Flavorful, interesting, ever evolving …
The category ‘Soft Cheese’ is a large one, encompassing the most common sub-categories to include:
Bloomy Rinds (ie Camembert)
Washed Rinds (usually the ‘stinky’ cheeses)
Fresh cheeses (similar to a chevre)
Ever evolving because the cheese you leave in the refrigerator for a few weeks or on the counter for a few days (covered with a glass cloche) will not have the same flavor profile (or texture) that it did when you brought it home.
We tend to focus on variations of Bloomy Rinds. These typically have a soft, white outer mold surface. A few cheeses that you will also see, have a wrinkled, brain-like appearance and tend to be more tan or yellow.
For the fresh cheeses, we use a cow’s milk curd to create a young, delicate, light- in-flavor cheese. This is sometimes called a ‘gateway’ cheese for new cheese lovers just starting out on their journey. These soft cheeses are generally about 1 week of age and less complex.
Soft cheeses are tricky to make and have a relatively short shelf life. But we love their fickle, delicate temperaments. They tend to create the most excitement with cheese lovers, of which we are lucky to have around us.
We also use sheep and goat milk to create our soft cheeses. A current favorite, the Pointe Coupee, is a velvety, ash-coated rind cheese ripened for about 2 weeks. It is made using goat milk.
For our Washed Rinds we like to use local beer, wine or ciders. Our recent washed rind, Presque Oublie (Almost Forgotten), was washed with Contoocook Cider Company’s hard cider. It was a favorite at our first farmers market and we ran out immediately! More to come …
