4. MATURING

a. Washing the cheeses
During the first 3 weeks of maturing, the cheeses are hand-washed. The number of washes and the concentration of salt in the washing water can vary according to how the cheese develops. The salt has a part to play in draining the cheese and in forming a pinkish, mouldy rind, influencing the growth of microorganisms and intensifying the flavour of the cheese.Once done by machine, today all these operations are carried out by hand by skilled cheesemakers. This allows the cheese to preserve all its qualities by avoiding it being bruised and by ruling out the risks of cross contamination between several batches of cheese. In this way, DISCHAMP dairy carries on the great tradition of maturing by hand, enabling it to treat the Saint Nectaire with all the respect due to its position of king of cheeses