Natural cheeses come in several types in terms of how firm they are:

soft: Brie, Camembert, ricotta, cottage
semi-soft: blue, brick, feta, Havarti, Monterey Jack, mozzarella, Meunster, provolone
hard: Cheddar, Colby, Edam, Gouda, Swiss
very hard: Parmesan, Romano

Cheese ripens either inside-out or outside-in. And the longer it is aged, the harder it becomes because moisture leaves it.

The time of ripening for different types of cheese is:

Brie: 1 month
Blue: 2-5 months
Brick: from 6-8 weeks to 4-5 months
Gouda: 2-4 months
Gruyère: from 7 weeks to 3 months
Cheddar: from 12 months and more
Mild cheddar: 2-3 months
Camembert: 2-4 weeks
Colby: 2-4 months
Muenster: 5-7 weeks
Maasdam: 1-3 months
Monterey Jack: 7-10 months
Parmesan: not less than 2 years
Provolone: 2-3 months
Sulguni: from 6 to 48 hours
Swiss: 6-14 months
Havarti: around 3 months
Feta: 3-6 months
Edam: from 4 weeks to 10 months
Cream, ricotta, and mozzarella don’t ripen — they are eaten as soon as they are made

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