Hi all,
I took a look at my peppered cheddar this morning, which has been ageing the fridge at 10 degrees C / 50 F (this is the best I can do I'm afraid), and it's got dark blue / green mould forming on the top.
It's been through various stages of being pressed, air dried, brined and covered in the fridge since August (nearly two months now) to prevent it from drying out too quickly, and a few days ago it looked and smelled fine before I turned it.
I suppose I want to know a few things:
1. Is this mould a bad mould?
2. If it is a bad mould, can I save it?
3. If this is a good mould, should I encourage it, and how?
4. Is it basically 'ready' to consume after only 2 months?
5. What could have caused this contamination? I always steralise my hands with anti-bacterial hand soap, and shake my hands dry before handling the cheese. Could it have come from the cheese matt? The side which now has mould on it was in contact with the cheese matt a few days ago when I inspected and turned it.
I'm hoping to get an answer on this before the end of the day (It's approximately 11am in the UK at the moment) so I can set about fixing it tonight.
Thanks in advance.