22 BULLETIN 970, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGSICtJLTUEE. 



Occasionally the mold and flavor fail to develop, in which, case 

 the cheeses are repierced and again exposed to the free air of the 

 curing rooms. At the time of enveloping in foil there should be an 

 abundance of mold and some flavor; however, the flavor appears 

 flatter and less pronounced than after the cheese has been left in 

 the foil for a few months. Whenever cheeses are repierced care must 

 be taken to maintain a high humidity and low temperature, or they 

 will become dry, friable, the mold will take on a dark color, the 

 flavor will be sharp and unpleasant, and the cheeses will be of poorer 

 quality than before this operation. The cheeses should be wrapped 

 in tin foil within two or three weeks after the second piercing. 



In the preliminary work by the Bureau of Animal Industry it 

 was often necessary to use a temperature of from 50° to 60° F. and 

 under these conditions a great deal of difficulty was caused by the 

 invasion of the surface slime into the punch holes. A high humidity 

 and temperature result often in the invasion of the slime into the 

 interior of the cheese, which not only causes a very unattractive 

 appearance but impairs the flavor of the cheese. This serious diffi- 

 culty has been partially, if not wholly, eliminated by the use of low 

 temperatures, from 45° to 50° F. This is one reason why a low 

 temperature for curing this cheese is desirable. 



Ripening period. — Roquefort cheese from cows,' milk requires from 

 three to five months to ripen. The ripening period may be shortened 

 by raising the moisture content of the cheese, but this will be at the 

 expense of quality. By the use of refrigeration the cheese may be 

 made when milk is abundant, and ripened and marketed in the winter, 

 when it commands a higher price; in fact it may be made the year 

 round. The imported cheeses are ripened in from one to three 

 months and often they are sold directly from the curing shelves 

 without preliminary ripening in the foil. With cows'-milk Roque- 

 fort it is often difficult to ripen the cheeses under three months, and 

 a longer time is better. The best results have been obtained by 

 ripening three months on the shelves and at least two months in 

 the foil. It has so far not been possible to obtain cheese with the 

 best flavor unless ripened in foil. When the foil-wrapped cheese 

 has been ripened to the desired point, it will keep in good condition 

 for from eight months to a year, provided it is held at a low tempera- 

 ture and is not too moist. Preferably the cheese should be held at a 

 temperature of only a few degrees above 0° C. or 32° F. However, 

 rather moist cheese has been kept from six to eight months in good 

 condition at a temperature from 45° to 50° F. During this period 

 the cheese did not deteriorate but rather tended to improve in 

 quality and become sweeter and more fragrant. Cheese that is 

 very moist may be ripened in a shorter period but it is not so easily 



