06. Maturing the cheese

The matruing process is the essential stage whcih allows the cheese to be conserved for longer

Blue cheeses mature from the interior to the exterior. The maturing process lasts around 12 and 30 weeks.
Blue cheeses: pate is fatty and buttery, with a tangy, particular flavour.

Pressed cheeses only mature on the inside, which is why their rind is dry. They are matured for around 9 to 24 months.
Pressed cheese: fine, clean colour, smooth, supple texture, developed flavour.

Goat’s cheese can be enjoyed at any stage of the maturing process, which can last between a few days and a few weeks.
Goat’s cheese: thick and rippled rind, unctuous texture, caprine  flavour.

In this way, each cheese is matured in a particular way. The particular  characteristics of each cheese can be found in the way it was matured, look out for the characteristics in these principle cheeses: Abondance, Banon, Beaufort, Bleu d'Auvergne, Bleu de Gex Haut-Jura, Bleu des Causses, Bleu du Vercors-Sassenage, Brie de Meaux, Brie de Melun, Brocciu, Camembert de Normandie, Cantal, Chabichou du Poitou, Chaource, Chevrotin, Comté, Crottin de Chavignol, Époisses, Fourme d'Ambert, Fourme de Montbrison, Laguiole, Langres, Livarot, Mâconnais, Maroilles, Mont-d'or, Morbier, Munster, Coeur de Neufchâtel, Ossau-Iraty, Pélardon, Picodon, Pont-l'évêque, Pouligny Saint-Pierre, Reblochon, Rigotte de Condrieu, Rocamadour, Roquefort, Saint-Nectaire, Sainte-Maure-de-Touraine, Salers, Selles-sur-cher, Tome des Bauges, Valençay, Gruyère francais, Gruyère Suisse, Tête de moine, Etivaz, Stilton, Cheddar, Stinking Bishop, Shropshire Blue, Red Leiceister, Manchego, Gorgonzola, Parmigiano Reggiano, Herve, fromage blanc and more than 200 other types of cheese...

The maturing process is the five stage of the cheese making process and takes place at the cheese dairy and in cheese cellars.