Soft-Ripening Cheese

The snowy white rind is an edible and natural covering for these satiny cheeses that ripen from the outside rind toward the center. The traditional soft-ripening cheeses—Brie, Camembert, Coulommiers, Chaource, and Vacherin Mont d’Or—contain 50 percent butterfat and start off with a semisoft consistency. They are fully ripe and ready to serve when they have a creamy consistency throughout. Cheeses thicker than an inch will have a firmer core in the center, but if left to develop further, the edges will overripen. If the rind has a reddish tinge, it is fine to eat, but if a brownish tinge develops, the cheese is overripe and no longer good eating.