Le Cordon Bleu

Ripening the Curd

Appears in
Cuisine Foundations
Cuisine Foundations

By Le Cordon Bleu

Published 2010

  • About

In French this stage is called affinage, which refers to finishing the cheese. Some fresh cheeses like cottage cheese are ready to eat as soon as the curd is formed, whereas harder cheeses like Parmesan can take a year to come to full maturity.

Ripening methods vary depending on the cheese being produced. Some factors involved in ripening include humidity and temperature control, and the application of salt, edible molds, or specific herb combinations. There is more to ripening cheese than following recipes and set schedules; this stage depends on the cheese maker’s blend of science and intuition to determine when exactly a cheese is ready for distribution.