Cheese ripening, alternatively cheese maturation or affinage, is a process in cheesemaking. It is responsible for the distinct flavour of cheese, and through the modification of “ripening agents”, determines the features that define many different varieties of cheeses, such as taste, texture, and body.
After the initial manufacturing process of the cheese is done, the cheese ripening process occurs. This process is especially important since it defines the flavour and texture of the cheese, which differentiates the many varieties. Duration is dependent on the type of cheese and the desired quality, but “three weeks to two or more years” is the general requirement for most cheeses.
By taking the cheese through a series of maturation stages where temperature and relative humidity are carefully controlled, the cheesemaker allows the surface mould to grow and the mould ripening of the cheese by fungi to occur. Mould-ripened cheeses ripen faster than hard cheeses, in weeks as opposed to the typical months or even years.
Effect on features of Cheese
Eyes: The round holes that are a characteristic feature of Swiss-type cheese (e.g. Emmentaler cheese) and some Dutch-type cheeses are called “eyes”. They are bubbles of carbon dioxide that is produced by bacteria in the cheese.
Taste: The process of cheese ripening affects the taste of the final product. If the product is not ripened, the resulting cheese is tasteless, and so, all cheese is ripened except for fresh cheeses. Different factors define taste in cheese, including casein, fat, brine, and many other elements. Brine, as an example, mixes with saliva, delivering the flavour of the cheese to the taste buds and determining the cheese’s moistness