AOP county with long or short refining, how to choose
The county is a raw milk cheese made in the Jura Massif, and its character is built in cellar, well after manufacture. Between a four-month grinding wheel and a twenty-four months grinding wheel, texture, color and aromas have almost nothing in common. A County AOP in the short refining remains supple and milky, while a long ripening AOP county becomes firmer and much more expressive.
This article details the official rules, the cellar steps and the evolution of taste according to the durations. You will also find our landmarks to choose a grinding wheel, serve and keep it after receipt.
AOP county with long or short refining, how to choose
Reading time: ~ 7 min
What is county ripening
The ripen refers to the period during which the grinding wheels evolve in cellar after their manufacture. It is at this moment that gradually develop the texture, color and aromatic profile of cheese.
The county is made from cow's raw milk transformed within twenty-four hours of collection, without additive or dye, according to the official form of INAO. The raw material thus happens in cellar with a living microbial ecosystem, that the maturation will reveal slowly.
The role of refiner is to accompany this evolution, grinding wheel, and not to apply a unique recipe for all a production.
AOP county with ripening, which fixes the specifications
Minimum spinning time and geographic anchoring
The minimum duration is framed. The specifications of the appellation imposes a refining at least 120 days, about four months, this duration being calculated since the output of the ripening cellar. The production of milk, manufacture and ripening must also be carried out in the geographical area of the appellation, which anchors the product in the Jura Loir.
The INAO also specifies that refining can extend up to eighteen months, or more, depending on the cheese potential.
The cellar conditions are also described. Preparation lasts at least twenty-one days, in an atmosphere of 10 ° C and 15 ° C with a hygrometry greater than 90%. The grinding wheels pass in a ripening cellar, where the temperature should not exceed 19 ° C. Workshops must have facilities for managing several distinct moods to accompany different maturation phases.
The die indicates finally that the marking strip and the grinding sheet materialize the end of the refining, an evolution intended to avoid overfovement made outside the zone of the appellation.
Good to know
The spinning time of an AOP county runs from the enclosure, not from the cellar. A cheese announced at twelve months therefore has twelve months of existence, including pre-refining.
Why the spruce board
Every grinding wheel must refit on a spruce board during ripening, an obligation registered in the specifications. This local wood is considered particularly adapted to the county and participates in the environment necessary for its evolution.
The board absorbs and restores moisture, limits the excess condensation under the grinding wheel and welcomes a surface flora that participates in the cellar atmosphere. The grinding wheels are returned, rubbed and monitored regularly, and temperature and hygrometry parameters are monitored controlled.
This care explains why two grinding wheels from the same fruit can evolve differently according to the cellar that welcomes them.
County 4, 12, 18 or 24 months, what differences
How to evolve the county according to the time spent in cellar
The duration is not a simple number on a label, it reflects a maturation stage. The more the grinding wheel remains in cellar, the more the water evaporates, the more the dough firms and the more the aromas are concentrated. Here are the generally observed markers, being understood that the exact profile also depends on milk, season and fruit.
County profile according to the spinning time
|
Indicative duration |
Texture |
Aromas |
Recommended use |
|---|---|---|---|
|
4 to 6 months |
Flexible and melting |
Milky, butherd and sweet |
Children, sandwiches, gratins, sauces |
|
8 to 12 months |
Farm but still flexible |
BALANCE SWEATOR AND FRUITED NOTES |
Multipurpose tray, fondue, aperitif |
|
18 months |
Firmer, sometimes brittle |
Marked fruities, evolved notes |
Tasting, Cheese Plateau |
|
24 months and more |
Dry and friable |
Intense and persistent |
Chips, end of meal, wine of Jura |
Does the refining duration guarantees the quality
No, and this is an important point for a professional buyer as for an individual. The specifications sets a minimum duration, not an optimal duration. Each grinding has its own guard potential, and a grinding wheel too far can lose its balance, dry or develop unpleasant notes.
Conversely, a twelve-month county from a summer milk and well conducted in cellar may be more interesting than a twenty-four months poorly followed. The specifications also connects the characteristics of the county to the natural factors of the territory, in particular to the grass and the microbial ecosystem, and the sector reinforced the recognition of the know-how fruit, cheese makers and refiners.
In other words, the right question is not always what is the oldest county, but what is the best-refined county for the intended use.
How to choose a county according to your tastes
According to the moment of consumption
The choice is first according to the moment of consumption. For a discovery or audience that does not like marked cheeses, a four-to-six-month-old county remains the most accessible. For daily and versatile use, a wheel of eight to twelve months is suitable for both the tray and cooking. For a built tasting or a cheese card in restoration, an eighteen months or twenty-four months brings the length to the mouth sought.
Cooking
A young country county more easily and brings a net milky flavor, which is suitable for gratins, croque-gentle and sauces. A long refined county brings more character to a fondue or a velvety, but it works better grated finely or mixed with a younger cheese to avoid a granish texture.
Before you buy, check the displayed ripening time, the identification of the name and the vendor's ability to fill in the origin of the grinding wheel.
How to keep a refined county after purchase
Keep the texture and aromas of the county on a daily basis
A county trip well, but it continues to live once cut. Some simple gestures are enough to preserve its texture and its aromas on a daily basis.
-
Place the cheese in the least cold part of the refrigerator, usually the vegetable tray.
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Pack it in a paper suitable for cheese or in a breathable package, avoiding the hermetic plastic film over a long time.
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Take out the portion fifteen to twenty minutes before the service so the aromas are expressed.
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Consume the portions already cut in accordance with the indications of the cheese or label.
Commanding county and other local cheeses
Our catalog brings together more than 2,000 French local products, selected from the best houses combined at the International Rungis market. The cheeses with cow's milk rub shoulders with cheeses with goat's milk, the creams and butters, as well as a range of french charcuteries that naturally accompany a cooked pressed paste, of theandouille de Guémane to southwest Smoked Duck Magret.
Shipments leave from Rungis in refrigerated isothermal parcel, with a delivery in Europe in 24 to 48 hours in an indicative time. Our customer reviews are published on Verified Reviews, and our service accompanies both individuals and the establishments of the Horeca sector seeking a regular supply of French products abroad.
To remember on AOP county and ripening
The spinning time is a reference, not a guarantee. Associate it always for the intended use, at the time of the meal and the tastes of your guests.
Go farther with AOP county
The refining transforms a standardized grinding wheel into a singular cheese, with precise rules of duration, temperature, hygrometry and spruce support. Four months minimum, twelve months for balance, eighteen months and more for intensity, these benchmarks allow you to compose a coherent plateau or a readable cheese card.
The rest is the personal taste and the work of the refiner, which remains the best ally of a demanding buyer.
FAQ on ripening county
Are small white crystals in a refined county a fault ?
Not. These crunchy points frequently appear in the pulp pulses for length and result from the natural evolution of cellar cheese. They are generally perceived as a sign of advanced maturity.
Should we remove the county crust ?
The crust is formed in contact with the cellar and care provided to the grinding wheel. It is not intended to be tasted as what, but it can be used to perfume a broth or soup, after having been scraped.
Can we freeze county ?
Freezing is not recommended for a tasting on tray because it alters the texture and makes some of the aromas lose. For use in cooking, an already grated cheese is better supporting this conservation.
How do you ship fresh cheeses to Europe ?
Parcels leave the international rungis market in refrigerated isothermal packaging, for a delivery in Europe in 24 to 48 hours in an indicative time. Transportation being provided by an external carrier, this period remains given as an indication.
Do you offer volumes suitable for restaurants and hotels ?
Yes I do. We work with the hotel and restaurant professionals who wish to offer French local products outside France, with an assortment of cheeses, cold cuts and catering dishes available to the catalog.
County 5-7 months AOP with raw milk ± 1kg
