Looking Back: A History of Pimento Cheese

Pimento cheese has been a staple spread in the South since the early 20th century. Beloved for its versatility and affordable price point throughout the Great Depression and World War II, it remains a classic across generations of Southern families.

While a favorite in the South today, pimento cheese originated in New York around the 1870s, aligning with the creation of cream cheese and the importation of peppers from Spain. At its conception, it was considered a fashionable snack. As it traveled south and the recipe evolved, it adaptated into the affordable spread we know today. Southern cooks adjusted the ingredients by replacing cream cheese with bases like cheddar, hoop cheese or mayonnaise, creating the sharper flavor that’s synonymous with modern-day pimento cheeses. 

Around 1910, farmers in Georgia began growing pimentos, creating a domestic supply of ingredients that propelled the trajectory of popularity and affordability in the South. 

Like many families, the Beall family has their own tradition with pimento cheese. Sam Beall’s grandmother would set out homemade pimento cheese with chips and bread and butter pickles any time visitors came by to see her. Sam Beall continued tradition by serving the spread as a welcome offering in his and Mary Celeste’s home, and eventually they evolved it into a long-standing tradition for guests when they arrived in their room at Blackberry Farm. 

The classic aged cheddar pimento cheese is a longstanding recipe that set the standard at Blackberry Farm. The beloved recipe has been maintained by Executive Chef Josh Feathers and is still enjoyed today by guests on property and fans who restock it from the Blackberry Farm Shop. Around 2017, the Farmstead team experienced a particularly successful milking season which resulted in excess sheep’s milk available to experiment with. They decided to see if they could create a pimento cheese recipe that did justice to the beloved spread but utilized the sheep’s milk collected right here in our Dairy Barn. 

The result was our Blackberry Farm Sheep’s Milk Pimento Cheese! It quickly became a guest favorite and has been a staple at the Farm ever since. This recipe is a beautiful representation of iconic Southern flavor and the Farm-to-table philosophy that is synonymous with the culinary experience at Blackberry Farm.