
Soft cheeses made from raw milk are those aged for less than 60 days. Raw milk cheeses are made with unpasteurised milk, which can come from cows, sheep or goats. Raw milk has been the prime ingredient for great cheeses throughout history because of its unique flavour. However, many cheesemakers think it's too risky to make soft cheeses with raw milk because of the lower acidity and lower salt content, which means pathogens like Listeria and Salmonella may not die.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Acidity | Lower |
| Salt content | Lower |
| Pathogens | Listeria and Salmonella may be present |
| Taste | Different |
| Flavour | Amplified |
| Texture | Oozy, creamy, crumbly |
| Shape | Wheel, block |
| Producers | Small-scale artisanal |
| Milk source | Single-herd cow, sheep, goat |
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What You'll Learn
- Soft raw milk cheeses are aged less than 60 days and have a lower acidity and salt content, which means pathogens like Listeria and Salmonella can survive
- Raw milk cheeses are made with unpasteurised milk, which means the naturally occurring flavour-rich enzymes are not destroyed by heat
- Raw milk cheeses are almost always made by small-scale artisanal producers and often come from a single-herd cow, sheep, or goat milk
- Raw milk cheeses are considered risky by many cheesemakers, especially for soft milk cheeses, due to the potential for pathogens to survive
- Examples of raw milk soft cheeses include Juniper Grove Bouche, Constant Bliss, St. Nectaire, and Torta del Casar

Soft raw milk cheeses are aged less than 60 days and have a lower acidity and salt content, which means pathogens like Listeria and Salmonella can survive
Soft raw milk cheeses are aged for less than 60 days and have a lower acidity and sometimes a lower salt content. This means that pathogens like Listeria and Salmonella can survive. Many cheesemakers think it's too risky to make soft milk cheeses from raw milk. However, raw milk is used because it gives the cheese a unique flavour. The rich array of well-defined flavours and aromatics, the depth of complexity, and the unmistakable sense of uniqueness are all a result of the naturally occurring bacteria in the milk. When milk is cooked or pasteurised, many of these flavour-rich enzymes are destroyed or denatured by the heat, and the cheese loses its important flavour-building foundation.
Raw milk cheeses may be firm, oozy, creamy, or crumbly, and can come in any shape, from wheel to block. They are almost always made by small-scale artisanal producers and often come from a single-herd cow, sheep, or goat milk. Examples of raw milk soft cheeses include Juniper Grove Bouche, Constant Bliss, St. Nectaire, and Torta del Casar.
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Raw milk cheeses are made with unpasteurised milk, which means the naturally occurring flavour-rich enzymes are not destroyed by heat
Raw milk cheeses are almost always made by small-scale artisanal producers, and they often come from a single-herd cow, sheep, or goat milk. Raw milk has been the prime ingredient for great cheeses throughout history because of its unique flavour. When milk is cooked or pasteurised, many naturally occurring flavour-rich enzymes (the good bacteria) are destroyed or denatured by the heat, and the cheese loses that important flavour-building foundation.
Soft raw milk cheeses, those aged less than 60 days, are considered riskier than other raw milk cheeses because their lower acidity and sometimes lower salt content means that pathogens like Listeria and Salmonella won't necessarily die. Many cheesemakers think it's too risky for soft milk cheeses to be made from raw milk. However, there is a reason to use raw milk in soft cheese: the taste is different. The flavour from any of the naturally occurring bacteria is probably amplified in the cheese because they have more time to be active in it and more time to dominate or take part in it.
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Raw milk cheeses are almost always made by small-scale artisanal producers and often come from a single-herd cow, sheep, or goat milk
Soft raw milk cheeses, those aged less than 60 days, are considered risky by many cheesemakers due to their lower acidity and sometimes lower salt content, which means that pathogens like Listeria and Salmonella won't necessarily die. However, some cheesemakers choose to use raw milk in soft cheeses because of the unique taste it produces. The flavour from any of the naturally occurring bacteria is amplified in the cheese because they have more time to be active and dominate.
Some examples of raw milk soft cheeses include Juniper Grove Bouche, Constant Bliss, St. Nectaire, and Torta del Casar. While raw goat's milk has never been as strictly regulated as raw cow's milk, it is still possible to find raw goat's milk cheese, and some cheesemakers are even experimenting with raw buffalo milk cheese.
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Raw milk cheeses are considered risky by many cheesemakers, especially for soft milk cheeses, due to the potential for pathogens to survive
Raw-milk cheese is made with milk that is unpasteurised. Raw-milk cheeses may be firm, oozy, creamy, or crumbly, and can come in any shape, from wheel to block. They are almost always made by small-scale artisanal producers and often come from a single-herd cow, sheep, or goat milk. Throughout history, raw milk has been the prime ingredient for great cheeses because of their unique flavour – the rich array of well-defined flavours and aromatics, the depth of complexity, and the unmistakable sense of uniqueness. When milk is cooked or pasteurised, many naturally occurring flavour-rich enzymes (the good bacteria) are destroyed or denatured by the heat, and the cheese loses that important flavour-building foundation.
Cheese is essentially pickled milk: salt, bacteria and enzymes are added to milk and left to age, creating an environment where pathogens can't grow. That's thanks to a fermentation process, where the good lactic acid bacteria eat the milk sugars and produce lactic acid. However, soft raw milk cheeses, those aged less than 60 days, have a lower acidity and sometimes lower salt content, which means that pathogens like Listeria and Salmonella won't necessarily die.
Here's a partial list of raw milk bloomy rind and soft cheeses: Juniper Grove Bouche, Constant Bliss, St. Nectaire, Torta del Casar, and Serra da Estrella.
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Examples of raw milk soft cheeses include Juniper Grove Bouche, Constant Bliss, St. Nectaire, and Torta del Casar
Soft raw milk cheeses are aged for less than 60 days and have a lower acidity and salt content, which means that pathogens like Listeria and Salmonella may not die. Many cheesemakers think it's too risky to make soft milk cheeses with raw milk. However, raw milk soft cheeses have a unique flavour due to the naturally occurring bacteria, which have more time to be active and dominate. Examples of raw milk soft cheeses include Juniper Grove Bouche, Constant Bliss, St. Nectaire, and Torta del Casar.
Raw milk soft cheeses are almost always made by small-scale artisanal producers and often come from a single-herd cow, sheep, or goat milk. In Australia, Will Studd has been a champion of raw milk cheese over the past decade. Lloyd, an Australian cheesemaker, was the first to jump through the necessary legal hoops to make cheese with raw goat's milk. She also plans to make a cheese with raw buffalo milk.
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Frequently asked questions
Raw milk is milk that has not been pasteurised.
Raw milk has a unique flavour due to the rich array of well-defined flavours and aromatics, the depth of complexity, and the unmistakable sense of uniqueness. When milk is cooked or pasteurised, many naturally occurring flavour-rich enzymes (the good bacteria) are destroyed or denatured by the heat, and the cheese loses that important flavour-building foundation.
Soft raw milk cheeses, those aged less than 60 days, are risky because the lower acidity and sometimes lower salt content means that pathogens like Listeria and Salmonella won’t necessarily die. Many cheesemakers think it’s too risky for soft milk cheeses to be made from raw milk.
Examples of soft cheese made from raw milk include Juniper Grove Bouche, Constant Bliss, St. Nectaire, Torta del Casar, and Serra da Estrella.

























