Can I eat the Blue Mould on Goats’ Milk Cheese?
The short answer is yes! Artisanal goats’ milk cheese can form a rainbow of moulds on the rind. When consumed within the cheeses’ use-by date, these moulds are an expected part of the cheese and are perfectly safe to eat.
For more detail on goats’ milk cheese moulds, we spoke to cheesemakers Rachel & Fraser from Norton & Yarrow – the makers of Sindodun Hill goats’ milk cheese.
Read on to learn more…
Why does my goats’ milk cheese have blue mould on it?
Artisanal goats’ milk cheese is usually left to ripen at 10 degrees Centigrade (the traditional French way). At this temperature, a huge variety of microflora will grow on the rind. Some moulds will be cream and there will also be a whole array of blue, green and grey mould. These moulds all add flavour and complexity to the cheese and are perfectly safe to eat.
A good goats' milk cheese is partly defined by the flavour and texture of its rind and encouraging this rind to form exactly as we want is a careful combination of art, science, experience...and sometimes luck!
Sometimes my goats’ milk cheese doesn’t have any mould – why is this?
Exactly which mould grows on the rind is affected by the original composition of the milk which changes every day and is also affected the season, the weather and humidity during the making and ripening of the cheese, the precise temperature it is kept at, and exactly for how long, as well as how long the cheeses are drained and dried before ripening, and then just a little bit of luck!
