Soft and Semi-Soft Ripened Cheeses

Because they are moist and therefore more susceptible to microbes than hard cheeses, they ripen in a matter of weeks rather than months. Unlike hard cheeses, which are ripened from within by adding a starter bacteria to them, soft ripened cheeses are ripened from the outside, by the action of a surface mould which is sprayed on after salting. In order to create a bloomy white rind, such as the one on Brie, Camembert and Coulommiers, the cheese is sprayed with the mould Pénicillium candidum. The relatively mild, creamy characteristics of semi-soft cheeses such as Bel Paese and Morbier are achieved by washing the rind with a brine that slows down bacterial development.