Limburger cheese is a cow's milk cheese that has been surface-ripened, is semi-soft, and has a strong flavour and pungent rind. Limburger was first offered for sale at marketplaces in Limbourg and comes from the Belgian province of Liège. By the late twentieth century, the majority of Limburger was produced in Germany and the United States. Limburger typically takes the shape of little bricks, squares, or cubes. The corynebacteria that ripen the cheese into a soft, spreadable paste create its thin-skinned, scarlet rind. The presence of Brevibacterium linens bacteria is thought to be the cause of the cheese's famed odour, which emerges when the cheese ripens and turns rather nasty after a few weeks.
The flavour of Limburger is not as strong as its pungent odour, which can be detected when the cheese is exposed from a long distance. Traditionally, rye bread and cheese and onion were used to make Limburger sandwiches.
How Is Limburger Cheese Made?
In large vats, raw cow's milk is heated and pasteurised. Rennet is then added to the milk to cause it to coagulate into curd after cultures are introduced to reduce the pH of the milk. The curd is divided into tiny pieces, drained, and then formed into small, brick-like Limburger blocks. The wheels' exteriors are cleansed in a salt brine while the blocks are aged for one to three months. This promotes the growth of Brevibacterium linens, the microbe responsible for the strong aroma and rind colour of the cheese. Before being sold, the aged blocks are then covered in foil to keep their aroma and safeguard the cheese.
How To Use Limburger Cheese
Limburger can be consumed with bread, pickles, and other fixings as part of a cheese board. It is frequently consumed with strawberry jam. Dark bread, chopped onions, and hot brown mustard are customarily added to sandwiches with soft, ripe Limburger cheese. It's also delicious in gratins, macaroni and cheese, grilled cheese sandwiches, and other dishes that require flavourful, creamy, soft melting cheese. Lagers, ales, and strong, dark beers like stouts and porters go well with this cheese.
Is The Rind Edible?
Despite having a distinctive aroma from its scrubbed rind, Limburger cheese has a mild flavour and should be consumed.
Storage Instructions
Keep Limburger cheese in your refrigerator in unopened packets. Rewrap the cheese in its original packaging after it has been unwrapped, or wrap the block firmly in parchment or wax paper before putting it in an unsealed plastic sandwich bag or storage container. To preserve the cheese from the drying refrigerator air, put it in the cheese drawer or crisper. Limburger cheese shouldn't be frozen because the act of freezing and thawing can change the cheese's texture.
