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Methods for Aging Cheese at Home
Learn to age cheeses at home using a homemade aging chamber and an appropriate bowl, avoiding aluminum, to develop unique textures and flavors.
cheese
technique
dairy
Ingredients
Servings:
4

Ingredients

  • Homemade curing chamber
  • Take a large glass bowl (or porcelain, plastic, stainless steel) but it CANNOT be
  • ALUMINUM and with an approximate capacity of about 5 liters.
  • Put water at the bottom (one cup)
  • Place a plate upside down at the bottom and support a rack, some skewers,
  • some knives, etc., something that allows placing the cheese on top and that the piece does not
  • toqui the dish.
  • On top of the supports we put the cheese.
  • Cover the bowl with a cloth and let it mature in a quiet place at room temperature
  • lower at 15ºC, if possible dark and with high humidity.
  • One time per week renovarem the water and rentarem the plate and the supports.
  • I'm sorry, but "Depèn don ho deixem el resultat final serà molt diferent" does not appear to be an ingredient name. Could you please provide an ingredient name for translation?
  • Ripening box
  • Take a plastic box of sufficiently large dimensions and that closes hermetically.
  • Place water at the bottom.
  • Place a rack on top of some plastic profiles so that the rack does not reach
  • touch the background water.
  • Place the cheese on the rack.
  • Flip the cheese every 2 days.
  • Change the water and clean the box, profiles, and grid once a week.
  • Keep the box at a temperature below 15ºC. It can be in the fridge, but we must have the
  • Ensure they are never uncovered or with the lid open because they will end up
  • contaminant-se entre ells i poden passar fong a altres parts.
  • We must have a maturation box for each type of cheese (one for cheese without
  • molds, one for cheeses with white molds like Camembert and another for blue cheeses,
Step-by-step Guide

Methods for Ripening Cheeses at Home

  • Choose an appropriate cheese for maturation, such as Camembert or Brie, as they are ideal for this process. Ensure the cheese is of high quality to achieve the best results.
  • Wrap the cheese in cheese paper or parchment paper and place it in an airtight container. Keep it in a cool, dry place, with a constant temperature between 10 and 15 °C.
  • Check the cheese every 2 days to ensure no unwanted mold develops. If you find any, gently clean it with a damp, clean cloth.
  • After approximately 2 weeks, the cheese should start showing signs of maturation, such as a softer texture and a more intense aroma. At this point, move it to a slightly lower temperature of 8 to 10 °C.
  • Continue the maturation process for another 2 to 4 weeks, depending on the desired flavor intensity. Remember to regularly check the condition of the cheese.
  • Once the cheese has reached the desired maturation, store it in the refrigerator to stop the process. Consume it within 1 to 2 weeks to enjoy the best flavor and texture.

Homemade Curing Chamber

  • Take a large glass, porcelain, plastic, or stainless steel bowl with approximately a 5-liter capacity. It is important that it is not aluminum, as it may react with the ingredients.
  • Pour a cup of water into the bottom of the bowl. This water will help maintain an appropriate humidity level for maturation.
  • Place a plate upside down at the bottom of the bowl. Support it with a rack, skewers, knives, or any item that allows you to place the cheese on top so that it does not touch the plate.
  • Put the cheese on top of the supports, ensuring it is well balanced and does not touch the plate or the water at the bottom.
  • Cover the bowl with a clean cloth and let it mature in a quiet place with an ambient temperature below 15ºC, preferably in a dark area with high humidity.
  • Once a week, change the water and clean both the plate and the supports to maintain hygienic conditions during maturation.
  • The final result can vary significantly depending on the environment where the cheese is left to mature; adjust for environmental variations to better control the process.

Maturation Box

  • Take a plastic container of sufficient size to comfortably fit the cheeses and that seals hermetically to prevent air entry.
  • Fill the bottom of the container with one centimeter of water, ensuring it completely covers the bottom without overflowing.
  • Place a rack over some plastic spacers so that the rack is suspended and does not touch the water at the bottom. This will allow proper air circulation around the cheese.
  • Carefully place the cheese on the rack, leaving space between each piece to ensure good ventilation and maturation conditions.
  • Turn each cheese every 2 days to ensure all sides receive even maturation and to prevent excessive moisture on one side.
  • Change the water at the bottom and clean the box, the spacers, and the rack with warm water and mild soap once a week to prevent the development of unwanted bacteria.
  • Keep the box at a constant temperature below 15 ºC. You can place it in the refrigerator, but always ensure that the cheeses are well covered with the lid closed to prevent cross-contamination.
  • Use a separate maturation box for each type of cheese: one for cheeses without molds, another for cheeses with white molds like Camembert, and a final one for blue cheeses like Roquefort to prevent cross-contamination.
  • If you are simultaneously maturing cheeses with different types of molds, be careful to start the rotations in the following order to avoid cross-contamination when handling them:
  • first, turn the cheeses without molds,
  • then the cheeses with white molds,
  • and finally the blue cheeses. Ensure you wash your hands or use new gloves when moving from one type of mold to another.

Wine Cellar

  • A good method I've found for doing this at home is to purchase a wine cooler, as it allows us to control the temperature more precisely than other traditional methods.
  • We can adjust the temperature of the wine cooler without much trouble. It is important to confirm that the temperature shown on the cooler's display matches the actual temperature. To verify this, we set the desired temperature on the wine cooler, place a traditional clinical thermometer (like those used for fever) inside, leave it for about 15 minutes, and compare the temperatures. This will enable us to adjust the wine cooler to provide the exact temperature we want.
  • Ensuring a high degree of relative humidity is more complicated. I've seen online that some people use a misting device like those used for terrariums, but I'm concerned about the risk of salmonella due to the misted water. Therefore, I achieve the necessary humidity with water trays and wet cloths.
  • The system I use to achieve humidity involves placing the cheeses inside containers with water at the bottom, using plastic guides to elevate a rack. We place the cheeses on the rack, ensuring they do not touch the water. I cover the containers with another semi-rigid plastic mesh rack and, on top, a damp kitchen cloth. To generate more humidity, I also place a large tray with water on one of the shelves.
  • This system generates sufficient humidity, but it's important to consider another issue: the small reservoir and electric element located at the bottom back of the wine cooler are not sufficient to contain and evaporate all the humidity created. The solution to prevent a puddle of water from forming on the floor where the wine cooler is placed is to position it on an elevated platform with wheels (like those found at Bauhaus for transporting heavy items) and extend the drainage tube with a piece of plastic tubing to drain the water into an external container (a clear bottle) to monitor when it needs to be emptied.
  • Every two weeks, it is necessary to clean the containers and change the water at the bottom. It is also advisable to clean and renew the water in the large tray to ensure optimal humidity and hygiene conditions.
  • We must regularly check the condition of the cloths covering the containers, and if they start to dry out, wet them again to maintain consistent humidity.
Recommendations & Tricks
  • Ensure that the homemade cheese aging chamber is well-ventilated to avoid the formation of unwanted mold on the cheeses. Opening the lid at least once a day for a few minutes can help maintain optimal airflow.
  • Use a thermometer and a hygrometer to monitor the temperature and humidity inside the glass bowl. Keeping the temperature between 10-12 °C and the humidity around 75-85% is key to a good aging process.
  • Regularly check the water at the bottom of the bowl and change it if it is dirty or has evaporated too much. This will help maintain the proper environment without it becoming a breeding ground for unwanted bacteria.