 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
Cheese is like a bottle of wine. When you buy a bottle of wine, you want to store it in the right environment so it keeps aging and gets better after time. When it is time to serve, leave the bottle at room temperature or chill it. Open the bottle and leave it in its container or pour off the wine into a carafe to aerate the wine. These are all simple but important steps to take to enjoy the best of this complex beverage. Cheese requires the exact same care and attention in order to taste all of the flavors that it has to offer. Cheese is a live product, it needs to breathe and can be sensitive to changing conditions. Here is some advice on how to care for our precious cheeses: Each delicate cheese is packaged in its own “micro-cave”. This wooden crate and micro-perforated film allows the cheese to breathe and continue to ripen without drying. Leaving the cheeses in their own packaging will protect them and create the right environment for further rind development, aroma, and flavor. The cheeses will achieve its peak at 30 to 45 days. For Consumers Storing the cheese: Our cheeses are considered “fresh-ripened” cheeses. This mean that it’s a young cheese, high in moisture, with a soft paste and a delicate rind. Our cheeses need to be kept cold. Store them in the vegetable or cheese drawer of your refrigerator. Keep the cheese in its micro-cave until you plan to serve it. If the cheese is too soft for your taste, remove the film and leave it overnight in the refrigerator to dry the surface of the cheese. Remember that your refrigerator is a cold and dry environment for our cheeses or most any soft cheese. The next day leave the cheese at room temperature for at least 2 hours before serving. The rind will be dense of flavor and the paste will be sweet and creamy. If you prefer an even drier cheese to grate or marinate, let the cheese dry up to a week in the refrigerator. If you have leftover cheese, rewrap the cheese in its wood crate with regular plastic film. If you have thrown away the crate use a small plate as the cheese crate. Make sure the film is not too tight so the cheese keeps breathing. Waxed paper is also a very good material for our type of cheese. Cheese can be served immediately or aged for days, weeks or even years. Our cheeses can be aged up to 45 to 50 days if they are stored in the right temperature and humidity conditions. If the cheese is keep too cold (30-35F) the active organisms stop working and the maturation is interrupted. If the cheese is kept too warm for too long (room temperature for more than a day), then it will be too runny and sweaty with a strange smell. Keep it simple. Store in your home refrigerator, wrapped well and you may enjoy your cheeses for weeks. Removing the cheese from the crate: The wood crate acts as a wick to absorb moisture away from the rind and to maintain moisture in the cheese. Slide a knife under the rind so it doesn’t stick to the wood. For the Bijou and Coupole, peel the side of the crate to slide the knife horizontally. It is easier to remove the cheese from the crate when it is still cold and hard, than at room temperature when the rind becomes sticky and very fragile. The best season to eat our cheese: Our cheeses are available all year long. The milk, however, changes seasonally. Winter milk is high in protein and butterfat. Winter cheeses are creamier like a triple crème and denser with a nutty flavor. During the summer the goats are eating browse and pasture. The cheese is light like a mousse with a citrus and flower notes. For The Trade Upon arrival: The age of the cheeses may vary when they arrive. Leave them in their packaging in a dry, clean and cold (35ºF) environment. The code date is a “made on date”. The cheese should not be stored in the warehouse for more than two weeks, unless you want a very mature cheese. Merchandising at retail: Stacking the unwrapped cheese in the service case looks very appealing and appetizing. Once the cheese is removed from its packaging and placed in a case it will dry quickly. Depending on your customer’s preferences, we recommend leaving the cheese in its “micro-cave” to be protected and continue aging. Chef as Affineur: To obtain the best from our cheeses, remove the perforated film to allow the aging smells to evaporate and the rind to dry. Store the crate in a cooler for at least 24 hours before serving. If you prefer to age the cheese longer, place a piece of waxed paper on the top and store it in your cooler. At one month old, the cheese will shrink, the rind becomes darker and the flavor will condense with piquant notes. At this stage, the Bijou will be perfect to be grated, marinated in olive oil or served as a mature “crottin”. |