Frederic Melton
Blue cheese is a general classification of cheese that has had cultures of the mold Penicillium added to it. The mold injection is responsible for the distinct look of blue cheese, with dark veins throughout its pale interior. The texture of blue cheese can vary from soft and spreadable to hard and crumbly. For example, Gorgonzola is a type of blue cheese that comes in two varieties: Gorgonzola Dolce, a soft variety, and Gorgonzola Piccante, a hard variety.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Popularity | Blue cheese is a very popular cheese around the world. |
| Texture | The texture of blue cheese can vary from soft and spreadable to hard and crumbly. |
| Flavor | The flavor of blue cheese can range from mild to pungent, sharp, and tangy. |
| Aroma | The aroma of blue cheese can be relatively mild or sharp and intense. |
| Color | Blue cheese is characterized by its blue, blue-grey, or blue-green veins created by the Penicillium mold. |
| Mold | The mold in blue cheese is typically added through injection, but it can also be mixed with the curds or allowed to grow naturally in caves. |
| Milk Type | Blue cheese is commonly made with sheep, cow, or goat milk, but it can also be made with buffalo milk or other types of milk. |
| Pasteurization | Blue cheese can be made with pasteurized or unpasteurized milk. |
| Storage | Blue cheese should be stored in an airtight container or bag and placed in the refrigerator, with softer varieties having a shorter shelf life than harder ones. |
| Serving Temperature | Blue cheese is best enjoyed at room temperature. |
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What You'll Learn
Blue cheese types: mild to strong
Blue cheese is a general classification of cheeses that have had cultures of the mold Penicillium added, resulting in a distinct blue or blue-grey colour and smell. The mold can be added by injecting the cheese with spores before the curds form, or by mixing the spores in with the curds after they form. Blue cheese can be eaten on its own, or spread, crumbled, or melted into or over foods.
There are many varieties of blue cheese, with a spectrum of flavours ranging from mild to strong. For those new to blue cheese, a good starting point is Dunbarton Blue, a mildly potent blue-veined cheddar with an approachable, earthy, and sharp flavour. Other mild blues include Persille De Rambouillet and Westfield Blue Log, and Danish Blue, which is semi-soft and creamy, made from cow's milk. Gorgonzola is another mild blue cheese that has been around since the Middle Ages. It is made from either goat's or unskimmed cow's milk, or a combination of the two, and its texture varies from soft and crumbly to firm.
Moving along the spectrum of flavours, a slightly stronger blue cheese is the award-winning Bayley Hazen Blue from Jasper Hill Farm in Vermont. This raw milk, farmhouse blue has a dry yet dense paste and a smooth, peppery flavour with notes of chocolate, hazelnut, and licorice. Another step stronger is Stilton, a pungent, hard cheese.
For serious blue cheese lovers, Roquefort is the ultimate strong blue cheese. It has a distinctive bite and aroma, with a sweet and fudgy flavour that is sometimes quite spicy. This variety is round, deep, and perfectly balanced, with a creamy texture that dissolves on the palate like sharp, soothing milky lozenges.
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Blue cheese texture: soft to hard
Blue cheese is a general classification of cheeses characterised by blue, or blue-grey mould veins and a distinct smell. The texture of blue cheese can vary from soft and spreadable to hard and crumbly.
Some blue cheeses, like Gorgonzola Dolce, are soft with a creamy texture and a mild, buttery flavour. These soft cheeses should be eaten within a week of opening and should be stored in an airtight plastic container with a few holes poked into the lid to avoid excessive moisture.
On the other hand, some blue cheeses are hard and crumbly. For example, Stilton is a pungent hard cheese that takes second place in terms of flavour intensity after Roquefort. Hard blue cheeses like Stilton can last longer, around 2-3 weeks, and should be wrapped in wax paper, sealed in an airtight plastic bag, and placed in the refrigerator.
Roquefort, often regarded as the original blue cheese, has a semi-hard and crumbly texture. It is made with unpasteurised sheep's milk and has a pungent aroma and a sharp, salty, and acidic taste.
The texture of blue cheese is influenced by factors such as the size of the curds, the type of milk used, and the ageing process. Smaller curds will result in a thicker and harder cheese, while larger curds create a softer texture. Blue cheese can be made from sheep, cow, goat, or buffalo milk, and the ageing process can range from 60 to 90 days to develop its characteristic flavour.
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Blue cheese ingredients: milk types
Blue cheese is a generic term for cheese produced with cow's milk, sheep's milk, or goat's milk. The first step in making blue cheese is to mix raw milk (from cattle, goats, or sheep) and pasteurize it at 72 °C (162 °F) for 15 seconds.
Roquefort, one of the first blue cheeses, is made from sheep's milk. It has a tangy and earthy flavor. Another early blue cheese, Gorgonzola, is made from cow's milk and has a creamy texture and a slightly sharp taste. Stilton, a classic English blue cheese, is also made from cow's milk and has a mellow flavor and crumbly texture. Danish blue cheese, as the name suggests, is made in Denmark using cow's milk. It has a sharp, salty taste and a slightly crumbly texture.
Blue cheese is made by adding cultures of the mold Penicillium roqueforti, which give the cheese its distinctive blue-veined appearance and strong flavor. The mold can be added in different ways, such as injecting the milk with spores before the curds form or mixing them with the curds after they have formed. The cheese is then aged, typically in a temperature-controlled environment like a cave, for a period of 60-90 days to allow the flavor to develop.
During the maturation process, the cheese is pierced with stainless-steel rods to allow oxygen to circulate and promote mold growth. This process also softens the texture of the cheese and contributes to its unique flavor.
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Blue cheese history: legend to present
Blue cheese is a general classification of cheeses characterised by blue, blue-grey, or green mould veins and a distinct smell. It is made using milk from cows, goats, or sheep, and it has a wide variety of tastes and textures.
Legend
According to legend, one of the first blue cheeses, Roquefort, was discovered in Roquefort, France, when a young man left bread and ewe's milk cheese in a cave after being distracted by a beautiful woman. When he returned months later, the mould (Penicillium roqueforti) had transformed his cheese into Roquefort.
History
Gorgonzola is one of the oldest known blue cheeses, having been created around 879 AD, though it is said that it did not contain blue veins until the 11th century. Analysis of paleofeces sampled in the salt mines of Hallstatt, Austria, showed that miners of the Hallstatt Period (800 to 400 BC) consumed blue cheese and beer.
Stilton is a relatively new blue cheese, becoming popular in the early 1700s. Many other varieties of blue cheese have since originated, such as the 20th-century Danablu and Cambozola, which were created to fill the demand for Roquefort-style cheeses.
Present
Today, blue cheese is produced on a commercial scale, and it consists of two phases: the culturing of suitable spore-rich inocula and fermentation for maximum flavour. In the first phase of production, a Penicillium roqueforti inoculum is prepared. This mould is responsible for the greenish-blue colour of blue cheese, and it produces several mycotoxins. However, health hazards due to Penicillium roqueforti metabolites are considered unlikely.
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Blue cheese production: inoculation to aging
Blue cheese is a general classification of cheeses that have had cultures of the mould Penicillium added, creating blue-green spots or veins throughout the cheese. The process of making blue cheese consists of six standard steps, but additional ingredients and processes are required to give this blue-veined cheese its particular properties.
Inoculation
The first phase of blue cheese production involves the culturing of suitable spore-rich inocula. All methods involve the use of a freeze-dried Penicillium roqueforti culture. First, Penicillium roqueforti is washed from a pure culture agar plate and then frozen. Through the freeze-drying process, water from the frozen state is evaporated without transitioning to the liquid state (sublimation). This process retains the value of the culture and is activated when water is added.
Production
To make blue cheese, raw milk (from cattle, goats, or sheep) is mixed and pasteurized at 72 °C (162 °F) for 15 seconds. Then, acidification occurs: a starter culture, such as Streptococcus lactis, is added to change lactose to lactic acid, thus changing the acidity of the milk and turning it from liquid to solid. The next step is coagulation, where rennet, a mixture found in the stomach lining of a calf, is added to solidify the milk further. The curds are then cut to encourage the release of liquid or whey. The smaller the curds are cut, the thicker and harder the resulting cheese will become.
Inoculation of the curds
After the curds have been ladled into containers to be drained and formed into a wheel of cheese, the Penicillium roqueforti inoculum is sprinkled on top of the curds along with Brevibacterium linens. The curds are then knit into moulds to form cheese loaves with a relatively open texture. Whey drainage continues for 10–48 hours, with no pressure applied, and the moulds are inverted frequently to promote this process.
Aging
Salt is added to the cheese to provide flavour and act as a preservative. The final step is ripening the cheese by ageing it. Blue cheese is typically aged in a temperature-controlled environment such as a cave. The cheese is aged for 2 to 6 months, with the flavour becoming stronger the longer it ages.
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Frequently asked questions
Blue cheese is a general classification of cheese that includes both hard and soft varieties. Some blue cheeses are soft and spreadable, while others are hard and crumbly.
Stilton and Gorgonzola Piccante are examples of hard blue cheeses.
Gorgonzola Dolce and Danish Blue are examples of soft blue cheeses.
Blue cheese should be stored in the refrigerator. Firm blue cheeses should be wrapped in wax paper, then sealed in an airtight plastic bag and placed in the refrigerator's cheese drawer. Non-firm blue cheeses should be placed in an airtight plastic container with a few holes poked into the lid to avoid excessive moisture.
