Moldy Brie Cheese
Can You Eat Brie Crust Even Though It Is Mold?
Bill Overton asked on my blog posting Learning About Cheese, “Can you really eat the mold on Brie? I’m always afraid to eat it, but I have a friend who knows a lot about food, who says it’s okay to eat. ”
I’m not sure if Bill was referring to the outside rind (skin, crust) on Brie which is a mold in itself or if a mold develops on the outside skin. Let’s start by looking more closely at Brie.
Brie is a soft-ripened cow’s mild cheese that is said to have a bloomy rind. It gets its name from the town it originated in France. The outside casing is a white mold that often has an ammonia smell to it that makes it unappealing to some.
Brie is made much like other cheeses, that is rennet is added to raw milk, heated to the right temperature and then cast into molds and allowed to drain for hours. It is then removed from the molds, salted and sprayed with a “good” mold like Penicillium candidum. It is then aged in a cellar for four to five weeks.
It is during this time the cheese ripens from the outside in because of the mold that has been introduced to the surface of the cheese. As Steven Jenkins’ Cheese Primer says, “The bacteria slowly penetrate the interior, turning it from a chalky, crumbly, bland cheese into a soft, nearly liquid wonder.”
So Is It Edible
Absolutely! That is of course you don’t have any mold allergies. Most doctors would advise you to stay away from soft cheeses like Brie, Roquefort, Gorgonzola, Camembert or any other mold-ripened cheese if you have a mold allergy.
Some people ask, “How can you eat mold? Isn’t it bad for you?” Well it turns out there are good molds and bad molds. The mold used to make Brie and Gorgonzola will not hurt you unless you are allergic to mold. Other species of mold may produce mycotoxins that can be dangerous and make you quite sick. It’s why you don’t want to be eating moldy bread. You just don’t know what type of mold it is so it is better to get rid of it.
The other thing to consider is if you like the flavor of the crust. Some people think the white moldy crust on Brie has the most flavor. Others don’t like it at all and go right for the soft center. When I serve brie at a party, I leave the crust on and let my guests decide for themselves.
I asked Cheeseman Jack about eating the crust on Brie and here is what he had to say, ” It is really a matter of taste. There are those people who would never eat it and others who enjoy the texture and strong flavoring rind may supply. Washed rinds, natural rinds, should never be eaten.”
What About Moldy Mold Brie Cheese?
So let’s say you have some leftover Brie in the refrigerator that has not been rewrapped very well and it starts growing some green fuzz on it. Do you eat it?
Cut the fuzz off and eat the rest? Or throw it away?
Me, I’m throwing it out. I’m not taking any chances that the tiny little microscopic mold organisms with roots that burrow into the cheese are the “good” ones. I’ll get mad at myself for not properly wrapping the cheese up in plastic wrap or better yet in my vacuum sealer that is perfect for cheese but I’ll get over it.
With harder cheeses like cheddar or Parmesan or even semi soft cheeses like Swiss, Muenster or Asiago, I don’t have a problem cutting of at least one inch around the moldy area to save the rest of the cheese but I don’t mess around with soft cheeses.
When I asked Cheeseman Jack (who has forgotten more about cheese than I will ever know) about this situation, he had a completely different take on this. He says,
“Most molds that grow out on soft-ripened cheeses are edible. Normally on most available brie type cheeses you will not see any mold outside of the expected penicillin molds. On Brie de Melun you should expect red and greenish molds but this cheese is quite rare and your readers will not come across it. If they do, it is from a shop that knows what they are doing. So in conclusion either ignore the mold and eat it, remove the mold, or don’t buy it.”
Interesting but I’m still not eating it.
A Little Brie History
I just picked up a used book called An Illustrated History of French Cuisine published back in 1962 and in it they talk about Charlemagne’s (King of the Franks from 768 AD until his death in 814 and one of the first gourmands) first experience with Brie when he stopped by the monastery of Reuil-en-Brie to rest while returning home from a tiring day of battle with his Knights.
Here is what the author writes,
“The abbot ordered up from the cellars some of those marvelous cheeses the fame of which in later years was to spread far beyond the borders of Brie. Charlemagne and his knights feasted well. At the first mouthfuls, however, every one of them made the mistake of removing the crust. One of the monks respectfully called their attention to their error; whereupon the gentlemen abstained and willingly agreed that the advice was excellent.
“I thought I knew everything that could be eaten, ‘ exclaimed Charlemagne before the end of the meal. ‘It was only vanity on my part… I have just discovered in this cheese one of the most delectable foods imaginable. ‘ And he added; ‘I desire that twice a year a goodly quantity of these cheeses of Brie be brought to my palace at Aix-la-Chapelle… And I pray you to see to it especially that they have a good consistency and also a good crust!’ “
on March 23rd, 2009 at 8:25 pm
Thank you so much for such an informative post! I am trying Brie for the first time and this was the first good bit of information that told me exactly what I wanted and needed to know about Brie’s moldy rind. THANKS!!
on May 5th, 2009 at 11:43 pm
I just opened up some Brie that was in the fridge for a little while and the rind had sort of spread out by molding onto the sections that it had been cut off of. I just cut it off and ate it - tasted great to me!
Then I got a little worried just in case I wasn’t supposed to do that (although I do it to harder cheese all the time), so I stumbled across this site. Glad to know it won’t hurt me, but I’ll tell you - it tastes fine!
on August 14th, 2009 at 2:52 pm
I bought some Brie on July 30th, it does not have an expiry date, it has not been opened, is it still good to eat? No apparent discoloration…Today is August 14th.
on August 14th, 2009 at 6:33 pm
If it hasn’t been open, doesn’t have any fuzz on it or doesn’t smell off, I would eat it. Saying that, you might want to ask the cheese person where you purchased it?
on September 23rd, 2010 at 12:10 pm
I’ve had this Brie cheese for nearly two weeks now. I just opened it after a few days without eating it, and it seems that the is a white sort of fuzz on the left side of the wedge, its on the rind and cheese.
do I cut it out and eat the rest or throw it altogether?? Help. I’m hungry.
Hi Arwen, personally, I throw out all cheeses that have fuzz on them, but I have heard from some cheese people to just cut it out. They say cheese is basically a mold anyway. I suggest you make friends with your local cheesemonger and ask them what they would do. - RG
on December 21st, 2010 at 10:15 pm
I’ve always wanted to try Brie cheese but was afraid I wouldn’t like it and it would go to waste. Recently at a wake I ate some and it was wonderful. My daughter is shopping for me in Albuquerque for our family Christmas festivities and at the top of the list was Brie cheese. I love this site it is very informative. Thank you for sharing.
You are very welcome Connie and glad you are enjoying the Reluctant Gourmet web site. Do I have to ask or will you tell your friends about it. Thanks and Happy Holidays - RG
on February 14th, 2011 at 10:50 am
I ate some baked Brie cheese for the first time = Not knowing not to (since I have a penicillin allergy) I ended up with severe stomach pains and passed out — do not eat this if you are allergic to penicillin!
Great point Denise. As I say in the post, “The mold used to make Brie and Gorgonzola will not hurt you unless you are allergic to mold. ” Can you tell us what other foods you have to avoid when you are allergic to penicillin? - RG
on February 27th, 2011 at 10:06 pm
I have read conflicting responses on other sites about the ammonia smell to the Brie. The rind is pure white, and the cheese is a beautiful color, but the ammonia smell is throwing me. I have never tried this particular kind until tonight–Martin and Collet French Brie. I don’t know that I’ve had a French Brie before, but I do not recall it smelling like ammonia. Please help!
Hi Angie, great questions about the smell of ammonia in cheese. I asked my buddy Cheeseman Jack Morgan from Downtown Cheese at The Reading Terminal Market in Philadelphia and posted his reply at Stinky Brie Cheese - RG
on June 28th, 2011 at 5:08 am
This looks more like a Camembert than a Brie cheese. (hello from France)
Bon Jour Fifi, I see what you mean, they look very similar. I think of Camembert as having a more textured exterior. - RG
on October 4th, 2011 at 9:18 am
I, too, have a penicillin allergy (once even required hospitalisation) and I eat brie, albeit in small amounts, with no ill effects.
on November 13th, 2011 at 11:50 pm
I love Brie cheese. I have never eaten the mold or even tried it because when I was a child I developed allergies to Penicillin due to the fact that I was treated with this for a long time after being diagnosed with Rheumatic Fever. I am now 56, live a whole foods lifestyle so cheese is a major staple for me. I have never had any problems with Brie cheese but I would not take a chance with eating the mold because of the Penicillin.
on January 4th, 2012 at 8:32 pm
Penicillin?!!!! I am allergic to penicillin, that is probably why I get tired and sleepy after eating Brie cheese which is one of my favorites