Yes, maybe many of you thought we were going to mix the mythical crackers with some cheese, but no, the oreo is an essential part of the cheese making process.
If you are a true cheese lover, you may already know what we mean by this word, but just in case, let’s delve into this important moment that occurs when the cheese is in its ripening stage.
When the cheese comes out of the brine is when the cheese ripening process begins. During this time, which ranges from 24 to 48 hours, it is when the cheese masters let the cheeses aerate, or technically known as “orear”. This process consists of leaving the cheeses in the air drying rooms and let the air dry them or subtract the humidity they have after the time in brine.
These rooms must have the ideal temperature because if the temperature is higher than necessary, contamination may be generated and swelling or unpleasant flavors may appear in the cheeses. Therefore, we should generally have these rooms between 11 and 12º so that everything is in optimal conditions and the airing phase develops perfectly.
Although if what we are elaborating are
raw milk cheeses
we must take into account that they have a different treatment. In this case, the temperature should not exceed 10º C, since this type of cheese requires a longer and more prolonged ripening process.
But it is not only the temperature that must be taken into account, humidity also plays a very important role in this stage of cheese ripening. Rapid drying will cause cracks in the bark. Not only will this result in the cheese not looking pretty, but the rind will no longer be able to fulfill its purpose of enclosing and preserving the inside of the cheese. For optimal results, the humidity in the airing room should be around 70%.
With this process we achieve that the cheese acquires all the nuances and aromas that we will finally taste, once the cheese has finished its maturation phase.
