Washed Rind Cheeses

Washed rind cheeses are surface-ripened by washing and brushing the cheese throughout the ripening/aging process with brine, beer, wine, brandy, a mixture of these ingredients or any other interesting liquid that will impart flavor and create a different chemical balance for the growth of the bacteria, Breyibacterium linens, which ripens from the outside in by breaking down the proteins and fats inside. The rind is cleaned and brushed off, which causes the cheese to age more quickly, enhancing the flavor and acidity of the cheese and creating a bolder, more noticeable tang. Most of the aromatics will ripen into soft, pungent cheeses; however, some aromatics are firm cheeses that will never go soft.

The California Milk Advisory Board