Aging Munster Cheese: How Long Should You Wait?

Munster cheese is a stinky cheese, but it's also a fun cheese to make. Munster is a deli-style cheese, while Muenster is a soft and buttery cheese with a yeasty red rind. The process of making Munster cheese involves weird ingredients and new methods. It takes about 3 and a half hours to make Munster cheese, from starting the milk in the pot to the time you're finished flipping the mold sandwich and letting it sit overnight. The Munster cheese then needs to be ripened for 10-14 days. After ripening, the cheese is washed and dried before being aged for 6 weeks.

The longer you age Munster, the stronger its flavour

The process of making Munster involves some unusual ingredients and methods, including the use of an atomizer to spray the red bacteria onto the surface of the cheese. The cheese is then brined and washed with salt water during a 10-14 day ripening period before waxing.

The longer the bacteria are allowed to develop, the stronger the taste of the cheese will be. Munster can be aged for 4-6 weeks for small cheeses or 2-3 months for larger ones. The cheese will develop a yellow to orange surface after 3-5 weeks, which is the ripening culture that gives Munster its special aroma and flavour.

When Munster is fresh, it has a mild, creamy texture and a mild smell that becomes stronger as it ages. The taste of Munster cheese intensifies with age, moving from gentle undertones to more pronounced flavours.

Proper storage is key to preserving the quality of Munster cheese. It can be stored in the refrigerator for 3-4 weeks unopened and 2-3 weeks once opened. For extended storage, Munster can be frozen for up to 3 months without a significant loss of quality.

Munster is ripened with Brevibacterium linens, a red bacteria that gives the cheese its strong smell

Munster cheese is a semi-soft cheese that is thought to have originated in the Vosges mountains in Alsace, France. It is known for its washed rind, which is often reddish in colour due to the presence of Brevibacterium linens—a type of red bacteria. This bacterium is also responsible for the cheese's strong smell and unique flavour.

Brevibacterium linens (B. linens) is a gram-positive, rod-shaped bacterium that is commonly found on the human skin, where it is known to cause foot odour. This bacterium thrives in aerobic conditions and has a temperature growth optimum of 20–30 °C. It grows well at neutral pH and can tolerate NaCl concentrations of up to 15%.

In cheese production, B. linens plays a crucial role in developing the distinctive colour, flavour, and aroma of Munster and other smear surface-ripened cheeses. The growth of B. linens on the cheese surface is facilitated by the presence of yeasts, which metabolise lactate, leading to an increase in pH. This creates an ideal environment for the growth of B. linens and other bacteria.

The characteristic strong smell of Munster cheese is attributed to the production of volatile sulfur compounds, particularly methanethiol, by B. linens. This compound has a low odour threshold and contributes to the "cabbage-like" or "rotten egg-like" odour associated with Munster and similar cheeses.

The reddish-orange colour of the Munster cheese rind is also a result of the pigments produced by B. linens and other microorganisms during their metabolic activities. The intensity of the colour can vary depending on the growth conditions, such as the dissolved oxygen and methionine concentrations in the growth medium.

To control the growth and characteristics of B. linens, factors such as temperature, pH, ripening time, humidity, and the presence of other microorganisms must be carefully monitored. Additionally, the use of different strains of B. linens can lead to variations in the colour and aroma of the cheese.

In summary, Munster cheese owes its distinctive characteristics to the presence of Brevibacterium linens, a red bacterium that plays a crucial role in the cheese's ripening process, contributing to its strong smell, flavour, and unique reddish rind colour.

Munster is a washed-curd cheese

Washed-curd cheeses are typically mild in flavour, stable, and slow to age. They have a sweet body and texture and are known for their distinct melting characteristics. Munster is a semi-soft cheese with a smooth, creamy texture and a mild flavour that intensifies with age. It is important to note that the American version of Munster cheese, Muenster, is generally milder than its French counterpart.

When it comes to aging Munster cheese, sources recommend different time frames. One source suggests a two-week air-drying period, followed by waxing and a six-week aging period. It is mentioned that aging the cheese longer will result in a more flavourful product. Another source provides a more detailed process, recommending drying/draining for three days, then washing every second day for 10-12 days. This is followed by ripening for up to three months after parchment wrapping.

The aging process for Munster cheese can be tailored to personal preferences. The longer the cheese is aged, the more intense the flavour will become. Proper storage techniques are crucial to preserve the quality of the cheese during the aging process.

Munster is pressed under its own weight in a mould sandwich

Pressing the Munster Cheese

The Munster cheese is pressed under its own weight in a mould sandwich. The cheese is drained through the holes in the sides of the mould and through the cheese mat underneath it. The mould is placed on a cheese mat, which is then placed on a cheese board. The mould is then filled with cheese curds. Another cheese mat is placed on top of the mould, followed by another cheese board. This setup is called a "mould sandwich".

The mould sandwich is flipped every 20 minutes for a total of six times. The mould sandwich is a tricky balancing act and requires quickness to prevent the cheese from going sideways in the mould. The cheese is then left to rest in the mould overnight at room temperature.

Munster is soaked in a brine solution

Munster cheese is a semi-soft cheese with a smooth, creamy texture and a mild flavour. It is a washed-rind cheese, originating in Munster, Haut-Rhin, Alsace, and is now produced in the United States as well. The American version is generally milder than its French counterpart.

The process of brining involves submerging food in a salt water solution, which may be seasoned with herbs and spices. Brining is similar to marination, but with less acid, and similar to curing, but over a shorter time period. Brining is typically done with meat, but it is also used for cheese, vegetables and fruit, in a process known as pickling.

The salt in brine draws out moisture from the food and then it is reabsorbed with the salt, essentially brining the food in its own juices. This process also denatures the proteins in the food, causing muscle fibres to unravel and swell, trapping water molecules and preventing dehydration during cooking.

Brining can be achieved by soaking in a salt water solution, or by covering the food in dry coarse salt. The amount of time needed to brine depends on the size of the food, with larger items needing more time. For example, a large roast must be brined longer than a thin cut of meat.

In the context of Munster cheese, the brine solution is used to wash the rind, contributing to its reddish-orange colour and enhancing its flavour.

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