Fresh and aged goat's cheese

It only takes a few weeks to turn a freshly unmoulded goat's cheese into a dense cheese full of flavour. The first effect of ageing is to dry the cheese. Water evaporates naturally through temperature, but also ventilation. As it ages, the cheese gradually loses its moisture, eventually up to 30%, and its weight drops accordingly. The texture firms up and tightens, and the cheese shrinks until it becomes compact, even crumbly. This is the classic process for the vast majority of small goat's cheeses.

The lack of moisture in the cheese brings out the taste of salt. So it is no surprise that aged cheeses have a stronger flavour. At the same time, ageing makes the flavours richer and more complex. Day after day, (harmless) yeasts, moulds and bacteria digest the proteins, fat and sugars of the milk (lactose), releasing aromatic compounds into the cheese. The creamy aromas and tangy tastes gradually fade, giving way, depending on the cheese, to notes of nuts, flowers, spices…

The main visible effect of ageing is the formation of a rind, which gradually thickens and may change in appearance. Generally, a white mould first appears as a light down. Then grey, reddish or blue moulds may in turn settle, mingling with the white down. It is not always easy to predict: cheese is a living product, and it sometimes has surprises in store!