First Camembert

[jwalker]

Here is my first Cam , the first of many , as it seems to be a hit around here.

From Caldwells book , followed the recipe to a tee , use a slurry of store bought Cam rind.

Aged about three weeks and it was ready to eat , beautiful and creamy , stronger than a Brie , I like it.

[Digitalsmgital]

Nice! AC4U!

[JeffHamm]

Nice one jwalker!  The paste looks very caramel coloured.

- Jeff

[andreark]

I was wondering if Caldwells cam recipe was very different from the one I have used before.  So I read your post and noted that it mentioned a slurry of "store bought' cam rind.  I can't find that in her recipe.  Am I blind or is it in another part of her book.

Huh?

Thanks and PS your cam looks great.

andreark

[Andrew Marshallsay]

Congratulations on your first camembert. I am interested in your comment that it is "stronger than a Brie". I was under the impression that, apart from differences related to terroir in the genuine French versions and the dimensions of the mould, Camembert and Brie were essentially the same. Is there something else?
What you have is a very fine looking cheese anyway.

[jwalker]

It's funny you ask that , I actually set out to make a Brie , and realised when I got home , the cheese I bought to make a slurry with , was a Camembert.

I'm no expert , but I have read that Camembert is made with Penicillium camemberti , whereas Brie , is made with Penicillium Candidum , or a combination of both.

If someone here has more info please chime in.

I've only made Bries til now and this one is definitely stronger in taste than any Brie I have made , in a good way.

Brie is traditionally made in larger thinner wheels than Camembert , which is usually smaller wheels and sometimes thicker , or so I have been led to believe.

[andreark]

I did a web search of P. Cand. and P. Camb.   Every posting (that was not selling something) said that P.Cand. was just another, often used, name for P. Camb.

I have found that the flavor of my 'home done' Cams is much stronger (and more wonderful) than the store purchased.  I have had people tell me that my Camembert'a flavor is  reminiscent of Cowgirl Creamery's Mt. Tam.  (I understand that Mt. Tam is a triple cream.) My Cam is made from raw Jersey and probably a little richer than the norm Cam.  But I like it that way.

andreark

[jack]

According to Margaret Peters-Morris's book, The Cheesemaker's Manual, the difference is the temperature at which you add culture and the size of the moulds. Camembert gets ripened at 84 f and Brie at 88 f. 

[andreark]

Jack,

I have that book also, but the only recipe I've used is Peter Dixon's.  He says that the only differences are where the cheeses originated and their sizes. He also  says that he learned his recipes from French cheese makers in France from 1986 to 1987.  I don't know who is correct, but since there is so little difference, I doubt it makes a lot of difference.

I have used MM's recipe for cheddar.  I changed the aging time to 18 months and it is spectacular.  She is wonderful also.

andreark

[Andrew Marshallsay]

I'm with you on the Jersey milk for camemberts, andreark.

[Al Lewis]

Camembert was reputedly first made in 1791 by Marie Harel, a farmer from Normandy, following advice from a priest who came from Brie after fleeing the region.  Penicillium Camemberti is used as opposed to the Penicillium Candidum used in Brie.  Other than that I believe the size is the only difference.

[andreark]

To all,

I can find nothing on the web that clearly differentiates Penicillium Camberti from Penicillium Canidium.  In fact, all of the posts that reference both, say that
P.Cand is just another name for P. Camb.

Can anyone find more definitive info on the difference?  I am requesting  'current' info, not just "old' info.

Thanks,

andreark

[jwalker]

I've found a few sources that state they used to be differentiated , mostly due to the color of the mold , but they are so close , that the names are now interchangeable , it's probably of no concern to the home cheese maker , as the results in cheese is probably undetectable to most.

In some scholarly articles they still differentiate between the two.

It is interesting to note that Candidum or Candida , is Latin for bright white , while Camemberti just denotes a fungus from the Camembert region of France , some forms of the mold are light grey , but the white molds were favored by cheese makers for their appearance.

Different variants of the same species ?

Linuxboy would know.

Regardless , I've always found Cams to be stronger tasting than Brie , could just be the ones available in my area though.