John Myers
Unless the packaging states that the cheese rind is made of plastic or has been treated with the antibiotic natamycin (E 235), you can eat it. Then the rind is created by the natural maturing process of the cheese and is basically edible.
Exceptions apply to pregnant women, the elderly, small children, and people with a weakened immune system. As a precaution, you should not eat the bark. Listeria can form on the rind of hard or soft cheese during the ripening process. However, healthy adults are generally not affected by these bacteria.
In order for a rind to form, cheese wheels are partially sprinkled with salt and placed in a salt bath. Soft cheese rests in it for only about half an hour, hard cheese for up to three days. The salt removes water from the cheese wheel, the rind becomes firmer and the cheese lasts longer. In addition, the cheese only gets its desired aroma through this treatment.
During the ripening process under special climatic conditions in the ripening cellar, water evaporates from the surface of the cheese and the rind thickens. The cheese wheels are regularly turned, washed, and brushed. For an extra hard crust, the cheese can be repeatedly rubbed with brine. The soft rind of Camembert – be sure to try our Camembert recipes – Brie or blue cheese, on the other hand, consists of noble mold. You can also eat these without hesitation.
