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Fermentation Atlas

Cheese from Sweden

Herrgårdsost

Pasteurised cow milk is set with rennet and lactic cultures at 30–32 °C, the curd is cooked to 42–45 °C and pressed together under the whey in the vat, then brined. The flat wheels ripen more than three months at 10–18 °C into a firm, mild, nutty cheese with round, even eyes of 10–20 mm. Made in 5 steps over 3 months. The longest step, ripen more than three months, takes at least 3 months (Codex standard C-21-1969 for Herrgårdsost) and runs at 10–18 °C (Codex standard C-21-1969 for Herrgårdsost). Lactic acid bacteria cultures does most of the fermenting.

Key numbers
Main stepat least 3 monthsSet[codex-c21]Ripen more than three months
Temperature10–18 °CSet[codex-c21]Ripen more than three months

Recipe

No fixed amounts recordedThe standard fixes limits, not a recipe. Wheels usually weigh 12–14 kg.
Cow milk, pasteurised[codex-c21]
Lactic acid bacteria cultures[codex-c21]
Rennet or another suitable clotting enzyme[codex-c21]
Salt (sodium chloride) · By brining[codex-c21]
Optional calcium chloride, annatto or beta-carotene, nitrate and water · Within the standard's limits[codex-c21]
Starter: lactic acid bacteria cultures

Total time across the recorded steps: 3 months

Start
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30–32 °Cshapes, not to countLactic acid bacteria

What changes: Lactic cultures and rennet set the pasteurised milk into a curd at 30–32 °C

Step 1 of 5
Pasteurise and set with rennet
Time
Not documented
Temperature
30–32 °C
Set
Salt
None given
Acidity
Not documented
Which microbes the steps name, step by step
Lactic acid bacteria
Flavour
Not documented
Texture
Not documented
Colour
Not documented

Microbes at work in this step

lactic cultures start the acidification

Method

Measured measured in a studySet fixed by a specification or tested recipeReported one source reports itTypical a general value, not sourced for this fermentUnconfirmed not yet checked against a source

What makes this one different

Herrgård is cooked to 42–45 °C and pressed under the whey, and it has round, evenly spread eyes of 10–20 mm instead of the small irregular holes of Svecia. It ripens for more than three months.

Milk
Pasteurised cow milk
Fat
At least 45 % fat in dry matter, with at most 41 % moisture; 30 % and 40 % versions allowed
Ripening
More than 3 months at 10–18 °C
Size
Flat cylinder with slightly convex sides, 35 cm across and 10–14 cm high, 12–14 kg; block form allowed
Rind
Hard, springy and dry, paraffin-coated

Related ferments

Variants

  • Herrgårdsost 30 %At least 30 % fat in dry matter, at most 47 % moisture.
  • Herrgårdsost 40 %At least 40 % fat in dry matter, at most 43 % moisture.

Safety

The Codex standard describes a cheese made from pasteurised milk and ripened more than three months.

History and sources

Every number is labelled with how it is known. How this atlas is made

Herrgård, "manor-house cheese", is one of the Swedish classics now made by the large dairies; a Swedish cheese book names Kalmar dairy as a maker, beside grevé, präst and svecia. Codex adopted an individual standard for it, C-21, in 1969, later taken into national standards such as El Salvador's NSR 67.00.213:99.

  1. [codex-c21] Codex standard C-21-1969 for Herrgårdsost, as adopted in El Salvador NSR 67.00.213:99 'Queso Herrgardsost' (CONACYT, 1999; Acuerdo No. 666 of 31 August 2000)spec
  2. [arena2015] Ostlandet Sverige, excerpt from a book on Swedish cheeses published by Arena (2015)book