Blue Cheese
Blue cheese, sometimes labeled as “bleu cheese,” is a term often used for cheeses that have been inoculated with Penicillium mold cultures. It then forms dark streaks, patches, or veins of blue-green mold and makes up some of the most famous cheeses in the world including Roquefort, Stilton and Gorgonzola.
Generic blue cheese is made by heating milk with rennet until it curdles. From there, the mold is stirred with curds to ensure the mold is distributed throughout the cheese. The curds are then pressed in a cheese mold and sit for several days. After sitting for several days, holes are then made in the cheese to aerate it.
Once holes have been placed in the cheese, it is stored in a cool cheese cave to ripen for as long as six months before packaging for sale. What you will find is blue cheese must be handled carefully to ensure the true taste and flavor is experienced.
Upon completion, blue cheese ends up as a soft, dense cheese that includes seams of blue mold throughout. If it has been improperly made, there will be spots of pink, brown, yellow and red. This does not necessarily mean the cheese is bad, but some diners and grocery stores will throw the cheese away.
When prepared correctly, the most flavorful blue cheese will be most, creamy and full of intense flavors. People use this kind of cheese on a vast amount of meals and appetizers including salads, quiches and spreads. And if you are feeling crafty, it can be a terrific project to whip up some cheese on your own.
