STORAGE OF CHEESE contd...

Emmental cheese:

Store the cheese at 10 – 15°C for 10 – 14 days at 90% RH; then at 20 - 24°C for 3-6 weeks at 80 – 85% RH followed by storage at 7.2°C or less for 6-12 months at 80-85% RH. Similar to that on Gruyere cheese, here also the cheese is turned regularly and the surface is soaked in a cloth soaked in brine.

Block shaped Swiss cheese:

Since the Swiss cheese is packed in barrier type material, the storage temperature is important and not the humidity. Dry the cheese after brining for 4 days at 7°C; packed in a barrier film material and stored at 17 – 18°C for 10-15 days till the formation of eye holes. And final storage at 8-12°C till it is matured. Turning the small block of cheese as done for other varieties is not essential.

British cheese:

The traditional types of British cheese are stored under different temperatures from 7 - 19°C depending on the variety. The relative humidity is around 85% to prevent dryness and crack formation in the rind. It is necessary for the cheese to be turned during the maturation period and this process is carried out manually in the small cheese factories.

Block shaped cheeses are normally matured at around 10°C and plastic laminates are used as the packaging material. Therefore turning of the cheese in store is not required. The stacking of cheese blocks in the maturation rooms is dependent upon factors such as type of shipping or outer packing container.