Muenster or Munster?
Reading Time: 5 minutes
WHETHER YOU SPELL it, Muenster or Munster, this cheese is traditionally cow milk cheese, but I have had good luck making it with goat milk, too. So, if you have dairy goats, try making this cheese if you have excess milk. But know that how you spell might also make a difference in what cheese you will make!
In the U.S., the spelling for this cheese is Muenster. You might know it as a nice, mellow sandwich cheese, often packaged in square slices, with a bright orange rind. This cheese rarely appears on a gourmet cheese board as it could be more interesting, but it melts nicely and is pleasantly mild and creamy. The orange rind on this version comes from the natural colorant, annatto, which does not impart any flavor but looks pretty.
By comparison, French Munster is a washed-rind cheese with a much more pungent smell and flavor and a softer texture. This is because it is washed with brine to smear Brevibacterium linens during aging, making it exceptionally strong if it ages long enough.
When I was in France a few years ago, I visited the Alsace region where this cheese is made, and I bought a small wheel of it to take back in my suitcase. Thank goodness it was vacuumsealed because the robust and dirty-sock aroma almost knocked me over when I got it home and opened it up!
Despite the smelly rind, the cheese was delightfully flavored, although more potent than its version in the States. This little wheel was worthy of the most gourmet cheese board.
So, which is the more authentic version? The French Munster is the original as it goes way back to the 7th century. Benedictine monks made it with milk from local farmers and washed it in a saltwater solution, encouraging fungi and bacteria growth. It is said that the monks did not eat meat on fasting days, so they wanted a strong-flavored cheese as a stand-in.
Much has changed since then, and now, in France, there are two types of Alsatian Munster: a mass-produced version made with pasteurized milk from a variety of cow breeds, and a traditional artisan cheese made with raw milk obtained exclusively from Vosgienne cows. The latter is the cheese to buy (or make) for an authentic Munster experience.
The recipe below comes close to the Munster I tasted while in France, although it has been adapted to goat milk since I own goats, and this is, after all, Goat Journal. If you want to make it with cow milk, increase the amount of rennet to ½ teaspoon and allow it to coagulate a little longer if needed.
I wrote the recipe for pasteurized milk, so if you plan to be as authentic as possible and use your milk raw, just cut the amount of culture in half. Goat or cow milk, Muenster or Munster, either way is worth it.
Goat Milk Muenster Munster
- HEAT MILK: Heat 2 gallons of goat milk to 70 degrees Fahrenheit.
- CULTURE: Sprinkle ¼ teaspoon of Mesophilic culture and 1/8 teaspoon of Brevibacterium linens over the surface of the milk. (Cut the culture amounts in half if using raw milk.) If desired, add a pinch of Geotrichum candidum, allowing a soft white fuzz to mingle with the sticky orange-washed rind, making for a dryer and milder surface. It is optional.
- CONTINUE HEATING: Continue stirring and heating the milk to 90 degrees F.
- COAGULATE: Dilute 3/8 teaspoon of liquid rennet in ¼ cup cool, non-chlorinated water and add to the milk. Stir, cover, and let set for 45 minutes or until you have a clean break.
- CUT: Cut the curd into ½-inch cubes.
- HOLD: Cover and hold the temperature for 30 minutes.
- SCOOP CURDS: Line a colander with cheesecloth and place over a bowl or pot. Scoop the curds into the colander and allow to drain for 10 minutes.
- FILL FORM(S): Scoop curds into forms. If making a large wheel, line the form with cheesecloth. If using smaller forms or baskets, you might not need the cheesecloth.
- FLIP: Let drain in the form(s) for 3 to 4 hours. Gently flip the cheese, and return to the form. Let it sit at room temperature for about 24 hours (longer if still soft to handle).
- SALT: Remove from the form(s) and apply dry salt to all sides. Use about 1 teaspoon of salt for a 2-gallon wheel — more for a bigger wheel, less for a smaller wheel.
- DRY: Let the wheel sit at room temperature for a day or two in a container with something to raise the cheese off the bottom. Wipe out any excess moisture that builds up, especially under the cheese. When the cheese stops “weeping” whey, it is ready to go in the aging cave with the lid set ajar for a few more days to help release any additional excess moisture. Once sufficiently dry, you can put the lid on tightly.
- WASH: Make a brine solution of 1 cup water with 2 teaspoons salt and store this in the regular fridge. Wait until you notice a bit of white fuzz developing on the rind (if using Geotrichum) or until the rind is just past the point of releasing whey if not using Geotrichum before you start washing (about 5 to 7 days).
- If you add too much moisture too soon, blue mold will develop and take over the surface. If this happens, scrape it off and resume washing. Wash every few days with a cloth dipped in the brine solution, wringing it out till it’s just damp.
- The rind may take up to 2 weeks to develop an orange hue. You can wash every few days until the rind has the amount of “funk” you want! I usually wash for 2 to 3 weeks.
- CONTINUE AGING: Once the rind has the orange you want, flip it every few days and age for up to 3 months. Shorter aging times will result in a milder, firmer cheese. Longer times will result in a creamier and more pungent-smelling cheese.
- WRAP: Once the cheese is how you like it, you can wrap it in parchment paper or mold-ripened cheese paper and store it in your regular refrigerator.
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KATE JOHNSON raises Nubian dairy goats in Longmont, Colorado, at briargatefarm.com. She is an active leader in the local 4-H Goat Program and a superintendent for her county’s fair. She also runs a cheesemaking school at theartofcheese.com.
References:
Donnelly, Catherine. The Oxford Companion to Cheese. Oxford University Press, 2016.
