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Cheese ripening, alternatively cheese maturation or affinage, is a process in cheesemaking. It is responsible for the distinct flavour of cheese, and through the modification of " ripening agents ", determines the features that define many different varieties of cheeses, such as taste, texture, and body. [ 2 ]
By taking the cheese through a series of maturation stages where temperature and relative humidity are carefully controlled, allowing the surface mould to grow and the mould-ripening of the cheese by fungi to occur. Mould-ripened cheeses ripen very quickly compared to hard cheeses (weeks against months or years).
Washed-rind cheeses are periodically cured in a solution of saltwater brine or mold-bearing agents that may include beer, wine, brandy and spices, making their surfaces amenable to a class of bacteria (Brevibacterium linens, the reddish-orange smear bacteria) that impart pungent odors and distinctive flavors and produce a firm, flavorful rind around the cheese. [1]
The amount of salt varies, but it will be between 1% and 3% by weight. The salt must be mixed thoroughly. Salt helps remove some of the whey from the cheese, which lowers moisture content, adds to the flavour of the cheese, and will also stop the cheese from becoming too acidic, which imparts a bitter taste.
Surface-ripened cheese is cheese ripened by mold growing on its surface, which changes both its texture and flavor as it matures from the outside inward. The mold often gives the rind distinct colors, such as the white mold (Penicillium camemberti) on Brie and Camembert or the reddish-orange hue on cheeses like Limburger .
Cheeses can be classified according to a variety of features including ripening characteristics, special processing techniques (such as cheddaring) or method of coagulation. Acid-setting is a method of coagulation that accounts for around 25% of cheese production. These are generally fresh cheeses like, queso blanco, quark and cream cheese.
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A platter with cheese and garnishes Cheeses in art: Still Life with Cheeses, Almonds and Pretzels, Clara Peeters, c. 1615. Cheese is a type of dairy product produced in a range of flavors, textures, and forms by coagulation of the milk protein casein. It comprises proteins and fat from milk (usually the milk of cows, buffalo, goats or sheep).