How Long Should You Age Different Types Of Cheese?

“I’m just getting into cheese making and I’m curious about how long to age the different types of cheeses I could make. I’ve heard that certain cheeses can age less than a month while others might take a year or more. Could you break down the aging processes for various types of cheese and explain why aging is important for each? I’m planning on starting with cheddar and gouda, but I’d love some insights on other popular cheeses too.” Thanks, Elizabeth, Austin, USA.

How Long Should You Age Different Types Of Cheese?

Hey Elizabeth! Great to hear you’re getting into cheese making. You’re right, the aging process can be pretty varied depending on the type of cheese you’re making. Let’s break it down by different cheese types and get into why aging is so essential for each of them, starting with your favorites, cheddar and gouda.

Cheddar

Cheddar is a classic cheese that can be aged for different lengths of time, depending on the desired flavor.

• Mild Cheddar – Aged for 2 to 3 months. This gives a softer cheese with a milder flavor.
• Medium Cheddar – Aged for 4 to 9 months. It begins to develop a more pronounced flavor and a firmer texture.
• Sharp Cheddar – Aged from 10 to 12 months. Here, you get a sharper, more intense flavor and a crumbly texture.
• Extra Sharp Cheddar – Aged 18 months or more. This cheese has a very strong flavor and even more crumbly texture.

Aging adds complexity to cheddar and alters its texture, turning it from smooth and soft to crumbly and flavorful. The bacteria and enzymes break down proteins and fats, creating deeper flavors over time.

Gouda

Gouda is another versatile cheese that changes significantly with age.

• Young Gouda – Aged for 1 to 6 months. It’s creamy and mild with a slightly sweet flavor.
• Middle-Aged Gouda – Aged between 6 months and 12 months. The flavor becomes nuttier and texture a bit denser.
• Aged Gouda – Aged from 12 months to several years. This cheese gets a caramel-like sweetness and becomes much harder and crumbly.

The aging process for Gouda, much like for cheddar, helps develop deeper, richer flavors. The longer enzymatic processes are allowed to act on the cheese, the more complex its flavor profile becomes.

Parmesan (Parmigiano-Reggiano)

Parmesan is a hard cheese with a very long aging process.

• Young Parmesan – Aged for 12 months. While still flavorful, it hasn’t reached its full potential.
• Standard Parmesan – Aged for 18 to 24 months. The cheese becomes harder, more crumbly, and develops a strong, nutty flavor.
• Extra-Aged Parmesan – Aged for 36 months or more. At this stage, it has the quintessential granular texture and profound flavor.

Aging Parmesan involves interaction of natural bacteria with lactose, turning it into lactic acid, and breaking down proteins into amino acids, like glutamate, which enhances its savory flavor.

Brie and Camembert

These soft cheeses have much shorter aging periods.

• Young Brie and Camembert – Aged for 4 to 8 weeks. At this stage, they are soft, creamy, and mild.
• Fully Ripened Brie and Camembert – Anywhere from 6 to 8 weeks. They develop stronger, earthier, and mushroom-like flavors.

Because they are surface-ripened cheeses, the aging process occurs quickly as mold interacts with the interior from the exterior, softening it and affecting its flavor rapidly.

Swiss (Emmental)

Traditional Swiss cheese also changes wonderfully with time.

• Young Swiss – Aged for about 4 months. It has a mild flavor and smooth texture with smaller holes.
• Aged Swiss – Aged for 6 to 14 months. It gets nuttier, more intense, and has larger characteristic holes.

Swiss cheese’s aging process involves a unique bacterial culture that produces carbon dioxide, which forms its iconic holes. The bacteria continue acting over time, deepening flavor and texture.

Blue Cheese

Blue cheeses, such as Roquefort, Gorgonzola, and Stilton, are also quick to age.

• Young Blue Cheese – Aged for 3 to 4 months. They have a creamy texture and mild blue flavor.
• Aged Blue Cheese – Aged for 4 months or more. They develop stronger, more pungent flavors and often a crumbly texture.

The blue veining comes from Penicillium mold, which is introduced during the cheese-making process. This mold grows during aging, enhancing the distinctive blue flavor and texture.

What to Consider When Aging Cheese

Elizabeth, here are some factors you should consider when you’re aging your cheeses:

• Temperature – Maintain a consistent temperature, usually between 46-54°F (8-12°C). Different types of cheese may have specific requirements.
• Humidity – Keep the cheese in an area with 80-90% humidity, preventing it from drying out while aging.
• Time – The longer the aging, the more robust and complex the flavors will become. Be patient!
• Airflow – Ensure that your aging space has good airflow. This prevents mold from developing on the surface of the cheese.
• Turning – For some cheeses, you need to turn them periodically to ensure even aging.

These conditions are crucial to achieving the perfect flavor and texture for your homemade cheese.

Why Cheese Aging is Important

Aging cheese allows time for the development of flavors and textures that define each type of cheese. Think of it as allowing all the fascinating chemical reactions to take their course, from protein breakdown to fat transformation. These changes give us the intense flavors in aged cheddar, the nutty notes in aged Gouda, and the crumbly texture in Parmesan.

For instance, Elizabeth, when you age your cheddar for a longer period, you end up with a cheese that’s rich and tangy because the fats and proteins have broken down significantly. Similarly, allowing Gouda to age results in a more complex and evolving flavor profile.

Additionally, different aging techniques and environments can yield even more varied outcomes. For example:

• Washed Rind Cheeses (like Limburger) are periodically bathed in brine or alcohol to promote specific bacterial growth, yielding very unique flavors.
• Bloomy Rind Cheeses (like Brie and Camembert) need mold growth on their surface, which acts fast to develop their soft interior within weeks.

It’s a fascinating science and culinary art that rewards patience with sublime tastes!

Final Thoughts…

Thanks so much for your question, Elizabeth. To sum up, aging times and conditions are tailored to each cheese type, profoundly affecting their flavor, texture, and overall quality. In your cheese-making journey, start small with young cheeses and slowly work your way to the more aged varieties. Every batch will be a learning experience and, most importantly, a delicious one!

Happy cheese making!