We start by pasteurising the ingredients, before adding the cultures - a mesophilic starter culture (which provides the cheese with bacterial organisms that assist in the formation, taste, texture, and aroma of the cheese) and the better known Penicillum Roqueforti. We then wait for the cheese to form, firming up with time, until it sets.
After that, we pierce the cheese (just like a dairy cheesemaker might!) and that allows oxygen to penetrate through. It’s the oxygen which ‘meets’ the cultures and ultimately causes the veining - all of which contributes towards the distinct blue bite.
From there, the wheels are left in our maturation room for 2 - 3 weeks, rind treated and hand-flipped / cared for daily, before being portioned into wedges and packaged to send on their way.
“We've been immature…”
Puns aside, we’ve had a few messages about a recent batch of Blue (December 2023) and we now realise that we sent some cheese out prematurely…
Our ever so important ‘cultures’ (like the Penicillum Roqueforti that’s key to developing a distinctive Blue bite) were held up way longer than expected at Customs recently, so when we eventually got hold of them it was a race against time to produce and dispatch / replenish fridges.
Essentially, they didn’t get the time they needed in our maturation rooms. Our hope was that the wedges would continue to mature in transit, so that by the time they reached you, the veins, and the taste, had developed - but we now understand that wasn’t always the case.
If you have received a wedge like this, it’s a good idea to wrap it loosely in foil and leave it in the fridge to mature for 4 - 7 days longer!
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