What do you get when you combine a smurf and an English cow? You get Blue Stilton Cheese. Well sort of, because I got that joke from the movie “Smurf”.
But what really makes Stilton cheese blue?
Cheese is basically a three step process. First is the precipitation of the milk into curds. Second is the concentration of the curds and removal of the whey by pressing and draining, and the third is aging or “ripening.” The third step is crucial because it is here where microbes and bacteria are introduced to become its final product.
It is also in the last step where we can determine what kind of cheese it is going to be. Unlike some other cheeses where it is easily pressed then molded, the making of the blue stilton is having its curds packed loosely so as to promote and allow the growth of bacteria on to the cheese. More often, the mold comes from a “starter batch” usually from a previous batch of cheese. This mold is then introduced by poking long skewers through the mixture. In modern production, to maintain a quality product with a consistent look and feel, there is no skewering involve because the mold is already mixed with the curds before they are pressed. Moreover, molds are allowed to drain, usually overnight before the cheese wheel is turned out to ‘ripen’ These is what causes the characteristics of the blue veins as well as its crumbly texture.
The term “needling” is used when more holes are punched into the cheeses to allow more air for the bacteria to work on.
Okay, so there are molds in these Stilton cheese, how do I know then, that the Stilton Blue Cheese is still as safe to eat? Easy!!! The basic senses of sight, smell, taste and touch should be your guide if it is still edible or not.
Check the color. Stilton cheese is a blue and white color combination. If the white part turns yellowish and the blue part turns green, don’t eat it. Chances are it is getting spoiled.
Smell. Of course the longer the cheese is to ripen, the stronger they smell. But if your cheese starts to smell like ammonia, throw it out.
Taste. Blue cheese tends to get stronger as it ages, but if you somehow think that it is kind of “off”, you might as well ditch it in the garbage rather than in your plate.
If you see a fuzzy mold that wasn’t there when you got it, chances are, another kind of unhealthy mold has invaded your cheese kingdom. Throw it away.
See if your cheese is not as crumbly as it should be and check for slime. When blue cheese turns slimy, it means there is extra moisture thus your cheese should be discarded.
Having all these knowledge, it is best only to get from the most reliable source. You may find it on the best cheese shop online, the Ideal Cheese Shop. You can never go wrong. And I think the smurfs were right: in order to create that Glorious Vein, only marry it with “royalty” and you will have the King of all Cheeses―the BLUE STILTON CHEESE.