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Camembert Cheese Recipe

Your General Equipment & Basics

• A double boiler – you can use what you have in the kitchen but make sure that the inner pot is stainless steel. The reason that you use a double boiler is the water bath principle. You do not want to scald the milk. If you placed the pot directly on the stove top you would scald the milk.
• Cheese molds
• Cheese mats
• Colander
• Long non-serrated cutting knife – this is used to cut the curd
• Milk – full cream non-homogenised
• Muslin or chux cloth – for draining the curd
• Measuring Cups & Spoons
• Salt – non iodised salt is necessary. Sea salt works well
• Sieve
• Starter culture & rennet
• Stirrer – slotted spoon
• Stovetop or microwave
• Thermometer for temperature control

Your utensils should either be in stainless steel, glass or enamel for hygiene purposes.

Ingredients

  • Eight litres full cream milk
  • 1/8 teaspoon or a dash of calcium chloride (optional) – general recommendation 1/8 teaspoon mixed with ¼ cup water to 4.75 litres milk. Once mixed the solution has an indefinite shelf life
  • 1 dose of MO 030/031 General Mesophilic Culture –
    • If using the MO 030 1U sachet then approximately 1/12th sachet contents or use tip of a knife and measure by eye.
    • If using the larger sachet size MO 031 10U sachet only a ‘dash’ is required ie tip of a teaspoon or app 1/8 teaspoon to 8-10 litres milk. You might want to sub-sachet your culture into small zip lock bags to suit your requirements and make this process more user friendly
  • 1 dose penicillin candidum app 1/10 teaspoon to 8-10 litres milk
  • 1/7 sachet of Sacco Albamax vegetarian dv culture or if using liquid rennet app ¼ to ½ teaspoon liquid rennet.
  • 1 to two tablespoons cheese salt ie non-iodised salt. Sea salt works well.

Instructions

  1. If using Lipase prepare Lipase solution 20 minutes prior to your cheesemaking. App 1/8 teaspoon Calcium Chloride dissolved in ¼ cup of cool, boiled water. This can be adjusted according to taste
  2. Place milk into a large pot and then place in second, larger pot filled with water to act as a double boiler. Add Calcium Chloride (optional) and mix well
  3. Using indirect heat slowly heat the milk to 32 degrees C.
  4. Add 1/12 sachet contents of MO 030/031 starter mesophilic culture and app 1/10 teaspoon of the penicillin candidum – a dash – stir gently mixing in well. Leave to ripen for 45 minutes to one hour maintaining the temperature at 32deg C
  5. Add the rennet solution or rennet sachet grains and stir in well using a gentle up and down motion for one minute to ensure that the rennet is evenly distributed. 1/7 sachet rennet grains will cover 8-10 litres milk. Cover and leave to rest undisturbed at 32deg C for 45 minutes to one hour maintaining the temperature at 32deg C
  6. Check for a “clean break” and if the curd is not firm enough leave until it has been achieved. Be patient.
  7. Once the curd is firm enough and gives a clean break, cut the curd into 1.5cm cubes. Let rest for fifteen minutes. You will see clear whey between the pieces of curd
  8. Stir the curds gently for 5 minutes around the pot ensuring that you do not break the curd down into small pieces. Bring spoon to top to raise the curd at the bottom to check for clumping and gently separate if this is the case. Temperature level should be maintained during this process at 32deg C
  9. Allow to rest for 10 minutes
  10. Using sterile cheese boards, draining mats and hoops set your cheeseboard on a draining tray. Place a draining mat on the cheeseboard – a sterilised sushi mat works well and gives a nice pattern to the cheese.
  11. Pour off the whey down to the level of the curds and then gently ladle the curds into your hoop(s). The whey will drain away through the bottom and sides of the hoop. Once the curd is in the hoop place a second sterile draining mat on top followed by a second sterile cheese board making a “cheese hoop sandwich”.
  12. Allow to rest for one hour. The weight of the curd will press the excess whey out and the cheese will sink as this occurs
  13. After one hour carefully flip the cheese over by picking up the “sandwich”. Use one careful but swift motion as it is important that the surface of the cheese does not break
  14. Rest the cheese for another hour and then using the same technique flip the cheese again
  15. Turn the cheese again at hourly intervals another four times
  16. Remove the cheese from the mold and sprinkle the entire surface of the cheese with cheese salt rubbing it in carefully
  17. Place the cheese on the rack in your ripening box and store at 10 – 13deg C and let rest for 10 days turning the cheese over every three days.
  18. To keep the humidity consistent if using a converted fridge you can either purchase a humidity meter which will monitor humidity levels in your fridge or you can use a ripening box which is a plastic box with a removeable mat on the base which permits excess whey to drain away from the cheese. If moisture collects on the lid of the box wipe it off to prevent it dripping into the cheese
  19. After 10 days the cheese should be covered with a coating of white mould.
  20. Remove the cheese from the ripening box and wrap it in in cheese wrap. Replace the cheese in the ripening box and allow to age for a further 4 – 6 weeks turning the cheese at least once a week
  21. The longer you leave this cheese the softer and runnier the cheese will become and the stronger the flavour. The length of aging will really depend on your personal taste