Andy Montoya
Blue cheese is a generic term for cheese produced with cow's, sheep's, or goat's milk and ripened with cultures of the mould Penicillium. The main method of making blue cheese is piercing or injecting the cheese with mould spores to create its distinctive blue-green veins. Blue cheese is believed to have been discovered by accident when cheeses were stored in caves with naturally controlled temperatures and moisture levels, which created favourable environments for the growth of harmless mould.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Main Method | Piercing the cheese with stainless steel needles to create crevices for oxygen to interact with cultures in the cheese and allow the blue mold to grow from within |
| Mold | One or more strains from the genus Penicillium |
| Milk | Cow, goat, sheep, or even buffalo milk, which may be raw or pasteurized |
| Flavor | From mild to strong, slightly sweet to salty or sharp |
| Texture | From liquid to hard |
| Color | From pale to dark |
| Smell | Distinctive, either from the mold or from various specially cultivated bacteria such as Brevibacterium linens |
| Optional Ingredients | Food coloring to neutralize the yellowish tint, benzoyl peroxide bleach, and vegetable wax for coating the rind |
| Salt | Allowed as a preservative, but the amount shall not exceed 200 parts per million of milk and milk products used to make the cheese |
| Bacterial Cultures | Allowed to aid further ripening and flavoring preparations other than cheese flavoring |
| Fat Content | Minimum of 50% in the United States, 27% in Canada |
| Moisture Content | Maximum of 46% in the United States, 47% in Canada |
| Popular Varieties | Gorgonzola, Stilton, Roquefort, Point Reyes Original Blue, Rogue River Blue, Big Rock Blue, Maytag, Arethusa Blue, Cambozola, St. Agur, Cashel Blue |
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What You'll Learn
Blue cheese types
Blue cheese is a general classification of cheese that has had cultures of the mould Penicillium added. This creates blue, blue-grey or blue-green spots or veins throughout the cheese, and gives it a distinctive smell. Blue cheese can be made from the milk of cows, goats, sheep or even buffalo, and the diet of these animals can also affect the flavour of the cheese. The amount of piercing done to the cheese wheels, how the cheese is ripened and for how long, and whether a rind is allowed to form, can all affect the outcome of the cheese.
There are several types of blue cheese, including:
- Roquefort, which according to legend was one of the first blue cheeses, discovered when a young boy left his bread and ewes' milk cheese in a cave for months.
- Gorgonzola, one of the oldest known blue cheeses, created around 879 AD.
- Stilton, a relatively new addition, becoming popular in the early 1700s.
- Danablu, a 20th-century blue cheese.
- Cambozola, also a 20th-century blue cheese.
- Gorgonzola dolce (Italy).
- Cambozola (Germany).
- St. Agur (France).
- Cashel Blue (Ireland).
- Point Reyes Original Blue (California).
- Rogue River Blue (Oregon).
- Big Rock Blue (California).
- Maytag (Iowa).
- Arethusa Blue (Connecticut).
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The piercing method
Before the piercing method is applied, raw milk (from cattle, goats, sheep, or even buffalo) is mixed and pasteurised at 72 °C (162 °F) for 15 seconds. Then, acidification occurs when a starter culture is added to convert lactose to lactic acid, changing the milk from liquid to solid. Rennet is added to help coagulate the milk, and the curds are cut and drained to release the whey. The curds are then formed into wheels.
At this stage, the piercing method is employed. The wheels of cheese are spiked with stainless steel needles or rods to create oxygenated crevices that facilitate the growth of mould. Penicillium roqueforti, a spore-rich culture, is added to the cheese, contributing to the formation of its signature blue veins. The cheese is then salted to prevent spoilage and aged for 60 to 90 days.
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Ingredients and their quantities
Blue cheese is made from cow, goat, sheep, or even buffalo milk, which may be raw or pasteurized. The type of milk used will affect the flavour of the cheese. The animals' diets will also have an impact on the flavour of the cheese—for example, whether they are eating summer grasses or winter hay, and whether they are grazing by the sea or in the mountains.
The milk is then mixed and pasteurized at 72 °C (162 °F) for 15 seconds. Next, a starter culture is added to convert lactose to lactic acid, changing the milk from liquid to solid. Rennet is added to help coagulate the milk, and the curds are cut to release the whey. The curds are then drained and formed into wheels.
At this stage, a culture of the mold Penicillium roqueforti is introduced. This is the key ingredient that gives blue cheese its distinctive colour and flavour. The cheese is then salted to prevent spoilage and left to age for 60 to 90 days.
During the early aging stage, the cheese is pierced with stainless steel rods to create crevices that allow oxygen to interact with the cultures in the cheese and encourage the growth of the blue mold. This process is known as "needling" and helps to soften the texture and develop the characteristic blue veins and flavour of the cheese.
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Incubation and pasteurisation
The process of making blue cheese begins with raw milk, typically from cows, sheep, or goats, which may be pasteurised or raw. Pasteurisation involves heating the milk to a high temperature for a short period to kill harmful bacteria. In the context of blue cheese, the milk is usually heated to 72 °C (162 °F) for 15 seconds.
After pasteurisation, acidification occurs through the addition of a starter culture, converting lactose to lactic acid and causing the milk to transform from a liquid to a solid. Rennet is then added to the mixture to help coagulate the milk, and the curds are cut to release the whey. At this stage, the curds are drained and formed into wheels.
The next step is incubation, where the cheese curds are prepared for the introduction of mould. This can be achieved through two methods. The first method involves incubating a solution of milk, salt, and modified milk fat for three to four days at 21–25 °C (70–77 °F). More salt and/or sugar is added, and aerobic incubation continues for another one to two days. The second method involves mixing sterilised, homogenised milk and reconstituted non-fat solids or whey solids with sterile salt to create a fermentation medium.
Following incubation, the cheese curds are introduced to the mould culture. The mould, belonging to the genus Penicillium, is added to the cheese in one of two ways. The first method involves sprinkling Penicillium roqueforti over the cheese wheels, while the second method involves adding a spore-rich Penicillium roqueforti culture to the solution.
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Blue cheese history
Blue cheese is believed to have been discovered by accident, as are most cheeses. According to legend, one of the first blue cheeses, Roquefort, was discovered when a young boy abandoned his meal of bread and ewes' milk cheese in a nearby cave after seeing a beautiful girl in the distance. When he returned months later, the mould (Penicillium roqueforti) had transformed his cheese into Roquefort. The boy's half-eaten loaf of bread, left behind in a cave in Roquefort, France, was covered in mould when he returned, and this mould had transformed the cheese into blue cheese. This is supported by the fact that blue cheese is often produced in caves, which provide a temperature- and moisture-controlled environment that is favourable to the growth of harmless mould.
Gorgonzola, an Italian cheese, is one of the oldest known blue cheeses, having been created around AD 879, though it is said that it did not contain blue veins until around the 11th century. Roquefort, Stilton, and Gorgonzola are considered to be favoured blue cheeses in many countries. Stilton is a relatively new addition, becoming popular sometime in the early 1700s. Many varieties of blue cheese originated subsequently, such as the 20th-century Danablu and Cambozola, which were attempts to fill the demand for Roquefort-style cheeses.
Blue cheese was later brought to the United States, where creameries in California helped put US blue cheese-making on the world map. Some well-known US blue cheeses include Point Reyes Original Blue, Rogue River Blue, Big Rock Blue, Maytag, and Arethusa Blue.
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Frequently asked questions
Blue cheese is a generic term for cheese produced with cow's, sheep's, or goat's milk and ripened with cultures of the mold penicillium.
Blue cheese is made by first pasteurizing raw milk and then adding a starter culture to convert lactose to lactic acid, changing the milk from liquid to solid. Rennet is then added to help coagulate the milk, and the curds are cut to release the whey. The curds are then drained and formed into wheels. Penicillium roqueforti is sprinkled over the cheese, and the cheese is salted to prevent spoilage. The cheese is left to age for 60 to 90 days. The signature blue veins are created by piercing the cheese with stainless steel rods to let oxygen circulate and encourage the growth of the mold.
There are many varieties of blue cheese, including Roquefort, Gorgonzola, Stilton, Cambozola, and St. Agur.
The outcome of blue cheese can be affected by the type of milk used, the diet of the animals producing the milk, the cheesemaking techniques used, the amount of piercing or needling done to the wheels, and the ripening process.
Yes, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency and the United States Code of Federal Regulations have set standards for blue cheese production in their respective countries. These standards include specifications for moisture content, milk fat content, and the use of optional ingredients such as salt, food coloring, and vegetable wax.
