Ash for Cheesemaking This Salt-Ash is a specially prepared French product, manufactured from salt and pure vegetable charcoal. It is a jet black, free flowing powder, is food grade, sterile and odorless and most importantly comes ready to use with no mixing neccessary.

The use of Ash is an integral part of the cheese maker's art and is a vital component in producing the stunning coatings that are found, for example, on many goat's cheeses. Historically, ash that usedd to be applied to cheese once came directly from a fire and was mixed with salt before use. The addition of a black vein of ash running right through a cheese looks really cool.

Apart from giving the cheese a superb visual appearance, coating the outside with Ash also has significant benefits. For example, many cheeses become rather acidic during their maturing process and this can prevent the cheese ripening properly and fulfilling its potential, both in terms of texture and flavor. The Salt Ash is alkaline and so neutralizes the excess acidity, helping the cheese mature completely. In addition, the vegetable charcoal can soak up any whey on the surface, allowing the cheese to dry more rapidly. The ash also helps the surface of the cheese to become more hospitable to the growth of surface ripening molds such as the white Pen Candidum, allowing the final product to have a subtle, complex flavor that is complemented with a delicate pale grey rind.