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Limburger Cheese Salad

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Limburger is a semi-soft cow’s milk cheese famous for its pungent aroma, creamy texture, and washed-rind character. Originating in the Duchy of Limburg, it develops its distinctive smell and flavor through aging with Brevibacterium linens.

Ingredients

  • 2 gallons whole cow’s milk (not ultra-pasteurized)
  • 1/4 tsp mesophilic starter culture (e.g., MM100 or buttermilk culture)
  • 1/32 tsp Geotrichum candidum
  • 1/32 tsp Brevibacterium linens
  • 1/4 tsp liquid rennet, diluted
  • 1/4 tsp calcium chloride (if using pasteurized milk)
  • Non-iodized salt for brining and rind washing

Instructions

  1. Heat milk to 88°F (32°C). Sprinkle cultures (mesophilic, Geotrichum, B. linens) over the milk, allow to rehydrate, and stir in. Ripen for 30 minutes.
  2. Add diluted liquid rennet and stir gently. Let sit undisturbed for 45–60 minutes until the curd is set.
  3. Cut curd into ½–⅝ inch cubes. Stir slowly while raising temperature to 92°F (33°C) over 15 minutes. Continue stirring for another 15–20 minutes until curds firm slightly.
  4. Let curds settle under whey, then transfer to molds. Press lightly or allow natural settling. Turn molds regularly for several hours. Drain overnight.
  5. Place cheese in saturated brine for 1–1.5 hours, flipping halfway through. Do not dry after brining—keep surface moist.
  6. Ripen at 58–62°F (14–17°C) with ~95% humidity. For the first week, turn daily and keep mats clean. Then wash rind 2–3 times weekly with light brine, optionally inoculated with B. linens.
  7. Continue aging for 2–3 months, until rind becomes orange-red and interior creamy. Adjust wash frequency and aging time for desired pungency.

Notes

  • Limburger’s strong aroma comes from Brevibacterium linens, the same bacterium found on human skin.
  • Cheese texture evolves: crumbly at 1 month, softening by 6 weeks, creamy by 2–3 months.
  • Wrap in parchment and foil to contain odor during storage.
  • Serve traditionally on rye bread with onions, mustard.

Nutrition

Find it online: https://familydinnercooking.com/limburger-cheese-salad/