Frequently Asked Questions
We have listed below some of the frequent questions we are asked about our cheeses.
Is the rind edible?The soft white coat is edible. The only time you may wish to remove it is for a particular recipe which recommends removing it to achieve a smoother texture, such as when making a sauce.
Should we store your cheese out of the refrigerator to help it ripen?
Our cheeses should be stored between 1 and 5 degrees C, in a refrigerator. The warmer they are kept, the faster they will ripen. The cheese should be removed from the refrigerator about 1 hour before serving; this allows the flavour to come through.
The cheese I have bought is too hard/too soft.
When our cheese is first made, it is firm and crumbly. Once wrapped, it ripens becoming softer from the outside towards the centre, over a period of 6 weeks. A cheese will normally be ripe within the last 10 days of its Use By date. Some people prefer a firmer cheese with a milder flavour, others prefer a riper one with a more mature flavour, and retailers don’t usually mind if you lightly squeeze the cheese in the shop to check that it is to your liking. If you are planning for a special occasion and prefer a riper cheese, then it may be necessary to buy your cheese well in advance in order to ripen it in the refrigerator yourself.
Sometimes white mouldy patches appear on the cut surfaces, is this all right?
Yes. The white rind is itself a mould, which grows on the surface of the cheese. Once a cheese is cut, some mould spores can make it to the cut surface and in the right conditions white mould can start to grow. If other moulds begin to form on your cheese, then this is not safe to eat, and it may be past its Use By date.
Is your cheese suitable for vegetarians?
Yes, all our cheeses are made with non-animal vegetable rennet.
Is your cheese safe for pregnant women to eat?
Government advice is that pregnant women should avoid eating soft mould ripened cheese such as Brie, Camembert and our type of goats cheese. This is because, even after pasteurising the milk as we do, due to the method of production and ripening, there is a very small risk of contamination with a certain bacteria, which does not normally pose a health problem to the vast majority of the population.
Does your cheese contain lactose?
There are residual amounts of lactose in our cheese.
Does your cheese contain yeast?
Our cheese does contain some yeast, probably less than 1%.
Is your goats cheese totally free of cows milk?
Yes, Capricorn Goats Cheese is made with 100% goats milk.
Can we buy cheese from you directly?
Unfortunately, we don’t have facilities to sell directly to the public, however, our cheeses are available nationwide from most major supermarkets, as well as from specialist independent shops and delicatessens.
Can we visit to have a tour of your creamery?
Regrettably, we are unable to offer tours because of strict hygiene rules, however, please visit our Making the cheese page.
