Vacuum sealing is a suitable way to store and preserve many foods. You can keep cheese fresh for significantly longer in a refrigerator when there is no air available to disrupt the product.
Is vacuum sealing a suitable method for aging your cheese?
When you place cheese into a vacuum-sealed container, the plastic barrier that comes around the product acts as a wax seal. Instead of worrying about humidity, cross-contamination, and visibility issues, you can place each finished item in your cheese cave, cellar, or a storage unit to go through the natural ripening process.
Vacuum sealing may not be the traditional approach to cheesemaking, but it is a convenient choice for home cheesemakers.
How to Create a Vacuum Seal for Cheese
The best way to create a vacuum seal protective layer for your cheese is to purchase equipment that makes this technique possible.
Mueller Austria creates an excellent vacuum sealer machine that uses a fully automatic process to create results. Place the cheese you want to protect in the container, place it in the equipment as instructed by the manufacturer, and suck the air out from around the finished product.
You get everything needed to preserve your cheese in the box. It comes with an au suction hose, five medium bags, and an extra-long bag roll to help you get to work immediately.
When you follow the steps correctly with the vacuum bag, your cheese benefits from an entirely impermeable surface that holds its seal better. You don’t need to worry about any gas getting in or going out.
If you want some gases to escape because of the instructions in your cheesemaking recipe, a commercial-grade, BPA-free vacuum bag may be necessary.
What Are the Results of Vacuum Sealing for Cheese?
Cheeses that ripen in vacuum-sealed bags tend to have a different aging experience than those that receive a wax coating.
Since gases don’t exchange with a standard vacuum bag, the taste development process is a little different. The results tend to be flat, under-developed, and slightly sour. That may not be an issue for short-ripening recipes, but it can dramatically impact long-term aging requirements.
Some cheeses come out of vacuum storage with a robust rancid smell because of ammonia and carbon dioxide buildups. You may find the texture and sourness of the product goes beyond what your stomach wants to handle.
Extra condensation may form inside the container when compared to the traditional process. When the air gets sucked out of the bag, the force of movement pulls whey toward the cheese’s surface.
The extra moisture can hasten the ripening process.
Some cheesemakers prefer the wax method because vacuum bags can place unsightly lines, wrinkles, or patterns on the cheese’s surface. As long as the taste is right, this issue is not overly bothersome.
Vacuum sealing can change the result of your recipe if you’re not careful. Choose this preservation method if you have minimal storage space to use at home for the ripening process.
