This Wiki Article discusses Ripening Containers which are normally used in small hobby scale cheese making to provide high humidity environments for ripening certain cheese types. This article is divided into the following sections:
Need For Ripening Containers
Ripening or aging of cheeses is normally at certain small temperature and humidity range which depends on cheese type and ripening stage. Temperature range is normally provided from a Cheese Cave, a term used to describe a device in which to age cheeses, information is available in the Wiki: Cheese Cave Requirements and Wiki: Example Cheese Caves. The problem with many cheese caves is that many are refrigerators which while having good temperature control but poor humidity control and often very low humidity as the fridge dehydrates the air as part of it’s refrigeration. A Ripening Container is a term used to describe a device normally smaller than a Cheese Cave which fits inside the cave to provide a higher humidity environment “micro-climate” required by the cheese inside during the different stages of it’s aging.
Key Requirements
- Large enough to fit the number of cheeses, or multiple containers.
- Fits inside cheese cave without wasting space (for other cheeses).
- Lid can be left ajar to regulate the humidity as whey – moisture is given off of the cheeses.
- Raised mat at bottom to enable cheese to be up out of drained whey vs sitting in whey and possibly getting yeast infection, and so that air can circulate across bottom of cheese.
- Food grade material.
Example Uses
- Surface ripened white bloomy Penicillium candidum cheeses like Brie, Camembert, and Saint-Marcellin.
- Blue Penicillium roqueforti cheeses like Danablu, Gorgonzola, Roquefort, and Stilton.
- White & blue mold cheeses like Bleu de Bresse and Cambozola.
- Washed rind – smear ripened cheeses such as Époisses, Limberger, Munster, Port Salut, and Taleggio.
Example Containers
- New Zealand based Sistema’s Klip It brand small Deli Storer Plus model food container, ones in picture were purchased from large US-Canada “The Container Store” chain store and fit two standard Camembert cheeses but are not tall enough for many other style cheeses.
- Large food grade containers from large supply stores like WalMart with mats cut to fit the container and spacer to raise mat cut with wire pliers from 2 ft x 4 ft sheet of hung ceiling fluorescent light fixture “egg crate” screen material. Material in picture was found at large North American Home Depot store. Fits any size cheese but is not space in refrigerator efficient.
- Click on picture to enlarge and click on picture again if want full size.