Young Cheese

Young cheese: Mild, creamy, and ready to eat

Young cheese is a crowd-pleaser. With mild flavor and creamy texture, a young cheese can satisfy the palates of cheese lovers of all ages. Unlike more mature varieties that develop sharp or pungent flavors and dryer, crumblier textures, younger cheeses stay moist, milky, and delicate, making them highly versatile in the kitchen and on cheese boards. From young cheddar and young gouda to havarti, butterkäse, and monterey jack, young cheeses are loved for their simplicity and milky goodness.

Young cheeses from Wisconsin

In Wisconsin, we’ve been making cheese for more than 180 years. Our 1,200 cheesemakers produce more than 600 styles, varieties, and types of cheese, including lots of award-winning young varieties.

• Carr Valley Havarti is creamy with a little tang and buttery smooth – the perfect pairing with jams, jellies, crackers, and desserts.
• Decatur Dairy Muenster has a very mild flavor and smooth, soft texture, and it melts like a dream in grilled cheese sandwiches, tuna melts, and quesadillas.
• Henning's Mild Yellow Cheddar Cheese is a soft, creamy cheddar aged over 30 days. It’s perfect in lasagna, muffins, and egg and chicken dishes.
• Widmer’s Mild Brick Cheese is a cellar-aged, handcrafted cheese with a rich, creamy taste and a bit of nuttiness.
• Edelweiss Butterkäse is a decadent creamy cow’s milk cheese with a soft and silky, butter-like texture.
• Nasonville Baby Colby cheese has a milder flavor and tinier holes than colby that’s aged a bit longer. This moist, delicate cheese is perfect for grilling, grating, snacking, and cutting for a cheese board.
• Roth Buttermilk Blue is cellar aged for over two months to achieve the perfect creamy texture and zesty yet mellow flavors.
• Marieke Plain Young Gouda is aged two to four months to develop a mild, creamy, buttery taste. Each wheel is handcrafted and aged to perfection on Dutch pine planks.

All about young cheese

A young cheese is a variety that has typically been aged more than a few weeks but less than three months. These cheeses tend to have milder flavors and creamier textures than cheeses that are aged for longer periods of time.

The aging process

Affinage, the process of aging cheese, is a critical part of the process that transforms milk into complex, flavorful cheeses. When a cheese is aged for only three to 12 weeks, it keeps much of its original moisture and develops a soft, supple texture with mild flavors. During this brief period of cheese ripening, natural enzymes begin to break down milk proteins to create a creamy consistency and subtle flavors. The longer that a cheese ages, the more moisture is lost and the more the flavors intensify, resulting in firmer textures and sharper flavor notes. Cheesemakers allow young cheeses to age to the perfect level of sweetness and freshness, making them accessible and creamy without the strong, pungent flavors of aged varieties.

Fresh cheeses vs. young cheeses

Fresh cheeses and young cheeses are typically both mild and soft varieties, but they differ in the aging process. Fresh cheeses are ready to eat almost immediately, with no aging or ripening involved. With no cheese rind, their high moisture content makes them easy to spread, which often gives them a mild, milky flavor. Popular fresh cheeses include ricotta, cottage cheese, queso fresco, mascarpone, queso doble crema, and fresh mozzarella. Young cheeses, on the other hand, undergo a brief aging process that allows enzymes to begin breaking down proteins and fats, giving these cheeses a slightly firmer texture and more developed flavor.

Types of young cheeses

Young cheeses include varieties like baby swiss that are intended to be consumed when young, as well as varieties like cheddar that may be aged anywhere from several months to 15 years or more. Some of the most popular young cheeses in the world include:

• Colby: Mild, slightly nutty, and soft, colby is a close relative of cheddar but with a more open, moister texture.
• Young gouda: Sweet and creamy with a subtle caramel flavor, young gouda has a smooth, semi-soft texture perfect for melting.
• Young cheddar: This young cheese is mellow and buttery with a mild tang and a firm yet sliceable texture.
• Brie: Creamy and buttery with a soft, edible rind, brie is a bloomy rind cheese with delicate, earthy flavors that deepen slightly as it matures.
• Young havarti: Young havarti is soft, buttery, and mild. It melts smoothly, making it ideal for sandwiches and hot dishes.
• Provolone: Smooth and slightly acidic, young provolone has a mild, milky taste and a semi-soft, sliceable texture.
• Muenster: This young cheese is creamy and mild with a touch of nuttiness, with a smooth, moist texture and a distinctive orange rind.
• Young manchego: Smooth and creamy with a slightly sour, nutty flavor, young manchego is softer and milder than its aged counterpart.
• Brick: Mild and creamy with a touch of sweetness, young brick cheese is smooth and has a semi-soft texture ideal for melting.
• Monterey jack: Soft, buttery, and mellow, monterey jack is known for its meltability and mild, milky flavor.
• Butterkäse: This classic cheese boasts a buttery, smooth, and mild flavor with a creamy, semi-soft texture that melts easily.
• Young gorgonzola: Creamy and mildly pungent with gentle blue veining, young gorgonzola offers a milder blue flavor than aged versions.
• Baby Swiss: This young swiss cheese is sweet and mild with a soft, creamy texture and small holes.
• Taleggio: Taleggio has a delicate, edible rind and a smooth texture with a fruity, slightly tart flavor.

What to make and drink with young cheeses

Because they retain a lot of moisture, young cheeses tend to be excellent melters, making them the ideal ingredient in lots of cheesy dishes.

• Grilled cheese sandwiches: Layer slices of young gouda, havarti, or muenster between buttered bread, then grill to golden perfection for a gooey, comforting treat.
• Mac and cheese: Use a blend of young cheddar, monterey jack, and butterkäse to create a rich, creamy sauce that coats pasta beautifully.
• Pizza topping: Fresh mozzarella melts smoothly on pizza, creating the classic stretchy cheese effect while adding a milky flavor that pairs well with tomato sauce and toppings.
• Quesadillas: Shred young provolone or monterey jack and layer it between tortillas with veggies or meat, then toast until melted and crispy.
• Fondue: Melt a mix of young swiss, gouda, and cheddar with wine for a smooth, dippable cheese sauce perfect for bread, veggies, and meats.
• Stuffed peppers: Fill bell peppers with a mixture of young manchego or muenster, rice, and ground meat, then bake until the cheese is melted and bubbling.
• Cheese sauce for vegetables: Melt young cheddar or havarti into a béchamel sauce and pour over steamed broccoli, cauliflower, or potatoes for a creamy, comforting side dish.
• Lasagna or pasta bakes: Layer young cheeses like mozzarella, provolone, or ricotta between pasta sheets or mix into pasta dishes before baking for a rich, melty texture.
• Cheese-stuffed chicken or burgers: Tuck slices of young cheese like havarti or brick inside chicken breasts or burger patties for a creamy, cheesy center that melts as it cooks.
• Baked cheese dips: Blend young cheeses like cheddar, monterey jack, and cream cheese with spices and bake until hot and bubbly for a crowd-pleasing dip.

Pairing young cheese with wine, beer, and spirits

With mild, creamy, slightly tangy flavor, young cheeses tend to pair best with light, refreshing and fruit-forward wines, beers, and spirits.

When drinking wine, a crisp sauvignon blanc will complement the creaminess of young cheeses without overpowering their delicate flavor. A light and fruity pinot grigio and a chenin blanc with a touch of acidity are also great options. A dry, light rose can complement the subtle flavors of young cheeses, while sparkling wines will cut through the richness of creamy young varieties to offer a pleasing contrast.

Beers that pair well with young cheese include soft, slightly fruity wheat beers, crisp pilsners, slightly malty blonde ales, and lambic fruit beers that balance the creaminess of young, slightly zesty cheeses.

With spirits and cocktails, a young cheese will often pair well with a light, aromatic gin and tonic where the herbal notes and carbonation provide a nice balance for the richness of the cheese. A mild vodka spritzer with a hint of fruit is also a great pairing, while a light rum cocktail or mojito delivers a refreshing contrast to the smooth textures of the cheese.