{"id":36649,"date":"2019-04-22T07:53:13","date_gmt":"2019-04-22T11:53:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/developer83.wordpress-developer.us\/culturecheesemag\/?p=36649"},"modified":"2019-04-22T07:53:13","modified_gmt":"2019-04-22T11:53:13","slug":"ask-the-monger-why-do-some-cheeses-get-runnier-with-age","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/developer83.wordpress-developer.us\/culturecheesemag\/ask-the-monger-why-do-some-cheeses-get-runnier-with-age\/","title":{"rendered":"Ask the Monger: Why Do Some Cheeses Get Runnier With Age?"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Qgreen_40px\" Why do some cheeses get runnier with age, while others get firmer? <\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

\"Agreen\"The changing texture <\/span>of an <\/span>aging <\/span>cheese<\/span> <\/span>displays the<\/span> fascinating effect that time and circumstances have on <\/span>its<\/span> chemistry. Did I <\/span>mention<\/span> <\/span>science<\/a> was involved? Indeed, the art of the cheesemaker and <\/span>affineur<\/span> <\/span>involves<\/span> the skilled orchestration of<\/span> <\/span>that <\/span>science<\/span>. <\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n

A cheese that is firm<\/span> <\/span>or hard in <\/span>texture<\/span>\u2014take, <\/span>for example<\/span>,<\/span> Parmigiano Reggiano<\/a><\/span>\u2014<\/span>start<\/span>s<\/span> out <\/span>as<\/span> small<\/span> <\/span>curd<\/span>s<\/span> that ha<\/span>ve<\/span> retained a decent mineral content and <\/span>are<\/span> <\/span>sturdy<\/span> <\/span>enough to be firmly pressed<\/span>,<\/span> creat<\/span>ing<\/span> a low<\/span>–<\/span>moisture <\/span>wheel<\/span> <\/span>capable of aging<\/span> slowly<\/span> for a long time. <\/span>These<\/span> wheels tend to be large for two reasons<\/span>.<\/span> <\/span>One, the <\/span>surface area is reduced, <\/span>which slows the drying<\/span>–<\/span>out<\/span> <\/span>process <\/span>that will continue <\/span>with time. (I<\/span>f the cheese dries out too much<\/span>,<\/span> it will turn into a flavorless brick.<\/span>)<\/span> <\/span>And two, t<\/span>he size also helps reduce the effect of any surface microbes that might try to soften the cheese from the outside<\/span> <\/span>in<\/span>.<\/span> (<\/span>W<\/span>e\u2019ll <\/span>talk about those next<\/span>.<\/span>) <\/span>If aged properly, fat and protein break down, creating <\/span>a melt-in-your-mouth<\/span> texture despite <\/span>the <\/span>l<\/span>ow moisture<\/span>.<\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n

At the o<\/span>pposite<\/span> end <\/span>of the spectrum <\/span>are soft-ripened cheeses<\/span>,<\/span> like<\/span> Jasper Hill Farm <\/span>Winn<\/span>i<\/span>mere<\/span><\/a> and <\/span>Uplands Cheese <\/span>Rush Creek<\/span> Reserve<\/span><\/a>. When these<\/span> <\/span>small<\/span>–<\/span>format <\/span>disks<\/span> are made, the initial curd is quite wet. <\/span>R<\/span>ather than being pressed to expel moisture, <\/span>they<\/span> simply drain slowly, losing<\/span> a lot of mineral content. This sets up the chemistry so that the pH isn\u2019t stable<\/span>\u2014<\/span>a critical factor. During aging, surface microbes, yeasts, molds, and bacteria, slowly raise the<\/span> <\/span>cheese\u2019s<\/span> pH from the outside in, often from <\/span>a<\/span> <\/span>starting point of around 5<\/span>.0<\/span> (about as tart as a tomato) to over 8.0 (on the alkaline side). <\/span>As a result,<\/span> cheese proteins (caseins<\/a>) reach a pH <\/span>in which<\/span> they regain <\/span>an<\/span> affinity for binding water. <\/span>In<\/span> <\/span>a<\/span> humid aging room, moisture is harvested and reincorporated into the cheese. If th<\/span>ose <\/span>conditions are perfect, the cheese will reach a smooth, even, spreadable consistency. But it doesn\u2019t stop<\/span>;<\/span> as time goes by, the curd is likely to continue liquefy<\/span>ing<\/span>. The window of perfection for these gastronomic delights is short<\/span>, <\/span>so don\u2019t wait too long to spoon in!<\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Why do some cheeses get firmer as they age, while other cheeses get runnier? We delve into the science behind your favorite wedges.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":99,"featured_media":36650,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"wprm-recipe-roundup-name":"","wprm-recipe-roundup-description":"","cybocfi_hide_featured_image":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[12],"tags":[1192,11730,11728,1825,4302,670,690,11729,2054,1072,317,2130],"coauthors":[122],"class_list":["post-36649","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-ask-the-monger","tag-aged-cheese","tag-ageing","tag-ask-monger","tag-casein","tag-firm-cheese","tag-parmigiano-reggiano","tag-rennet","tag-runny-cheeses","tag-rush-creek-reserve","tag-science","tag-cheese-science","tag-winnimere"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nAsk the Cheese Expert: Why do Some Cheeses Age Differently?<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Why do some cheeses get firmer as they age, while other cheeses get runnier? 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