118 THE BOOK OF CHEESE 



inches in thickness. They are ripened by the agency of 

 molds and bacteria which form a felt-like rind over their 

 whole surface, Tg- to J of an inch in thickness. This 

 rind may be dry and gray or grayish-green, consisting 

 of a felt-like surface of mold on the outside, below which 

 a harder portion consists of mold embedded in partially 

 dried cheese, or the moldy part may be more or less com- 

 pletely overgrown or displaced by yellowish or reddish 

 slime composed mainly of bacteria. Good cheeses may 

 have either appearance. 



Inside the rind, the cheese is softened progressively 

 from the rind toward the center from all sides, so that a 

 fully ripe cheese has no hard sour curd in the center, 

 but is completely softened. No mold should be visible 

 inside the rind, but the moldy rind itself is necessary 

 because the ripening is caused by the enzymes secreted 

 by the organisms of the rind into the cheese. As the 

 curd ripens, the changed portion assumes a slightly deeper 

 color than the unripe curd as a result of chemical changes. 

 Well-ripened cheeses vary from nearly a fluid texture to 

 the consistency of moderately soft butter. The ripen- 

 ing of Camembert is finished in wooden boxes which pro- 

 tect the cheeses from breaking after they become soft 

 and during the market period. 



146. Conditions of making and ripening. These pro- 

 cesses depend on a very close adjustment between the com- 

 position of the freshly made cheese and the temperature 

 and humidity of the rooms in which the cheeses are made 

 and ripened. Very slight failures in control bring loss 

 in ultimate results. The room for making Camembert 

 should be maintained between 60 and 70 F. and should 

 be wet enough to reduce drying to a minimum. The 

 essentials of apparatus are comparatively inexpensive. 



