How Is Blue Cheese Made?
Curds
Blue cheese, or bleu cheese, starts with cheese curds. The cheese makers warm milk to 70 degrees F and dissolve rennet into warm water. Rennet is an animal byproduct that contains an enzyme called rennin. Rennin will help curdle the milk, gelling it to make cheese curds. The cheese makers add a bacterial starter, such as buttermilk, into the warm milk. They then add the rennet. They cover the mixture for about 24 hours until it has turned into a soft solid called a curd. The cheese makers cut the curd into small cubes, then strain these smaller curds in cheesecloth or other suitable strainer to drain out the whey. They store the curds in a cool place for another 24 hours as they drain.
Penicillium
The cheese makers crumble the curd, since it will have solidified somewhat during the draining process. The cheese makers also salt the curds. They add the penicillium, a type of blue-green mold, to the cheese curds. They often do this by blending the mold directly into the cheese curds or inoculating the cheese with the mold after they have pressed it.
Pressing
The cheese makers place the curds into a cheese press, which will press any remaining water out of the cheese and force the curds down into a wheel shape. The curds are pressed enough to form a somewhat dense wheel, but lightly enough that some air pockets are allowed to remain throughout the wheel. The cheese makers leave the cheese in the press for about eight hours. Mixing the mold into the cheese curds will help ensure its even distribution throughout the cheese.
Aerating
After the cheese makers remove the cheese from the press, they poke holes with carefully sterilized instruments, such as a stainless steel rod, through the cheese to aerate it. These holes will make sure that the mold will get the air it needs to grow. The instruments used to create the holes must be sterilized to ensure that no harmful bacteria infect the cheese.
Aging
The cheese makers rub the outside of the cheese with salt and wrap it in cloth. They let the cheese age, or ripen, in a cool box, which maintains the temperature around the cheese at 50 degrees F and the humidity around 70 percent. The humidity will ensure that the cheese doesn't dry out, but it's not so high that it might spoil the cheese. They cheese makers turn the cheese once every day, making sure no moisture is collecting anywhere on the cheese wheel. The longer the cheese ripens, the deeper and stronger the flavor becomes.
Tags: cheese makers, cheese curds, into cheese, Blue Cheese, Blue Cheese Made
