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Fermentation Atlas

Cheese from Denmark

Havarti

Pasteurised cow milk is set with lactic cultures and rennet, and the soft curd is pumped from the whey into moulds without lumps. Pressed only lightly, the warm curd fuses under its own weight, which keeps many small irregular holes. Rind cheeses get a smear for one to two weeks, then ripen cooler for one to three weeks. Made in 5 steps over 14 days – 35 days. The longest step, ripen cooler, takes 7–21 days (European Commission 2014) and runs at 8–12 °C (European Commission 2014). Lactic acid bacteria and flavour-producing bacteria does most of the fermenting.

Key numbers
Main step7–21 daysSet[havarti-pgi][codex-havarti]Ripen cooler
Temperature8–12 °CSet[havarti-pgi][codex-havarti]Ripen cooler
Fully documentedCheese14 days – 35 daysPGI (EU); Codex standard CXS 267-1966Family: Washed-curd cheese family (Gouda as template)More washed-curd cheesesMore from Denmark

Recipe

No fixed amounts recordedNeither the PGI nor the Codex standard gives amounts. The PGI fixes the moulding, the curd temperature and the first weeks of ripening.
Pasteurised cow milk · The PGI allows no milk from other animals[havarti-pgi][codex-havarti]
Starter cultures · Harmless lactic acid and flavour-producing bacteria[codex-havarti]
Rennet · Or other safe coagulating enzymes[codex-havarti]
Salt · Sodium chloride, or potassium chloride as a salt substitute[codex-havarti]
Chives or dill (optional) · Allowed if their taste can be picked out[havarti-pgi]
Starter: mesophilic lactic and flavour-producing cultures

Total time across the recorded steps: 14 days – 35 days

Start
Drag the bar or press Play
shapes, not to countLactic acid bacteria

What changes: Lactic cultures and rennet go into pasteurised milk and it sets

Step 1 of 5
Set pasteurised milk with cultures and rennet
Time
Not documented
Temperature
Not documented
Salt
None given
Acidity
Not documented
Which microbes the steps name, step by step
Lactic acid bacteria

Output: curd.

Flavour
Not documented
Texture
soft gel
Colour
white

Microbes at work in this step

lactic and flavour-producing bacteria begin to sour the milk

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

Havarti is a pumped-curd cheese. The curd is pumped into moulds while still warm and is hardly pressed, so it fuses under its own weight and keeps many small irregular holes. Gouda, the washed-curd template, is pressed in its moulds.

Milk
Pasteurised cow milk only (PGI)
Ripening
With rind: 1–2 weeks at 14–18 °C, then 1–3 weeks at 8–12 °C; rindless: 3 weeks at 12–20 °C (2014 PGI text)
Water and fat
PGI rules: at most 50 % water at 45–55 % fat in dry matter; at most 42 % water at 60 % fat in dry matter or more (flødehavarti)

Related ferments

Variants

  • Flødehavarti (cream Havarti)At least 60 % fat in dry matter; softer, smaller holes.
  • Havarti with herbsChives or dill mixed into the curd.

History and sources

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

The PGI text says Hanne Nielsen made cheese at the Havartigården farm near Copenhagen from 1866 to 1890, and that the pumped-curd method was taught to Danish dairies in 1921.

  1. [havarti-pgi] European Commission 2014, Publication of an application, single document 'Havarti' (PGI), EC No DK-PGI-0005-0831-05.10.2010, Official Journal of the EU C 20, 23.1.2014, p. 9 (2014/C 20/08)spec
  2. [codex-havarti] Codex Alimentarius, Standard for Havarti (CODEX STAN 267-1966), in Milk and Milk Products, 2nd edition, FAO/WHO, Rome, 2011spec