No, I don't take soup. You can't build a meal on a lake. Elsie de Wolfe (Lady Mendl)
Aging Cheese
Nearly all cheese is subjected to some form of aging. Fresh cheese is the only type that does not undergo the aging process and needs to eaten soon after it's made. The aging process significantly affects the flavor of cheese. While the aging time varies, almost all cheese has some amount of aging.
The aging process is not the only factor that determines the flavor of cheese. The initial steps in the cheese making process also have a big impact on how the cheese will taste. Everything that goes into the cheese making process contributes to the final product. The end result of flavor and consistency may seem like a complicated process. Let's take a closer look at how ingredients affect the aging process.
It is important to know that milk curdles as a result of acid. Cheese makers add acid or bacteria that creates acid in order to get the milk to curdle. The bacteria or acid added to the cheese plays a critical role in how the cheese will age. For example, Emmental (Swiss cheese) is created by using the Propionibacter shermani bacteria. A common penicillum mold is used in some blue cheeses. The acid or bacteria used affects the aging process.
Salt will also have an impact on aging. Microorganisms can either thrive or fail in the chemical environment created by salt. The type of salt and the amount of it that is used affects the aging process. When the salt also has an impact on aging. Good cheese makers will plan ahead and take
Temperature and moisture control are critical to the aging of fine cheese. At various stages the product will be heated or cooled. Even prior to making cheese, for example, milk is pasteurized - a technique in which the milk is heated enough to kill harmful organisms, but below cooking. This adjustment works in tandem with humidity levels and the moisture content of the cheese. A fine, fresh cheese will have a higher water content, a hard cheese will be dryer.
In the case of some fine cheeses, a spray is used not only to control moisture but to add organisms that affect consistency and taste. Blue penicillum mold affects both the ultimate taste and the consistency of the final product. A related strain is used to produce a camembert. The surface mold affects both the interior consistency and the ultimate taste. At this point additives can be introduced, such as spices that also affect the flavor.
All this has to be monitored and adjusted in just the right way to make a cheese worthy of connoisseurs. The affineur controls this process with the delicate sensibility of an artist and the precise knowledge of a scientist.
A fine cheddar may be aged for a few months or as long as two years, for example. An extra sharp cheddar may see even more time in the shed. Cheddar is technically a method of chopping, but the name has become attached to cheese of a certain color, consistency and flavor. The affineur has to observe, sample and apply years of experience to produce just the right outcome.
Even the type of rind plays a part. Some bacteria used will produce a natural rind as the cheese ages. In other cases, washing or the artificial application of compounds produces the rind. Which occurs is one part of the aging process that has to be kept in mind.
A variety of factors affect the ripening and aging process. Microbes, heat, moisture, and enzymes all seriously impact affinage. A good cheese maker will be very selective in what ingredients go into making the cheese. Properly controlling all aspects of the aging process is crucial to producing a great tasting cheese!
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