SOFT CHEESES RIPENED BY MOLD 127 



directly detectable under the rind. This is preceded by 

 the disappearance of the acidity of the curd, which pro- 

 gresses inward. The softening of the curd follows closely 

 the lowering of the acidity. Thus a litmus test taken 

 along the cut face of a Camembert cheese at any stage 

 of softening will always show a sharp acid reaction in 

 the solid sour portion which changes to alkaline just 

 before the softening due to proteolytic action becomes 

 noticeable. These two changes appear to be due to en- 

 zymes secreted by the mycelium of the Penicillium Cam em- 

 berti and Oidium lactis which constitute the most active 

 factors in the ripening. Some accessory bacterial action 

 is indicated but of minor importance in the changes found. 



To avoid loss from breaking, after the softening of the 

 curd has fairly begun, the cheeses must be removed from 

 the coarse matting to smooth boards where they are 

 watched and turned repeatedly, or as in the more common 

 practice, wrapped at once in parchment paper and boxed. 

 The ripening may be completed in either way. The 

 conditions necessary are such as to favor the extension 

 of slimy areas of bacteria over part or all of the rind to 

 the exclusion of further development of gray-green fruit- 

 ing areas of mold. 



Complete softening may occur in three weeks in cheeses 

 in which evaporation has gone on too slowly. Such 

 cheeses are found to contain 51 to 55 per cent of water 

 when ripe and decay very quickly. If handled properly, 

 the water-content should fall from about 57 per cent at 

 the beginning of ripening to 48 per cent at its completion 

 which should require a minimum period of about four 

 weeks. It is more desirable that a cheese four weeks old 

 show a thin core of sour curd in the center than that it 

 be entirely liquid at that age. 



