How to Make Aged comte
Comté is a French mountain cheese from the Jura Massif, known for its complex flavor profile that can include notes of hazelnut, chocolate, caramel, and even tropical fruit depending on age and season. Aged Comté (12-36 months) is considered one of the world's greatest cheeses.
Category: Dairy · Method: Specialty Bacterial · Time: 6-24mo · Difficulty: 3/5 · Yield: varies · Temp: 10-14°C
History
Comté has been made in the Franche-Comté region since at least the 12th century. The cooperative 'fruitière' system developed here, where farmers pool milk for shared cheesemaking. Comté AOP is France's most popular AOC cheese, with strict rules governing milk source, production, and aging. Each wheel is graded and marked.
Ingredients
- 20-40 liters Whole milk — Higher volume is required to prevent the cheese from drying out during long-term aging (12+ months).
- 200ml brine Morge (Rind Wash) — 2% salt solution; traditionally includes scrapings from an older Comté wheel to inoculate with Brevibacterium linens.
Equipment
- Large copper pot if possible (16+ liters)
- Precise thermometer
- Curd knife and harp
- Large Comté mold (8-10 inch)
- Very heavy press (30-50kg)
- Brining tank
- Aging cave (13-16°C, 92-95% humidity)
- Rind rubbing cloth
- Casein label (for marking)
Instructions
Mold and press
Gather curds with cloth, place in mold with casein label. Press at 20kg for 30 min, 35kg for 2 hours, 50kg for 20 hours. Monitor pH drop; the cheese should reach pH 5.2–5.3 before entering the brine.
Time: 22 hours
Tip: Extremely heavy pressing is essential for Comté's dense paste. Ensure the room is warm (20°C) during pressing to aid acidification.
Brine
Submerge in a 20-23% saturated brine solution. Brine for 24 hours per kg of cheese at 12-14°C. Target pH at brine entry is 5.2.
Time: 1-4 days
Tip: Brining stops the acidification process and begins the rind formation.
Rind development (The Morge)
Age at 13-16°C, 92-95% humidity. Rub with 'morge' (brine mixed with cultures/old rind scrapings) and coarse salt. Turn and rub every 2 days for the first month, then weekly.
Time: Ongoing
Tip: The 'morge' creates the distinctive brown, slightly sticky rind and prevents unwanted mold penetration.
Age for complexity
Minimum 4 months per AOP standards. For 'Aged' designation, 12-36+ months is required. Small home-scale wheels (under 5kg) are best consumed at 6-12 months to avoid excessive moisture loss.
Time: 4-36 months
Tip: Summer milk makes fruitier Comté; winter milk makes nuttier versions.
Fermentation Timeline
- Day 1: Make day — Culture, cut fine, cook high, press very heavy.
- Days 2-3: Brine — Long brining in saturated solution.
- Weeks 1-4: Intensive rind care — Salt rubbing every 2 days builds morge.
- Months 2-4: Young Comté — Mild, milky, slightly sweet.
- Months 6-12: Réserve — Nutty, more complex, developing character.
- Months 12-18: Extra/Aged — Hazelnut, caramel notes emerge.
- Months 24-36: Vieille Réserve — Extraordinary complexity, possible tropical notes.
Signs of Success & Spoilage
Good signs
- Dense, smooth paste - few or no eyes
- Golden to ivory interior color
- Tan to russet natural rind
- Complex aroma: nutty, fruity, caramel
- Slight crystalline texture when aged
- Supple, not crumbly, paste
Warning signs
- Large holes (should be nearly blind)
- Cracked or damaged rind
- Bitter or soapy taste
- Ammonia smell
- Dry, chalky texture
- Gray or green mold on rind
Troubleshooting
- Sour or crumbly texture
- Cause: pH dropped too low (below 5.0) before brining Solution: Monitor pH closely during pressing; move to brine immediately once 5.2 is reached.
- Eyes forming
- Cause: Too much Propioni or contamination Solution: Eliminate Propioni. Check for gas-producing bacteria. Ensure rapid cooling after the cook step isn't skipped.
- Rind not developing
- Cause: Low humidity or insufficient rubbing Solution: Increase humidity. Rub with salt and morge more frequently. Ensure the 'morge' contains B. linens.
- Too firm/dry
- Cause: Small wheel size or overcooked Solution: Use at least 20L of milk for wheels intended to age over 12 months. Keep cave humidity above 92%.
Storage
In cave with ongoing rind care. Once cut, wrap tightly and refrigerate. Keeps Years in proper cave conditions; weeks once cut. Comté from different seasons and ages can taste completely different - collect and compare!
Health Benefits
- Exceptional protein content
- Very high in bioavailable calcium
- Rich in vitamins A, B12, K2
- Contains beneficial omega fatty acids
- Virtually lactose-free
- Tyrosine crystals indicate long aging
Serving Suggestions
- On a cheese board as the star
- In fondue with Gruyère
- Grated into gratins
- With walnuts and dried fruit
- Paired with Jura wines (Vin Jaune)
- In gougères (cheese puffs)
- Simply with good crusty bread
- Compare aged vintages side by side
Related Dairy Ferments
Other Specialty Bacterial Ferments
- Aged ghee — Condiments & Sauces
- Aged gruyere — Dairy
- Aged mimolette — Dairy
- Aged havarti — Dairy
- Aged asiago — Dairy
- Fish sauce — Pastes & Sauces
- Anchovy sauce — Pastes & Sauces
- Shrimp paste — Pastes & Sauces