We are independent & ad-supported. We may earn a commission for purchases made through our links.
Advertiser Disclosure
Our website is an independent, advertising-supported platform. We provide our content free of charge to our readers, and to keep it that way, we rely on revenue generated through advertisements and affiliate partnerships. This means that when you click on certain links on our site and make a purchase, we may earn a commission. Learn more.
How We Make Money
We sustain our operations through affiliate commissions and advertising. If you click on an affiliate link and make a purchase, we may receive a commission from the merchant at no additional cost to you. We also display advertisements on our website, which help generate revenue to support our work and keep our content free for readers. Our editorial team operates independently of our advertising and affiliate partnerships to ensure that our content remains unbiased and focused on providing you with the best information and recommendations based on thorough research and honest evaluations. To remain transparent, we’ve provided a list of our current affiliate partners here.
Food

Our Promise to you

Founded in 2002, our company has been a trusted resource for readers seeking informative and engaging content. Our dedication to quality remains unwavering—and will never change. We follow a strict editorial policy, ensuring that our content is authored by highly qualified professionals and edited by subject matter experts. This guarantees that everything we publish is objective, accurate, and trustworthy.

Over the years, we've refined our approach to cover a wide range of topics, providing readers with reliable and practical advice to enhance their knowledge and skills. That's why millions of readers turn to us each year. Join us in celebrating the joy of learning, guided by standards you can trust.

What Is Fermented Cheese?

By C.B. Fox
Updated: May 16, 2024
Views: 86,239
References
Share

Fermented cheese is a food found around the world. The fermentation process allows dairy products to be kept at room temperature for long periods of time, which was essential in the days before refrigeration. Cheeses are fermented by adding different types of bacteria to dairy products and allowing the bacteria to eat the lactose. Both hard and soft cheeses are made by fermenting milk by adding live cultures to it.

There are two main types of cheese — fermented and non-fermented. Non-fermented cheeses are made by heating milk, adding an acid to it, which causes the curds and whey to separate, and then straining out the curds. These curds can be eaten while moist, such as in cottage cheese, or pressed until semi-dry and firm, such as in the Indian cheese, paneer. In either case, the cheese must be consumed quickly, or it will go bad. Fermented cheese was developed thousands of years ago as a way to make dairy products last for weeks or months.

The process of making a fermented cheese differs significantly from the process of making non-fermented cheese. Hard cheeses require the addition of renin or a renin substitute, and all fermented cheeses need live cultures added to them. These cultures feed on the lactose in the milk, producing lactic acid as a byproduct. This process is often called aging, but it is actually a type of fermentation. Cheeses can be fermented for anywhere from weeks to months.

Historically, cheese was fermented in caves. Caves provided an area that was cool, moist, and away from the sun, which could damage the fermented cheese and render it inedible. In some areas, cheeses are still aged in caves, though it is more common in modern times to ferment them in climate controlled buildings. The living organisms in the cheese need to be kept cool so that they will reproduce and ferment the milk into cheese.

Most cheeses are variations of fermented cheese. The cultures added to the cheese and the conditions under which it is aged account for the many different flavors and textures of cheese. All of the bacteria added to cheese to ferment are safe to consume. Unsafe bacteria are often removed from the milk prior to fermentation through the process of pasteurization.

Share
DelightedCooking is dedicated to providing accurate and trustworthy information. We carefully select reputable sources and employ a rigorous fact-checking process to maintain the highest standards. To learn more about our commitment to accuracy, read our editorial process.
Link to Sources
Discussion Comments
By SarahGen — On Nov 17, 2013

I have some confusion over fermented dairy because some sources define "fermented" as food with probiotics. If we take that definition, then cottage cheese can also be considered fermented.

But I think the correct definition of fermented is when bacteria and cultures are added to a milk product to make cheese. We're not talking about products that naturally contain probiotics, because most dairy already does.

So cottage cheese is not fermented.

By burcinc — On Nov 17, 2013

@donasmrs-- Yes, feta is fermented. I think most hard cheeses are.

It's made like any other fermented cheese. Milk is boiled, cooled down slightly and cheese culture is added. Rennet is added later and left overnight. And then it is put in brine so that the cheese can age.

Feta is my favorite type of cheese. I like hard feta that has fermented for a long time. It has a very complex and rich flavor.

By donasmrs — On Nov 16, 2013

Is feta cheese a fermented cheese? How is it made?

Share
https://www.delightedcooking.com/what-is-fermented-cheese.htm
Copy this link
DelightedCooking, in your inbox

Our latest articles, guides, and more, delivered daily.

DelightedCooking, in your inbox

Our latest articles, guides, and more, delivered daily.