What should brie cheese smell like

If the cheese is tightly wrapped in plastic and not allowed to breathe, or stored at very cold temperatures—such that the ammonia cannot escape—the ammonia build up is so great that there is a terribly strong ammonia smell and flavor. Often times, cheeses that you buy in the supermarket will not be able to breathe like they would in a case at a cheese shop, so it is quite common to pick up a wheel of brie from a grocery store fridge and bring it home to be welcomed by a cloud of ammonia.

As with all cheeses, if the Brie is packaged in plastic shrink wrap you must repackage it as soon as you bring it home in something that better facilitates the exchange of gases like wax paper.

If the rind seems overall gray or flaky , then the cheese has likely started to spoil and should not be consumed. While some darker spots here and there are fine , if there is any mold present, the cheese should not be consumed. Similarly, a pink, slimy mold indicates spoilage and the cheese should be discarded. A slight ammonia smell does not indicate that the cheese has spoiled, and is a natural byproduct of the cheese aging process.

Let the cheese air out for a few moments, and smell again. If the rind still has a slight smell, but the paste the inside of the cheese smells creamy, then the cheese is fine to eat. If the whole piece of cheese still smells strongly of ammonia after a few minutes, the cheese has probably turned. When the cheese has aged too long, the center will turn rather gooey, and the smell will be almost overpowering.

At this point, the cheese is not particularly harmful to consume in terms of pathogens the natural mold on the rind inhibits the growth of most other organisms , but the taste may be too strong, and could cause digestive discomfort.

That will only happen if the cheese is at the peak of ripeness. Thankfully, brie is one of those cheeses that provides signs it is past its prime. When buying Brie, don't be shy. Pick it up and poke it a bit. If you can, peel back some of the wrapping to see how it looks and take a whiff.

The odor is a sure sign the cheese has gone bad. Here are things to look for:. Once you've found a fresh wheel of brie you want to make sure it stays that way. Here are some storage tips to enjoy the cheese to the fullest. Brie is known to be one of the world's great cheeses, and perhaps this is due to not only its taste but also because of its simple versatility.

A lemon should be sour. What causes some cheeses to smell like ammonia? Ammonia is a waste product created by the decomposition of nitrogen-containing proteins in the cheese and on its surface. If the rind is still creamy white, it should dissipate quickly.

If the cheese is over ripe, the ammonia smell will be strong and the rind will be starting to break down. The taste or smell of ammonia indicates that brie is past its ideal ripeness. If there is only a minor taste or smell that dissipates as the brie warms and the center is exposed, then it is still safe to eat.

Camembert cheese that is going bad typically will develop a hard texture around the edges, darken in color and develop an off smell; if mold that was not a normal part of the manufacturing process appears on the Camembert cheese, discard it entirely. The cheese should have a sweet odor.

Overripe Brie will smell like ammonia. So, especially if you kept it in the fridge, eating it a few days or weeks after the date printed should not be a problem food safety wise.

As with most mold cheeses, you may find that it has overripened. Yes, the bloomy rind is completely safe to eat and even keeps the inside safe from any potentially unwanted microorganisms during production.

The rind on Brie not only protects and encases the cheese — it also adds a subtle, earthy flavor. What Is The Rind on Brie? The rind is, in fact, a white mold called Penicillium candidum, which cheesemakers inoculate the cheese with. This edible mold blooms on the outside of the paste and is then patted down, over and over again, to form the rind.

Yes, you can eat the rind of Camembert, Brie, or any soft-ripened cheese. The white mold is Penicillium camemberti a. The rind is totally edible and adds texture and flavor to the cheese.