Aged cheese is available in different forms from soft to hard.
Cheese is a milk by-product. Most cheeses are ripened or aged. As cheese ages, bacteria continues to grow, making the cheese harder and changing its texture and flavor. Varieties of aged cheese include soft, semisoft, semifirm and firm or hard cheese.
Soft Cheese
Soft cheese is often consumed within one or two months of production. It is also used within a few days of purchasing as it spoils faster than firm cheeses. Soft cheese has a high percentage of water because it is aged for a short amount of time. The longer a cheese is aged, the more it loses its moisture to evaporation. Soft cheese can be used as a spread on toast, bagels or crackers and it is not usually used for cooking. Examples of soft cheese include brie, camembert, feta and ricotta salata.
Semisoft Cheese
Semisoft cheese is aged longer than soft cheese, but not for a long time. It is ideal for snacks and desserts. Some are even used in cooking as they offer more resistance to heat. Semisoft cheese does not grate easily, but it can often be sliced, and ranges from crumbly to sliceable in texture. Many soft cheeses can also be frozen and thawed without losing their flavor. Examples of semi-soft cheese include gouda, havarti, limburger and mozzarella.
Semifirm Cheese
Semifirm cheese is cooked, pressed and aged to flavor. Most semifirm cheese is pressed during production to reduce the moisture content. Many semifirm cheeses are also salted in brine during production. Semifirm cheese is ideal for snacks and sandwiches and it can be used in cooking and baking without becoming oily. This cheese has a longer shelf life than soft and semisoft cheese. It can be stored one to two months in the refrigerator without opening, three to four weeks if opened and two weeks if sliced. Beaufort, Cheddar, chevre and Swiss cheeses are examples of semifirm cheese.
Hard Cheese
Hard cheese is aged for a long period of time, often for years rather than months or weeks. It is important for the cheesemaker to use only the best quality ingredients such as rennet and milk when cheese is aged for so long. Production of hard cheese is the same as for any other type -- the curd is pressed and may be cooked to eliminate as much whey as possible. If there is too much remaining, cheese can be prone to spoiling as it may have a high moisture content. Hard cheese tends to have a crystalline texture. It has a long shelf life and can be used for grating into cooked dishes. Examples of hard cheese include grand padano, Romano and Parmesan.
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