a close body, but sweet holes, yeast holes and other gas holes are faults, and the colour should be natural, even and bright. 2
The grades also describe the taste. Grade AA Jack should have a fine, highly pleasing flavour, even if it is barely developed, with at most a very slight acid or feed note. Grade A may be very slightly bitter or flat. Grade B is still fairly pleasing but may show a very slight onion or sour note. 2
At home it belongs in the fridge at 5 °C or below and should not stand out for more than two hours; the USDA advises against freezing, which spoils its quality. 4
Cheese
Monterey Jack belongs to semi-hard cheeses. It is made from pasteurised cow's milk: the curd is cut, warmed, salted and pressed, and ripening lasts only a few weeks. Under the US standard it has no more than 44% moisture and at least 50% fat in dry matter. The cheese is pale, soft and creamy; the long-aged Dry Jack becomes hard enough to grate. Tip: Monterey Jack melts evenly, so it suits quesadillas, nachos and toasted sandwiches.
Composition per 100 g
| Fat | 30.3 g |
|---|---|
| Protein | 24.5 g |
| Carbohydrates | 0.68 g |
| Energy | 373 kcal |
| Calcium | 746 mg |
How it connects to milk
🧀 Monterey Jack → made from → 🥛 Cow's milk → type of → 🥛 Milk
How it connects to Cheese
🧀 Monterey Jack → kind of → 🧀 Cheese
Links
- Packed in
- 🫙 Carton
- Made from
- 🥛 Cow's milk
- How it is made
- 🔄 Curdling, 🔄 Pressing, 🔄 Ripening
- Used in
- 🍽️ Kitchen
- Where it is stored or sold
- 🧊 Refrigerator
- What it contains
- 🧪 Milk fat, 🦴 Calcium
- Traditions
- 🌍 North America, 🧑🤝🧑 Americans
- Product type
- 🏺 Traditional dairy products
- Part of
- 🧀 Cheese, 🧀 Semi-hard cheeses
- Similar and different
- 🧀 Cheddar
Frequently asked questions
Is it true that “enzymes” on a Monterey Jack label means animal rennet?
No. The standard lets the clotting agent be animal, plant or microbial and still be listed simply as “enzymes”. [1]
How are the USDA grades AA, A and B given?
Grades given no sooner than 10 days after making, set by the lowest score for flavour, body and texture, colour, or finish and appearance. [2]
How much moisture may Cheddar have, compared with Jack?
No more than 39 %, against 44 % for Monterey Jack. [7]
How does Colby differ?
Colby may hold up to 40 % moisture, and if its milk is not pasteurised it must be cured at least 60 days. [6]
How much protein and calcium does Monterey Jack have?
USDA lists 24.5 g of protein, 30.3 g of fat and 746 mg of calcium per 100 g, with 373 kcal. [9]
What to read next
- 🌍 North America — US and Canada: 9.5 million US cows gave 232 billion lb of milk (2025); Wisconsin makes a quarter of US cheese; Canada runs on dairy quotas.
- 🧑🤝🧑 Americans — The people of the United States in North America, descendants of settlers and Native peoples; their home-grown cheese is California's Monterey Jack.
- 🔄 Curdling — Rennet coagulates casein into a curd (the basis of cheese).
- 🧪 Milk fat — ~3.5% in cow's milk.
- 🧀 Cheddar — A hard aged cow's milk cheese from Somerset; the word is free to use, but West Country Farmhouse Cheddar and Orkney Scottish Island Cheddar are protected.
Similar
🧀 Cream cheese · 🧀 Mozzarella · 🧀 Cheddar · 🧶 Oaxaca cheese · 🧀 Queso fresco · 🧀 Leipäjuusto
ℹ️ Dairy products contain lactose and milk proteins: if you are lactose intolerant or allergic to milk protein, ask a doctor.
What it includes
Sources
- GovInfo CFR 2025 — 21 CFR 133.153 Monterey cheese and monterey jack cheese (U.S. standard of identity)
- USDA AMS — United States Standards for Grades of Monterey (Monterey Jack) Cheese (1996)
- GovInfo CFR 2025 — 21 CFR 133.154 High-moisture jack cheese
- USDA FNS (CSFP) — How to Store and Handle USDA Foods Cheese (2021)
- Monterey County Historical Society — The “True” Story of Monterey Jack Cheese (W. Moss)
- 21 CFR 133.118 — Colby cheese (eCFR)
- 21 CFR 133.113 — Cheddar cheese (eCFR)
- 21 CFR 133.193 — Spiced, flavored standardized cheeses (eCFR)
- USDA FoodData Central — Cheese, monterey (FDC 170844)