CheesemakingWrapping and Maturing Hard cheese is matured. A soft mould ripened cheese is ripened. Whatever the terminology, what is required is time, and what happens is that the fresh and unpalatable curd of hard cheese, changes in texture, it 'breaks down' and develops a flavour and texture typical of that variety. Cheese may be wrapped or left to develop its own rind. Soft mould ripened cheese are wrapped to control the growth of the surface mould and the process of ripening. All the wrapping materials, be they paper based or 'plastic' films, are specially formulated for the purpose. Cheese is a living product and the wrapping material is designed to allow this to continue. The method of storage to enable the process of maturing varies, again according to the variety. Some of the softer types of cheese need a moist warm room for the mouldy rind to grow. The washed rind cheese also require moist maturing rooms, but such conditions are totally unsuitable for a Caerphilly or a Cheddar type of cheese. These require a dry room. The optimum temperature for maturation hard cheese varies between 10 and 150C, although in some of the large creameries it is lower. Soft fresh cheese can be consumed when young - as little as a few days or a few weeks old. Many varieties, such as Caerphilly and Cheshire were made on the farm to be eaten when young, with some kept (matured) for the lean winter period. Now most are of one type, although Cheddar can be mild or mature with the latter being a year or more old. No two cheese vats, no two days production will produce identical products. This is one of the exiting aspects of cheese making as well as its eating. At all the large scale units the cheese is assessed (graded) before it is despatched to ensure it is of the desired quality. It is easier for the small scale producer to provide the consumer with his or her choice of cheese by allowing a tasting sample before hand. This is a broad outline of how the many varieties, flavours and taste of cheese occur. The reader is encouraged to both see and experience these many products of Wales Back |
