All About Cheese

Ideally, keep cheese refrigerated between 3 to 5°C in its original packaging in a separate compartment or a large, sealed plastic container in the fridge.

Otherwise, follow these tips:

Fresh Cheeses, Fetta, Bocconcini, Haloumi, and Goat's Cheese - Wrap in plastic wrap or place in a plastic wrap covered bowl.  Store Fetta and Haloumi in brine if possible.

Soft White, Blue, Washed Rind, Cheddar, Hard Italian Styles, Mozzarella, and Eye Cheeses - Although you can keep these cheeses in plastic wrap for short periods for home use, they are best wrapped in greaseproof or baking paper and stored in a separate sealed container in the fridge (3-5°C).  Make sure to replace the wrapping regularly.

At its simplest, cheese is made of a few natural ingredients: milk, salt, rennet and cultures (refer to the ingredients list on the packaging for details). Salt is important for removing moisture during cheesemaking; for inhibiting the development of bacteria so the cheese keeps better and, of course, for flavour.

The salt content of a cheese will vary, but is lower for quick-ripening soft cheeses like Brie and Camembert, and higher for long-maturing hard cheeses like Parmesan and Blue cheeses. Some fresh cheeses such as Fetta can be very high in salt due to the brine in which the cheese is stored. If the Fettas you have are too salty, soak it in water or milk for 5-10 minutes, or select a lower salt Fetta cheese.

The Best Before date means the date which signifies the end of the period during which the intact package of food, if stored in accordance with the stated storage conditions, will remain fully marketable and will retain its specific qualities.

Most cheeses are coded with a Best Before date – and hard cheeses such as Cheddar and Parmesan can have a Best Before date for up to and including 12 months. Soft Ripened Cheeses have shorter Best Before dates – and as they mature throughout their life-span, they become softer and creamier with a more developed flavour as they age. For this reason, they are best consumed close to their Best Before date. When buying soft cheeses like Brie, Camembert, or Blue, try to select cheese with a Best Before that is close to its date when you will be serving. It is not recommended to store or consume cheese past its Best Before date.

The Use By date means the date which signifies the end of the estimated period if stored in accordance with any stated storage conditions, after which the intact package of food should not be consumed because of health and safety reasons. Some fresh cheeses such as Ricotta and Bocconcinni are usually coded with a Use By date – and therefore must not be consumed past this date.

As one of the most popular specialty cheese varieties, there are many Brie and Brie-style cheeses available in Australia. The basic Brie recipe can be modified in many ways, including changing the type of milk used.

Double and Triple Cream Brie cheeses are usually made with a creamier milk as a base - that is, it contains a greater proportion of cream to milk than is normally used. In some cases, extra cream can be added directly to the milk. This can give a creamier cheese with a more buttery taste.

Hand Washed Brie or Scrubbed Brie is a Brie-style cheese, which is ‘washed’ or ‘scrubbed’ with a brine-type solution as it matures. This changes the condition of the white mould and gives a distinct flavour and aroma to the cheese. As Hand Washed Brie cheeses mature, they develop a beautiful orange bloom on the white mould and their aroma is strong and earthy. Interestingly, the stronger the smell of the rind, the more mild and delicate the cheese!

Ashed Brie has been rolled in vine ash to give it an appealing fine, dark layer just under the surface.

The age of the cheese determines its strength, flavour and texture. Like good wine, cheese becomes fuller and more complex in flavour with age as the proteins in the cheese breakdown and it ripens.  

Mild Cheddars are aged for 3-6 months and have a subtle, buttery flavour. They have a supple body so will slice well for sandwich-making and grating.

Tasty Cheddars  are typically aged from 6–12 months and, at this stage, they have developed a definite tang and more textured body.

Vintage Cheddars are at least 12 months old and have a characteristic cheddar ‘bite’ and full-bodied flavour.

Brie and Camembert are both types of soft white cheese. Originally, Brie was made in an area south-east of Paris where the cattle grazed on stony river beds. Camembert was originally made a couple of hundred kilometers to the west, near the coast in Normandy, where a different breed of cattle grazed on lush green pastures. In addition, Brie and Camembert were made in different sizes: Brie a large flat wheel, Camembert a small round wheel. Both the raw ingredients and the differing surface areas resulted in the different tastes between the cheeses.

Modern-day Brie and Camembert varieties are produced in many places, in many ways, throughout the world. This variety means the original differences between Brie and Camembert are not so pronounced. Generally speaking, Brie is a smoother, creamier cheese with a subtle ‘mushroomy’ taste; and Camembert has a slightly sweeter flavour.