Hi fellas,
Maybe someone wiser than me can answer a long-standing curiosity.
I keep reading that the longer you want to ripen a cheese, the drier the curds should be. But I am not sure I understand the logic behind.
What would happen if I tried to long-age a cheese made with relatively moist curds? Will it rotten? Cannot I just vac-pack it and let it ripen for months and months?
I can imagine that very moist cheeses such as a Camembert will just "melt" into goo, but I was thinking of aging for 3-4 months a semi-hard cheese (recipe recommends aging for 4-6).
Do you have a guess as to what will be the outcome?
Thanks for satisfying my curiosity :)
From my little understanding dry cheeses age longer because with less water there is slower enzyme activity taking place. Also spoilage bacteria like more moisture. I'm sure there is more technical reasons. This isn't cheese gospel doctrine just my thoughts so take it for what is worth.
This doesn't answer the question, but I thought it was very fascinating that these wheels are aged up to 18 years: https://luxeadventuretraveler.com/bitto-storico-cheese/
Thanks Chetty, that actually makes a lot of sense. I am still curious as to what would exactly happen to the cheese. I might try the experiment someday.
paulabob that is crazy! I want to try that cheese so bad... I imagine the taste is quite strong!