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Hello All,

As far as aging boards go, i know you can buy cutting boards for this purpose.  I recently bought a few bamboo ones, price was right and they are nice to look at.

Can you go to the local lumber yard (Home Depot or Lowe's here in the states) and pick up some appropriate wood and make your own?  If so, is there any special treatment that needs to happen to the board before it is able to be used for aging of cheese?

Now considering that I will be using wooden boards for my cheese aging, how should I be cleaning my boards between uses?

Thanks for any input here.

Bill

Hi Bill, good questions. If you are not in a rush, there are way more experienced cheese makers that me who should be able to give you some great advice. Meanwhile the articles here may give you some support and ideas on this subject.

From what I have learned you don't need to finish the boards but they should be finely sanded to prevent pours from filling with cheese and whey and washed in warm soapy water but not soaked in water.

I have not yet aged cheese, but I am thinking about trying my first cheddar.  What type of wood is best for aging (ie should I get a cutting board) and which should I avoid (discoloring, toxins)??

Thanks!!
Jaq

Most places that use wood actually use rough sawn.  Spruce and pine are normally used, but opinions vary on woods.  They get steamed in between uses.  I wouldn't use wood at home, personally, more trouble than it's worth.  Instead, just make Vacherin D'Or.

Quote from: FRANCOIS on August 29, 2009, 07:02:01 AM
Most places that use wood actually use rough sawn.  Spruce and pine are normally used, but opinions vary on woods.  They get steamed in between uses.  I wouldn't use wood at home, personally, more trouble than it's worth.  Instead, just make Vacherin D'Or.

Old post, but after a taste of Uplands's Rush Creek Reserve, Vacherin D'Or is what I'd like to make a go of (while my tommes are aging....geo is starting to show up on all 3, now).  I've gleaned some info, but only loose ideas, and not skilled enough yet to replicate based on what I've seen.   Francois, do you (or anyone), have a specific recipe to play with?  I've got camembert molds, but would like to try the real deal, gathering in cheese cloth and wrapping in spruce bark (in surfeit, on my in-law's land in the U.P.).

Thanks.

Here is a picture taking the spruce under-bark strips for Vacherin D'Or. Great cheese!I had a whole file but can't seem to find it.

Here are a couple more pics 50 Km north of Geneva

Thanks, Joe - I, too, had seen the "bark stripping" video somewhere, now I can't remember where...

Beautiful pics, though - much inspiration!

I just read this and the suggestion of using spruce or pine does not seem correct.
My inspector told me "only hardwood" can be used in any thing that touches the cheese.

Quote from: steffb503 on February 19, 2011, 11:11:30 AM
I just read this and the suggestion of using spruce or pine does not seem correct.
My inspector told me "only hardwood" can be used in any thing that touches the cheese.

Not sure about NY, but spruce is quite traditional - the bark wrapping, shelving as well.