THIS IS IT GUYS! The vegan cheese you have been looking for. Sharp, creamy with a white and flowery rind. Before going any further, be aware this is not a quick recipe, don’t expect to have a cheese ready tonight. The whole process will take you about three weeks. BUT: It is totally worth it!
I didn’t find any recipe online for achieving camembert-style nut cheese, so it took me a lot of research and testing before finally finding how to make a nut cheese that has the taste and texture of a real camembert. Living in France I ate quite a lot of artisanal cheese before going vegan and I can tell you this one seriously taste like a real one.
This cheese contains only FIVE ingredients: raw cashews, cultures, filtered water, salt and the secret ingredient for the rind: Penicillium Candidum.
I try to keep my recipes easy, with simple ingredients everyone has in their pantry but unfortunately, to achieve such results you will need to get your hands on some penicillium. You can find it online here, or just ask an artisan cheese maker to sell you some. If you are located in Europe, you can find vegan cultures, supplies and everything you need to make vegan cheeses on Cashewbert.
Penicillium is a mold that grows on camembert/brie and gives it a white, soft crust. It also adds a lot to the taste by giving a mushroom-y flavor. It is usually mixed into the ingredients before being placed into the molds, or sprayed on the outside after the cheeses have been removed from the molds. I used the first method here, which gives the best result in my opinion.
Once the cashews have soaked for at least 5 hours, you place them in a blender with the mold and add just enough water to get a smooth, yet thick consistency. You also need to add the probiotic powder, it will allow the cashew cheese to ferment and will be responsible for the sour/sharp taste.
Your goal is to use as least water as possible, you don’t want something too liquid, this is important since the more liquid you use, the longer it will take to firm up. In case you don’t have a powerful blender I recommend using your food processor.
As you can see below, the fermentation has started after about 24h. Bubbles will have form and the mixture will be fluffy and airy. That’s when you can taste it to see if it’s sharp enough for you. In my opinion, one day of fermentation is enough at this stage since it will age for another 3 weeks later. Don’t worry if you don’t get the air bubbles, it’s not always visible. Taste it and if it’s slightly sour you are on the right track.
At this point, you can just add some chopped chives and use it as cream cheese if you want. But please don’t stop here, stay with me!
The hardest part of the work is done now, it was pretty easy right?. The next step is to put the cashew “dough” in the fridge for at least 4 hours so it firms up a little bit and will be easier to work with. You can now fill 3 small springform pans with the dough. Place in the fridge for 24 hours.
The following morning, unmold the cheeses, and place them on parchment paper on a baking sheet. They will be very soft, almost like a cream cheese.
The aging should be done in a room with a temperature of about 52-56 degrees with a little bit of humidity. If you don’t have that in your house, you can definitely use your refrigerator, it will just take longer to age. In this case you want to put the cheeses in a box in the warmest area of your refrigerator.
You will have to flip the cheeses daily for the next 3 weeks, the first 3 days it will be pretty tricky since they will be very soft but don’t worry they will firm up as time passes. At day 4 you will have to salt the exterior of the cheeses and rub gently the salt with your fingers. Salt is really important to keep bad mold from growing and will obviously improve the taste. Once the cheeses are firmer you can move them to a sushi mat or a clean grid. This is essential to let the mold grow at the bottom of the cheese.
The mold will start to appear after 5 days. After about 14 days, your cheeses should be covered with white mold, now they look like camemberts! Once they are completely covered with mold you can wrap them and place them in the refrigerator for at least three days. The longer you let them age, the stronger the taste. I find that after 4 days they are already really tasty and strong enough.
The cheese is soft on the inside and a little firmer on the edges, just like a real camembert.
This cheese is raw and packed with healthy fats from the cashews.
Enjoy with french bread, fig chutney, caramelized walnuts, or even a drizzle of pure maple syrup if you are feeling decadent. This cheese will surely please any cheese lover and impress your non-vegan friends!
This camembert pairs well with: Cider, champagne, Cabernet Sauvignon, beer or a good apple juice if not drinking alcohol.
Let me know in the comments if you try the recipe and how it turns out for you! Please don’t hesitate to ask if you have questions!
Update: Many people have been making this cheese without giving any credit back and labelling it as their own. I worked really hard to create this recipe and had to make a ton of experiments before releasing it, please give credit by tagging @fullofplants on Instagram or at least linking to this website.
Please note: The links provided here for Penicillium Candidum may not be redirect to a fully vegan product. If you want to find a 100% vegan one, you can get it on cashewbert.com if you are located in Europe. For USA and other countries, I can’t give you a link as it seems harder to find, you will have to make your own research to find a vegan one. Be aware that non-vegan ones are grown on lactose, meaning it contains *traces* of lactose. Considering the amount used, you could still consider your cheese 99,99% vegan. It’s up to you to choose which one fits your beliefs best.
Vegan Aged Camembert Cheese
The best vegan aged cheese. It tastes just like a real camembert and has a white and flowery rind!
Yield: 3 Cheeses
Print Recipe
Pin RecipeIngredients
- 4 cups raw cashews
- 8 capsules vegan probiotic (Acidophilus) or 1/8 tsp mesophilic
- 8-10 tbsp filtered water
- 4 drops (1/8 tsp) of penicillium candidum
- 2 tsp sea salt
Instructions
The day before
- Soak the cashews in filtered water for at least 5 hours or overnight.
Forming the cheese
- Drain the cashews and place them in a large glass bowl. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Once boiling, pour the water directly onto the cashews. Let sit 1-2 minutes and drain the cashews again. This step will help kill possible bacterias.
- Place the cashews in the bowl of a blender or food processor. Add 8 tablespoons of filtered water. Blend on high speed, scraping down the sides from time to time, until you get a very smooth and thick mixture. This step might take about 10 minutes depending on your blender.
- Open the probiotic capsules and add the powder to the bowl.
- Add the penicillium candidum, just 4 drops is enough (about 1/8 tsp). If your penicillium candidum is in powdered form, please check the notes.
- Blend on high speed for another 10-15 seconds.
- The cashew cream should be smooth but thick. If needed, add 1 tablespoon of water at a time until smooth. Do not add too much water, you want to use at least as possible.
- Transfer the mixture into a cheesecloth and pull it tight. Add a weight above it and let drain at room temperature for at least 10 hours. I placed the cheesecloth in a colander on top of a bowl. Note: you can skip this step if you cashew cream is already very thick.
- Transfer the cashew cream to a clean bowl, cover with plastic film to touch, and let sit at room temperature for one day, this step is important to let the cheese ferment.
- The following day, place the bowl in the refrigerator for about 4 hours. The cashew cream will firm up a bit and become easier to work with.
- After that, line a clean baking sheet or flat plate with parchment paper. Place 3 small springform pans (I used 4-inches pans) on the baking sheet.
- Cut strips of parchment paper and lay them in the springform pans. You want to cover the sides of the springform pans, you can also use plastic film if you prefer. The goal is to prevent the cheese to touch the metal. Fill each pan with the mixture and press it down using plastic film so it doesn’t stick to your hands.
Aging
- Cover each cheese with a bowl or plastic box. This is essential to prevent the cheeses from drying. Let sit in a room at a temperature of about 52-56 degrees Fahrenheit (11-13°C). You can also age them in a refrigerator, it might just take a little longer for the mold to grow. You will age the cheeses, covered, at this temperature for the next two weeks. Do not store them at a temperature higher than 56°F (13°C).
- Every day for the next 3 days, carefully flip the cheeses using a small plate. The cheeses will still be very soft, like cream cheese. Don’t worry they will be easier to work with after four days.
- On day 4, carefully remove the springform pans and sprinkle the salt over the top of the cheeses, turn them over and sprinkle the bottom and sides with more salt.
- Continue to flip the cheeses everyday, always use clean hands or work with a plastic film to be sure you are not touching the cheese.
- After 7 days, they should be a little bit harder and you should be able to place them on a bamboo mat.
- Flip them everyday for the next week. The mold will appear after 5-7 days and continue to grow until they are fully covered with a white rind.
- After 2 weeks, wrap the cheeses in parchment paper or cheese paper and place them in the refrigerator for at least 2 days. The longer you let them age in the refrigerator, the stronger the taste.
- Enjoy with french bread, fresh figs or walnuts!
- The cheese will keep for at least 1 month in the refrigerator.
Notes
If you used a small amount of water and the mixture is already really thick, the draining step is not essential.
Penicillium Candidum can be found in the powdered and liquid form. Both work the same, I usually use 1/8 tsp when liquid, or 1/16 tsp when in powder.
If your cheeses are still really soft after 6 days, you can move them to a place with proper air circulation for one to two days to help them dry a little bit.
If you don’t have a room at a temperature of 52-56 degrees Fahrenheit, feel free to place the cheese in your refrigerator, be aware it will take longer to firm up. The mold may take longer to appear too.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/8 of a cheese (about 1 oz)
- Calories: 98
- Sugar: 1g
- Fat: 8.5g
- Carbohydrates: 5g
- Fiber: 0.6g
- Protein: 3.2g
This is unbelievable! Thanks for sharing. I can’t wait to try it out. I was always a sucker for those rinded cheeses. Btw, your photos are stunning too.
Thanks Shannon!
Let me know how it turns out!
Hi, Thomas. It’s been a week since I salted the cheese, and there’s little sign of the rind growing. Shall I re-salt the cheese? Thank you x
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I would not recommend to re-salt the cheese, or they will be too salty in the end. Are you aging the cheeses in your refrigerator? It usually takes more time when aging in a refrigerator.
If I understand correctly, the 2 tsp salt called for in the recipe is supposed to be used to salt the outside of all 3 cheeses, right? This is my first time making something like this and I wanted to be sure that I salt the cheeses appropriately. Thanks for your help with all of my questions!
You are correct, the salt is just to salt the exterior. 2 teaspoons is an estimation, basically you want to sprinkle the exterior and rub with your fingers to be sure all the exterior is salted.
Hi Thomas,
I made a mistake and added the salt to the mix before blending everything together, and started aging the cheeses like that . I just realized I wasn’t supposed to do this and I’ve been aging for about 3 days now. Will it still work even if they will be too salty in the end or will it fail bc of the salt?
Hi Maria,
Yes it will still work but they might be a bit too salty.
I should mention, in addition to my previous comment about salting the cheeses that I’m making both the Camembert and blue cheeses
How do I contact you thomas? I’m on day 16 of creating my Camembert, mould is growing beautifully, but patchy…. do I salt them more ?
Hilary
Hi Hilary, that’s okay, the mold does not always grow uniformly, wait a a few more days and the white mold should cover the whole cheese. Keep me updated!
hej! my mold is not growing any further.. what should I do?? I’ve let the cheese sit for about two weeks longer but it’s not really getting more… any thoughts?
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If it’s not growing further it’s probably because your cheese has dried too quickly on the outside. Did you keep them in a container or cheese box? Were they in the fridge?
hi thomas, do you know where i can find the candidum out of us? there is no shipping to new zealand, thankss
Hi Mara,
Unfortunately I have no idea where you can find penicillium candidum in New-Zealand, you might have to do some research, or ask artisan cheese makers if you have some near you.
Hi, Thomas. I am having great luck with my blue cheese and am not starting to read the chatting on camembert. Mara’s question brings to mind the question I had about starter for the blue cheese — using a non-vegan starter, i.e., mixing actual blue cheese into the cashew s. It worked for me with the blue cheese. Could you do the same thing for the camembert — blend some camembert with the cashew mixture? How much? A couple of tablespoons? That is my plan, and it might solve Mara’s problem. Theoretically it should work. What are your thoughts?
Yes you can do the same with camembert, I think you could even just place your cashew cheese on a real camembert for a few days and the mold should transfer pretty quickly (I never tried, just a guess). Regarding the amount, I would recommend 1 tbsp of white rind pieces (so you take mostly the mold, not the dairy part).
hi Thomas,
your thought was right!
It just happened to me to put together a rest of camembert or brie with some other soft cheese, into a box with a lid on and, in a few days into the fridge, the humidity of the softer cheese stimulated the growth of more white mold both on the camembert AND on the softer cheese!
Great! 🙂 Yes, penicillium transfers very easily.
Hi Mara, I live in Aus and asked a cheese shop where I could buy some and they were really helpful, if you have local cheese makers you should be able to get it somewhere in NZ. I am visiting your beautiful country next year so if all else fails let me know and I can bring you some
Chris. Baker, I hope Mara can find her mold for cheese but I’m glowing from your offer to bring her some when you visit NZ. There’s hope for this world and people like you are why.
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You can get in Australia and I’m pretty sure they would ship to NZ but can’t be sure. I just checked their site, but they’re out of stock right now. Maybe keep checking or search online for a NZ outlet. I just googled buy penicillium candidum in Australia. Hope that helps 🙂 http://greenlivingaustralia.com.au/
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Can’t see the date you posted on here…could be years ago! lol…anyway…Country Trading in Nelson sells the mold mix..very cheap at about $9 and $4 or so to ship to me overnight in Christchurch..maybe a little more for North Island. I did find some in Australia that ships too..it cost $15 but the shpping was $22! think they were called little green something! (just in case you can’t get any at country trading)
Mara I am not sure whether you have found Penicillium Candidum in NZ but the source of all of these bacteria in Australia comes from NZ from Mad Millie Hope it helps 🙂
Can I use walnuts instead? as i don’t eat cashews
I’m afraid it won’t work well because walnuts have a strong taste and can go rancid very quickly.
How about using pecans?
I doubt it will work, you probably won’t get a thick and creamy texture with pecans. I think they would go rancid very quickly but I have never tried so I can’t say for sure.
I noticed that mold is growing on the bamboo mat, does this mean it’s bad mold growing on the mat as well as the cheese? It’s white and fluffy and has been 3.5 weeks. I just noticed the mold in the mat.
Yes it’s normal, this sneaky white mold grows everywhere!
Thanks, that is good to know that the mold grows everywhere. When I saw it was growing on the mat I wrapped the cheese in parchment paper. I think it should go another few days in the box to be covered more fully. Am I able to put it back on the mat to grow more mold or have I stopped the process by wrapping it in parchment paper? Hoping to be able to transfer it back for a few days.
Yes you can put it back on the mat, no problem.
Hi Thomas
It’s been 2 1/2 weeks (in the fridge) and there’s still a bit in the middle on both sides that isn’t covered in white mild and there’s a bit of pink something (mold ? bacteria? growing there instead. I’ve put more salt on those areas just in case, is this the right move? What should I do?
Camille
Hi Camille,
Pink is not good mold, you were right to re-salt the areas. What I usually recommend doing is to scrape off the bad mold before resalting.
hi tomas, can you check this link for me? they make international shipping
i cant send you the link, i found on ebay, is a powder, and in the recipe you say drops, is the same? many thanks
I also give instructions on how to use powder in the recipe, both work great.
Thanks, Thomas for all your hard work perfecting the process! It is yummy! I have used roasted cashews and they give the cheese a richer flavor. Now to try your blue cheese recipe!
Thanks!
David
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Glad to hear it worked! 🙂
The blue cheese ages nicely with the roasted cashews and gets sharp (and stinky!)! And some of the Camembert mold wandered over to my blue cheese since I age them in the same fridge. The blue is my favorite.
Thanks, Thomas, for your hard work and sharing the excellent recipes!
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Glad to hear it worked with roasted cashews!
Hello mine have gone a bit furry are they still OK to eat? When I rub them the fur disappears. I used the salt rub as advised. Grateful for any advice thanks
Hi Thomas, I am new to this site. I am very excited to see that there is actually a cheese that is aged like dairy cheeses. I am so impressed with the process and am pleased to see that no nutritional yeast or agar agar is used. I tried some vegan cheese recipes which contained these ingredients, and found them most unpalatable. I would like to make one request though = have you attempted to make an aged gouda or cheddar yet? I would be most interested to hear if you are working on it. Thank you so much for sharing these wonderful recipes. They are all so yummy looking and I cannot wait to get stuck in and make some.
Hi Linda,
Thanks! I haven’t tried making a gouda or cheddar yet, those don’t require specific cultures but the curds are cooked. This process is not really possible with cashew-based cheeses.
Thank you for your input. Perhaps we might be able to make some real gouda and cheddar type cheeses with other products? I would be interested in making these, if they are similar to the dairy type cheeses. Do you use soya milk to do this maybe? Carry on the great work, Thomas. I have the utmost admiration for you and your dedication.
I still haven’t found a way to make gouda/cheddar. It’s not possible to curdle plant-based milks with the usual rennet, it requires specific enzymes (transglutaminase) to do so. I’m not fully satisfied with the results yet as it yields slightly dryer/less creamy cheeses.
Wow Thomas! This is the best vegan cheese recipe I have seen. It looks absolutely amazing. I will be giving it a try at some point soon. I have my evening planned already….camembert, delicious seedy crackers, homemade chutney and a massive glass of red wine. I cannot wait :O)
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Glad you like it Mel! It took me several tries before finding the final recipe.
And yes, it is really delicious with chutney or jam, it’s also great with apple slices or grapes!
Awesome I am looking to making this, thank you heaps for your fanastic recipe ☺
You’re welcome! I’m sure you will love it!
Your pictures are absolutely gorgeous and I imagine this is so delicious!!
Thanks! Your PB chocolate chip cookie pancakes are delicious by the way!
OMG – this is wonderful – and here I’m still in baby class learning how to work with agar for a sliceable cheese – you take masters honors! Any chance you might do a Brie? That’s my favorite!
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Glad to hear you like it! The difference between brie and camembert is pretty subtle, the brie has more fat content since it’s made with milk + cream. I might work on a recipe in the future 😉
hello, by the way,if you can make something tasting like Roquefort or Stilton you deserve an award
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I hope to claim that award soon, I plan to release that recipe as soon as I finalize some things
I’m not sure about Roquefort, I have been working on blue cheese but it’s not perfect yet. I also think the recipe might be too complicated and time consuming (roquefort needs to be aged for at least 2 months to get a nice and sharp flavor).
This is good to know. I used a Roquefort to make my blue cheese. I will let it sit at least 8 weeks.
Hi
I will take part in a Roquefort test session this week. Different recipes of vegan cheese in a research project at SLU, Uppsala where they try to produce vegan cheese with Roquefort culture – looking forward! 😀
Thomas. Have you ever tried making a pungent feta cheese, like the bulgarian white cheese?
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Not yet!
Given your vegan cheese-making expertise (and you are pretty good!) would you have an idea, a theory, on how to make this? Or maybe you found someone else who makes vegan feta cheeses successfully? :-)) Thanks again for your hard work and making it publicly available – it’s an amazing contribution!
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I’m far from being an expert (I’ve just successfully made Thomas’s wonderful blue cheese for the first time and have some camembert ripening, but from what I gather it comes down to the cultures. Google “FETA-MESOPHILIC MT1” and you’ll find the appropriate bacteria for producing a pungent cheese.
Feta is also typically brined. Again, you can find instructions for dairy-based feta online and replicate that process.
You’ve given me the notion to try this out. Thank you!
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I can’t believe this, I think I died and now I’m in vegan cheese heaven 😀
This is crazy good, I’m so happy I found this recipe! Making it as soon as I get that penicillium candidum.
Can’t wait to hear how yours turns out!
Oh my!!! This looks so unbelievably fantastic! I lived in Paris for 3 years before I was vegan, and I prided myself on knowing good cheese. Even with all the amazing vegan cheeses that have come out in the past few years, nothing has looked as “real” as this one! I have to get all the ingredients to try this out. Great job!!!
I tried many “vegan” cheeses too, and most of them are made with flavoring or nutritional yeast, they don’t taste like real cheese at all. I’m sure you will love this one!
Wow! This looks amazing! Can’t wait to try.
Let me know if you try to make a vegan blue cheese! I would die for it 🙂
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Thanks!
I have been working on a blue cheese recipe but I’m not happy with it for the moment. Testing takes a lot of time since blue cheeses need to be aged for about two months.
Thomas, have you made any progress on a blue cheese recipe? I’ve bought the mold and am anxious to try, but impossible to find a recipe!
Nancy, it took me several months to create the camembert recipe so it will also take a while to create the blue cheese one 🙂
I have some (my third test) that are aging in my fridge right now but they won’t be ready before at least 2 months, and I can’t tell how they will turn out for the moment, but I have high hopes! Don’t worry as soon as I have a recipe that I’m happy with I will share it, I just want it to be perfect and super tasty!
I am looking forward to leaving a comment about how amazing this is! I’d love to have it ready for my son’s picnic style birthday party mid-August. Thank you for all the time and effort you’ve put into creating this recipe. And as for a blue cheese recipe….can hardly wait. If anyone can do it, you can.
This is unbelievable !! I am in complete state of surprise and admiration for this stunning looking cheese. You did an amazing job my friend and I cannot wait to see more of your work!!
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Thank you Silvia!
This looks absolutely amazing and u have shared your post widely. I also want you to know I’m having a Twitter fight right now on your behalf with a nutbag (no offense to nuts) dairy farmer who’s whining about this not being “real” cheese. Viva la vegan cheese!
Glad you like it Leinana!
Haha yes, “real” cheese makers don’t like when we call it cheese when it’s made with cashews 😉 Just like the dairy industry is against calling almond “milk”. It tastes exactly like cheese so cheese it is for me!
How much is 5 drops of penicillium? I can buy 5g on amazon germany!?
Hey Eva, I just checked and you can buy penicillium in Germany here: http://www.oberacker.de/product_info.php?cPath=37_47&products_id=2743&osCsid=fq7gfg8fqglrfmdmrdb7upckk1
A little goes a long way!
You can also get in Germany a 2 dosis container for much cheaper here. http://www.kaesereibedarf-leidinger.com/epages/62318676.sf/de_DE/?ObjectPath=/Shops/62318676/Products/005HEC
all their cultures marked as “Sigma” are vegan
hey Anderson, how do you know these specific cultures (marked as “sigma”) are not grown on lactose or any other animal-based product? thanks!
Hi Thomas,
I have been looking for the penicillium candidum. I have found Choosit”s PC Neige LYO 10 D. Is that the right one?
And also I am looking for the P Roqueforti to use with your amazing looking Blue Cheese. The problem I am having with this is that I have found too many different strains i.e., roqueforti PV, PS, PA, PJ, PR1, and PR3, and I don’t know what to pick. I seem to be very late to this party 🙁 because your links have outdated. I would really appreciate if you would help me. Thanks in advance! I want you to know how truly grateful I am for all the work you have put in, and for your generosity in sharing.
Hello! This recipe looks fantastic!
I have a question though – how do you make a sterilized water? I thought I could buy it but then I found out it is only being sold in pharmacies and you need prescription from a doc. So this is no go for me. Otherwise, you can’t buy it.
I read that I need a pressure cooker to make sterilized water but we do not have one – is there any other way to make sterilized water?
What about bottled water for infants? Would that be ok?
Thank you 🙂
K.
When I say sterilized water I just mean boiled (tap) water that you let cool down. You can also use basic bottled water, or even filtered water, no problem with that. I will edit the recipe to make it clearer, thanks!
I’m so excited to try this recipe, I plan to start tomorrow! I am wondering when to remove the springform pans? Do you only use them momentarily to get the shape right, or do they get flipped while still in the springform pans? Many thanks for your dedication to artisan vegan cheese, it’s much appreciated.
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Lucy, I usually remove the springform pans when I salt the cheeses, so after about 3 days, that way they are easier to flip. Just make sure the mixture is not touching directly the pans or it will stick to it (cover the inside of your springform pans with a parchment paper strip). Hope this helps! Feel free to ask if you have other questions, I can’t wait to hear what you think about the final result!
I am finally facing my fears and trying out this recipe! Very excited. Wondering if the spring form pan is absolutely necessary or if I could achieve the same result in a similar size/shape container lined with parchment paper/plastic wrap?
Thanks!
The springform pan is just to shape the cheese, you can use any container you have on hand.
MERCI MERCI MERCI MERCI MERCI MERCI MERCI MERCI MERCI MERCI MERCI MERCI MERCI MERCI MERCI MERCI MERCI MERCI MERCI MERCI MERCI MERCI MERCI MERCI MERCI MERCI MERCI MERCI MERCI MERCI MERCI MERCI MERCI MERCI MERCI MERCI MERCI MERCI MERCI MERCI MERCI MERCI MERCI MERCI MERCI MERCI MERCI MERCI MERCI MERCI MERCI MERCI MERCI MERCI MERCI MERCI MERCI MERCI MERCI MERCI MERCI MERCI MERCI MERCI MERCI MERCI MERCI MERCI MERCI
(d’autres à venir dès que j’aurai testé par moi-même ! 🙂 )
Sooooooo … Mine is in its 12th day of the 3-week “affinement” in the fridge 🙂
It is perfectly firm now and half of it is already covered with a white mold so I suppose it’s on the right way …
( Waiting is actually the hardest part !!! )
Have you tried with other nuts than cashews ?
Awesome! You are one the right track 😉
Yes the mold is not really appearing uniformly at first, but after a while it will cover the whole cheese.
I never tried using other nuts, I’m wondering if almonds or macadamia would be as creamy as cashews when blended. That’s something I will try in the future for sure!
Kite Hill sells a very good Almond Camembert in the US. I suspect your recipe would work perfectly with Almond. Removing the almond skin is a pain though. I also find cashews taste more like I remember milk tasting.
Kite Hill are using a different technique, they are not using whole nuts but almond milk and make it curdle. I never tried with blanched almonds but I think it might result in a more grainy cheese.
Happy Cheeze from Germany sells this type of cashew based camembert with the name of Happy White, I know they also export to France.
I’ve been working on an improved version of it and been quite successful, I also have an ongoing recipe but already successful for blue cheese and I’m working on some non cashew version of it. I can share some tips but I will only disclose it to the public after I get some things sorted, so if you are interested in details, only privately.
Cheers and thanks for sharing your tips
Hello !
I am interested by your recipe of blue vegan cheese, I was thinking already about making one. I imagine it is quite the same process but with different cultures ?
Is there a link to your recipe or something like this ?
Thank you !
Not yet Manon, I’m working on that. I use quite a few special products for the break of fats and proteins to make it work, so I am trying to find out only which ingredients are strictly necessary before I can share. I’m also working on a vegan cheese manual on how to make different variations of those cheese (by type of fermentation instead of different spices).
Just a good update, using these methods you would be able to get a vegan blue cheese between 1 and 2 months, much faster then milk based. I will try to set up a mailing list for those who are interested.
In case you can’t wait and want to play along, I use products like coconut cream for added fat (blue mold consumes also fat), transglutaminase enzyme to get it firmer with the added liquid without trapping the water like you would by adding agar or other gum and I use papain to help to break the proteins, among other ingredients. Also, I use real cheese cultures (vegan based) and not just an acid lactic bacteria as it will help to give more complex flavors. But as I said, it’s still on heavy research and I hope to give a step by step process soon.
Anderson, I would love to be on your list as blue cheese is my favorite. Please let me know how to subscribe. Many thanks!
Anderson, I would love to be on your list! Very exciting.
I would love to be added to this list too!
Oh, me too please!! 🙂
I would like to be on this email list as well. Thanks!
Anderson, I would also like to be added to your email list. Although I’m new to the table, I’m really finding the whole vegan cheese research fascinating. I’m sure that in the not so far future, Vegan cheese will taste (and replace) as perfect as dairy cheese without the cruelty. Thank you for moving the effort forward.
I would love to me on the mailing-list;-)
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And can you share the name of the vagan cheese book?
I would love to know more about your method. How can we connect privately?
So excited to try this!
One question however about the probiotic capsules. Can is be any vegan probiotic capsule? IF not, what is it about the one you provided a link to?
Thank you for your help!
Any probiotic should work!
Rachel,
Here’s a link to show you the probiotic capsules I’m using for this recipe: http://www.vitaminlife.com/index/page/product/product_id/13501/product_name/Dairy+Free+Acidophilus+With+Pectin?gclid=Cj0KEQjw4fy_BRCX7b6rq_WZgI0BEiQAl78nd5avIzHf6Ypsf3kUkELo6Sb9eEAaajEmI9lrNxQEe2waArEN8P8HAQ The capsules slide off into 2 pieces really easy! I bought a container of them from Whole Foods.
Hi, I was just finding out about those cultures as well! Glad to see I’m on the right track. 🙂 The penicillium, os that vegan? Most of the cheese cultures I ask my supplier about are grown on lactose. 🙁
Anyway, I’m going to start experimenting soon! Thanks!
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With the penicillium candidum, it’s just a fungus right? It’s an all vegan powder?
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Exactly, it’s a fungus. There is very little information about where it’s coming from but I’m pretty sure it’s plant-based.
Adding my 2 cents, it really depends on the provider. Many would be grown on lactose as it’s cheaper for the industry, but many bigger companies would use other types of sugar instead like Maltodextrin. From my experience, providers are usually very helpful to inform. But the one Thomas used, yes. Danisco liquid cultures are vegan and also some powder cultures from them.
Sorry, but it is NOT vegan.
Thomas kindly gave me a link for vegan penicillium as it is pretty hard to find, especially here in France where they seem to be all lactose-grown. Danisco is not always vegan so you have to get the spec sheet to see in the “allergen” column whether it is lactose based or not.
The link you provided on this site is the vegan Penicillium candidum, correct? I’ve been having the same issue with them saying they use lactose in the processing. 🙁 Even in the link that is provided here to the Amazon product, in the Q&A section on the product description the seller says that the distributor mentions using lactose.
The actual link seems to redirect to a non-vegan one, I can’t keep up updating the links as it changes very regularly. As I said in some other comments, considering the amount used you could still consider your cheeses 99.9% vegan by getting one that was *grown* on lactose, meaning it contains onle traces of it. I’m going to add a disclaimer at the end of the recipe to make things clearer.
Thanks for being so generous and sharing this incredible recipe!
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Hi Thomas,
Can’t wait to try this recipe! Just curious if you know the shelf life of this cheese after its finished. I would love to make a few and store some in the fridge (or possibly freezer?) for later.
Cheers!
Hey Tim,
I kept one camembert for over a month and a half in the fridge and it was still really good, I actually thought it tasted better than before. It just becomes a little bit firmer. I’m not sure about keeping it in the freezer though, I guess it would work.
Hi Thomas,
can’t wait to try this, it looks awesome!
One question: does this camembert melt? In pre-vegan times, I loved to toss some camembert and cream in a pan and heat it up for a delicious sauce. But I’m afraid it won’t melt because it lacks fat? Maybe you tried already 🙂
Best regards from Germany,
Anja
Hi Anja,
Thanks! Unfortunately this camembert does not melt since it’s made mostly of cashews. I don’t think it’s because of the lack of fat though since there is already a lot of fat in cashews.
Well, bummer. Guess I’ll just chop it to little pieces and put it on some noodles anyway 😀
Anja if you’re looking for a melty one try this one from Bosh.https://www.bosh.tv/recipes/camembosh
What makes Camembert to melt is the activity of the fungus on the milk proteins. Sadly casein has quite meltable unique properties.
I get a creamy camembert by adding about 10% to 20% of coconut cream (use only from a refrigerated coconut milk can). It does make it a bit harder to dry it out, so be aware 🙂
Thanks for the additional information Anderson!
Is the coconut flavor perceptible in your camembert?
Have you thought about using refined coconut oil instead of coconut cream Anderson?
That way you would get that fatty/creaminess, but it would be firmer?
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Also with the refined, there is no coconut flavor. Would love to know the answer also, Anderson
Why not use unscented coconut oil?
Have you tried these with macademia nuts or something nut-free like sunflower seeds? I’m deadly allergic to cashews, and being French Canadian, a cheese like this one would definitely bring me back to my cultural roots. Thanks so much for sharing this.
Unfortunately I never tried it with macadamia nuts so I’m not sure if it would work. I would love to know the results if someone tries it though 🙂
Hi- just wondering how the biochemistry checks out with the penicillin and the nuts- nuts have a history of becoming extremely toxic with some moulds? Do you definitely know this is safe?
Hi Lucy, there is no problem with penicillium and nuts, I’m still here to prove it! And I can tell you I ate of lot of vegan camemberts 😉
I also heard some new companies are making vegan cheeses the same way, so again you can assume it’s totally safe.
Miyoko Schinner has a fantastic recipe that does not call for any specialty ingredients and it turns out fantastic. She is the queen on vegan cheese maybe check her out.
Unfortunately you won’t be able to achieve the same flavor and get the white/flowering rind without this *special* ingredient (penicillium candidum). Obviously you can make vegan cheese just with cashews and cultures though, it will just taste different 😉
That’s a bit of a rude comment don’t you think?
Thomas has made a PROPER cheese the traditional way, as opposed to one that pretends to be a camembert rolled in tapioca flour, and you are rude enough to say maybe he should check out Miyoko’s book because she’s the expert!
Go and make Miyoko’s then…it looks nothing like a real camenbert though…
Really, think before you post a comment!
People with blogs spend a LONG time working on their stuff and writing up posts all to share for free with the public, and THIS cheese Trumps ANY out there at the moment, and you write a flippant remark on HIS blog telling him to go and research what the “queen of cheese” does.
That just ticks me off!
Rude!
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AGREED!!! So glad you called her (Marria) out on that! Sure Miyoko’s cheeses are decent but she leaves a lot to be desired too. I prefer to make my own Buffalo Mozzarella over buying hers as the recipe created by Lacey from another blog outshines Miyoko’s. Just because Miyoko was an early pioneer of vegan cheese doesn’t make her the Queen. There is room enough at my playground for all the cheese makers. 🙂
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Could I get a link to the mozzarella cheese? That sounds delicious!
Lacey does AvocadosandAles.com, and I love her Mozzarella. Plus, if you have a Vitamix you can do the whole process in the blender. I don’t even soak the cashews. It sets in the fridge after 3 hrs. You just need a candy thermometer to tell when it reaches 170F. It is not cultured (she uses lactic acid for the tang), but way better than the store bought I have tried.
https://avocadosandales.com/2015/08/24/aquafaba-cheese/
She uses aquafaba, kappa carageenan, lactic acid, and a Nina’s Homemade butter (which is easily made but you can also sub Miyokos butter now becoming more available in stores- Whole Foods for example, and probably Earth Balance if you don’t object to using Palm oil).
Wow!! Je suis vraiment impressionnée!!
It looks so much like the real thing! You kind of made me doubt for a moment.. I’m allergic to penicillin but apparently cheese is safe, since it’s actually not the same penicillin.
I would have loved to try this for the dessert table I’m planning for my wedding, but I’ll be one week short!
Oh well, I’m sure I’ll find another occasion! Thanks for the awesome recipe!
Merci !
Penicillin and penicillium are two different things. If you ever had real camembert cheese then you had penicillium. I’m using the same mold (fungus) as in the real camemberts.
Valises & Gourmandises, I too am allergic to penicillin (anaphalactic shock reaction). Many mds say people who have just had a rash reaction to penicillin may not actually allergic to it. And while it seems that only rarely have people reacted badly to cheese, I am concerned enough that when I attempt this I will be extra careful not to come in contact with it- even to the point of wearing a respirator. But that is not a problem for me because I am a potter and have to be careful to not inhale the chemicals I use when mixing my glazes.
Hope this helps.
I am allergic (allergic asthma reaction) to the medication Penicillin too, but have had NO issues whatsoever with the cheese culture version of it. I’ve handled it, I’ve eaten it, I’ve probably breathed it in a time or two, no problem!
My father is allergic to penicillin too and he would bet mild reactions from (dairy) brie when it was left to age for months until it was sort of brown, super stinky and almost liquid inside. Hardly anybody would still eat brie in that state though and he’s never had a reaction from just normal brie or camembert, not even the older aged ones!
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OMG!!!!
Just stumbled on your site, and I LOVE IT!!!!
I can’t wait to get my hands on penicillium to give this cheese a go 🙂
(Gorgeous pictures by the way!).
xxo
Augusta
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Hey Augusta, Thanks! Glad you like it!
I’m sure you will love the camembert!
Hi Thomas, I just removed my cheeses from the springform pans and onto the cookie sheet for the beginning of their 3-week flipping journey. However…..mine were very sticky and not semi firmly formed like yours in the photo, more like a very thick cake batter, which stuck to the parchment when I peeled it away. Any ideas what I might have done wrong, or whether you think they may still firm up and turn out ok? (they taste great! So I guess I can eat them anyway…..!) :o)
Hi Nancy,
Okay, so first, did you stored them in the fridge?
You probably used too much water when processing the cashews, you really want to use the least amount possible (but still a little, don’t process the cashews alone), the mixture should be really thick. I would recommend using your food processor next time, if you don’t have a really powerful blender. Last time, I used my food processor to do half the job and finished it in my blender, I found this extra step makes it easier for the blender.
It happened to me too when I first started experimenting and I can assure you they will still firm up, it will take more time though. I would say an extra week.
So, I would recommend you place them back into the springform pans and place them in the fridge for about a week, without flipping them, and check if they are firmer.
Or, soak another cup of cashews and re-blend it with your mixture to thicken it, I never tried but I think that would work too, without “killing” the mold.
I hope this helps, and don’t hesitate to keep me updated! Good luck!
Hi Thomas, I have a powerful Vitamix. In the interest of having less water in the final mixture, would it make any sense to try this without soaking the cashews? The point of soaking is to see that the mixture blend is completely smooth, right? I never soak cashews and they always come out silky smooth. What do you think?
And thanks again for posting this and for answering our questions!
I’m not really sure about not soaking the cashews. One thing you don’t want to do is make cashew butter, it’s very different and it would not firm up or ferment like cashew cream, so adding water when blending is essential.
My cheese is two weeks old and has quite a lot of white mould, but also some black spots appearing. I think this is bad, based on my experiences with making Camembert with dairy milk in the past. I think the problem could be temperature or humidity. The room temperature here is about 20degreesC. Do you have an idea why this is occurring and whether it is a problem?
Hey Beryl,
I think the temperature is the problem here, it should not be above 14-15 degrees Celcius. If you don’t have a room with that kind of temperature I can only recommend aging the cheese in your refrigerator, it will work like a charm and there is very little chance you will get black mold.
What you can do is carefully remove the black spots with a clean knife and add a pinch of salt in the holes. If you only have a few black spots, it should work and “save” your cheese!
Thomas, I ended up eating those cheeses at about 2.5 weeks(delicious!) and now I have a new batch kept in a cooler place. They are at 2.5 weeks now and there is no sign of black mould! I am so excited. The white mould is looking very good, and whole family is drooling in anticipation!
Thanks so much for this recipe. I now wait with ‘bated breath for your blue recipe….and dare I hope for a washed rind after that?
That’s great news!!
I know that feeling when you see some white mold starting to grow on the cheese 🙂
About the blue cheese, it is definitely coming soon. Washed rind?! That’s a challenge!
At least you will be able to compare the cashew cheese with and without the white mold, you will see, the taste is really different!
Hi Thomas
The recipe said about 1/8 tsp of the powder, but i think i may have measured wrong. What happens if you use a little less of the PC than the recipe says?
Hi Lauren,
Nothing is going to happen, even 1/16 tsp is enough as the mold is very powerful. I recommend 1/8 tsp as it’s the easiest to measure 😉
Thomas I made this cheese and it is SO delicious. You are a genius thank you.
Have you tried using Penciillium Roqueforti to make Bleu cheese?
Or a combination of penicillium candida and roqueforte …would that make cambazola?
Thank you so much!
Peggy
I’m so glad to hear it worked well for you! 🙂
I do have penicillium roqueforti and I’m currently experimenting with it, my first two batches were not successful though. The process is a little bit different, but I will be sure to post the recipe when I have something that tastes like blue cheese!
As for mixing both, I’m not sure about the result, you might have to try it 😉
Tried it. It works – and seriously it does taste as good as or even better than Camembert made with cow juice. Thank you so much.
Awesome! Thanks for the feedback! 😉
Hi Thomas, I would like to know if I can use your recipe of camembert using goat cheese starter culture instead of penicilium candidum my starter has penicillium too.
Thank you so much
María
Hi Julia, you won’t get the same results and definitely not the white rind using a goat cheese starter. There are many molds in goat cheese starters, the taste will be different. I think it can result in a pretty tasty cheese though 🙂 but it will not look like a camembert.
Hi! I’m on my second attempt at this 2 weeks in and it’s firmed up but not got a white mould on what am I doing wrong?! Got it in the fridge but it’s a kind of my spare broken fridge that is a bit on the warm side so technically the perfect temperature that you have on the recipe! I used a powder penicillin so did what you said on the notes (but it in sterilised cold water and in the fridge before using it to blend the cashews)
Hi Annie!
I’m sorry to hear it’s not working as expected for you.
Did you salt the cheese? Salt is really important in the development of the white mold, it encourage mold growth.
Also, where do you store the penicillium? Most of the brands recommend you keep them in the freezer.
If the temperature is right I don’t see why the mold is not appearing…The environment should not be too dry though, the mold needs some moisture to develop.
We are talking about penicillium right? Not penicillin.
Feel free to keep me updated so we can figure out where is the problem.
Thanks for the reply!Yeah I salted them and it’s definitely not too dry, not sure what I’m doing wrong! And yes I ordered the penicillium you suggested that was just autocorrect! In the first stage you suggest covering it to keep humidity in, is this just for the first day or for the whole process? I’ll have to try again I guess!
If you have a cheese box, or a plastic container I recommend you cover the cheeses with it (for the whole process). Don’t seal it, leave some space so the air can pass through.
I would not throw the cheese away, I would re-salt them a little bit wait for another week to see if the mold is taking longer to appear. If it doesn’t, you can still eat the cheese, it won’t have the same flavor but they should be tasty!
Make sure your penicillium is not expired, the only time I got this problem, the one I was using was expired.
Thank you! It is in date but I might order some more just in case!
Any substitute for penicillium candidum ? I’m allergic. Thanks.
Hi Caroline,
I’m afraid there are no substitute, without penicillium candidum you won’t get the “camembert” flavor or the white flowery rind.
Ok, thanks for your fast reply.
Hi Thomas!
I have given a shout out on my facebook group Plantified https://www.facebook.com/groups/Plantified/permalink/1162967703761393/ about your magnificent discovery with your camenbert cheese!
People are very interested in what you are doing!
Also @Anderson Santos, I mentioned what you have been up to also!
If you would like to come and talk to people about what your are doing, feel free to drop in and chat!
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Hey Katrina,
Thanks for the shout out! 🙂 I checked your facebook group, very interesting!
So, apparently many people are worried about the mold being vegan or not. The one I bought was labelled as “vegan” on the website, and the brand was Danisco. There is no vegan logo or other information on the package itself, so I guess all the penicillium from this brand is naturally vegan. That’s why I link to a penicillium from this brand.
Yes!
Anderson Santos also was told brands were vegan, but when i spoke to a fellow called Bruce from gnltd.com , and asked him if he could stock some vegan stuff he said : Hi Katrina – thanks for all the information; it is most fascinating.
If you dig deep, the culture that Thomas is actually using for his cashew nut ‘Camembert’ originates from Danisco: the Danisco rep. told me recently that his company “doesn’t do vegan….”
I have never got a straight answer out of Danisco and they have never once come back to me when I repeated asked them this direct question: “Do you sell a culture that is not only suitable for, but also classified as vegan?” – so I will leave it to you to make up your own mind as to the legitimacy of these articles!
Similarly the https://shop.strato.de/epages/62318676.sf/secba30164717/?ObjectPath=/Shops/62318676/Products/005HEC link leads to an Amazon site that sells Pen Candidum in plain pots. I would be very surprised if this was not simply a standard Danisco (or other) non-Vegan culture that has been simply decanted…. I would certainly expect a Vegan certified logo next to it if it was suitable.
Sigma (part of Sigma Aldrich Inc.) is an American chemical company that has a reasonable bio-chemistry division: I used to regularly deal with them many years ago when I was part of a team of research chemists looking into natural and nature-identical flavourings. I’ll look into their products and if I have any luck finding a vegan starter culture that I would be happy to promote and sell, then I promise you that you will be the first to know!
Kind regards
Bruce
I also showed him a link to what you were doing with it after he sounded doubtful any vegan cheese could be decent and he was impressed!
I am concerned that Danisco are giving mixed messages about whether it is free from animal product use or not, so will be interesting to see their response!
I feel that some companies won’t attest to it being vegan if not certified, even if it may actually be plant grown.
My research has shown it is often cultured on canteloupes and lemons, but maybe these cheese supply companies aren’t usually that concerned as their customers are usually Dairy eaters anyway?
Thanks for the nice feedback 😉
I think you are right about companies not being really concerned wether it is vegan or not since 99.9% of their buyers are non-vegan companies. That’s probably why their answers are never completely clear, they don’t really care.
As you can see here, this website is also selling a “vegan” penicillium candidum (from Danisco): http://www.oberacker.de/product_info.php?products_id=2743&osCsid=vbh9in569dvufg7b1dlh81urv0
At least I know for sure that penicillium candidum can be vegan since I heard about vegan-certified companies producing very similar camemberts with only cashew, cultures and mold.
I didn’t know about the mold growing on cantaloupes though, interesting.
Yeah, here is the article I found that out in!
All commercial penicillin comes from cells extracted from a mold growing on a cantaloupe found in Peoria, Illinois, in 1941.To make commercial penicillin, you need a descendant of this strain.
https://sites.google.com/site/lowmoonglowing/penicillin
Also they had another really interesting article on different moulds and what is and isn’t safe!
Makes good reading!
Apparently pink mould is dangerous, so if you see pink mould on stuff in the fridge, stay well clear!
https://sites.google.com/site/windintheroses/mold
Hey thank you for sharing such a revolutionary recipe in a open-source way 🙂
Before I try it I am wondering if ‘rejuvelac’ would work instead of water + probiotics?
http://www.marystestkitchen.com/make-rejuvelac-culturing-cheese/
All the best,
Jan
Thanks Jan 🙂 Yes rejuvelac will work as well, I just find it easier to use probiotic than making rejuvelac from scratch.
How about using some soy yogurt (or whey from it)?
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I never tried with yogurt but it contains different cultures, so I’m not sure what would be the result honestly.
Yours is hands down the best vegan blog I have ever come across. Your recipes are stellar! You do the vegan community a great service. When I was vegan, I missed dairy cheese so much that I fell off the vegan wagon. Your recipe makes me feel like crying for joy. Where is your James Beard award???! One other question- will this work with other nuts, like macadamia? I don’t eat cashews as they’re high in FODMAPs.
Thank you so much!! 🙂
I agree with you that cheese might be the food you “miss” the most when going vegan.
It’s really worth waiting a few weeks to get a cheese that taste like a real blue cheese and not like those fake flavored vegan cheeses.
I never tried with other nuts, but I think it would work with raw macadamia nuts. Since macadamia nuts are higher in fat than cashews I would remove the coconut oil from the recipe.
Hi Thomas, I am just at this very moment starting my first camembert with your recipe. It’s time for fermentation at the moment press your thumbs so it will work.
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I’m using powdered penicillium. Should I really soak it in 1 cup of filtered water, when I’m just going to use 8 tbsp of it?
I’m curious to see your reply, Thomas. I use powdered Penicillium too, and the first time used 1 cup of water, cheese molded over fine, but was initially very wet, and hard to handle. The second time I tried it I dissolved the Penicillium in 10 Tablespoons water. This time the cheese batter was more solid, but it never formed the proper mold. I have now my third batch just settled into its pans to begin the aging process. This time I used 8 Tablespoons – I now have my fingers crossed the mold will form.
Nancy, I’m afraid my instructions were not clear enough. When I’m saying “Use this water in place of the filtered water”, I mean the same amount: 8 tablespoons.
I’m recommending to use 1 cup of water because it’s easier to bring to a boil than just 8 tablespoons.
I’m sorry for the misunderstanding, I will try to make this clearer in the recipe.
I hope your cheeses will turn out great this time!
Hi again Thomas!
My last 2 attempts have resulted in cheeses that grow mold only on about 1/4 of the surface of the cheese (if not less). What would be your guess about why the mold is not growing uniformly and covering the cheese? I am using the ingredients as specified in the recipe, and keeping the cheeses under a plastic tub in a fridge kept at about 57 degrees F, turning daily. I am wondering if the problem is either expired mold, or not using enough mold in the mix (I use 1/8 teaspoon as directed). I also get a very slightly pinkish/orange mold growing near the white mold in some places, and since I understand pink mold is dangerous to eat, I’ve thrown away one batch so far. Hate to do that if it can be avoided. Do you have any suggestions?
You can just bring some water to a boil, let cool completely and dissolve the powdered penicillium in 8-10 tablespoons of water.
Hello Thomas!!!
thanks to share with us this recipe… i already bought the penicillium and the capsules and i want to start tomorrow, but i´m stuck how this works…. Should i disolve in 8 tablespoon of water but how many grams? just a little tiny pinch? buecause inside the envelope is not many…. Please help this poor beginner.
p.s: sorry if you already explain how to do it, i just can´t find it!!
Thanks Thomas
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Hi Fanny,
You’re welcome!
So, if your penicillium is in powdered form: bring a cup of water to a boil and let it cool completely (or just use filtered or bottle water).
In a small and clean glass: add about 10 tablespoons of this water and 1/8 teaspoon powdered penicillium, about 3 pinches. Give it a quick stir and cover with a plastic film and place in the fridge, let sit overnight. This step is required to rehydrate the penicillium candidum.
The next day you will blend the cashews, probiotics powder and about 10 tablespoons (8 if you have a powerful blender) of this water together.
I hope this helps!
Thanks Thomas!!!!
very helpful info, i will start tomorrow, so exited!!
Thomas this step is missing in both sets of directions. I’ve been working on my cheese for nearly four weeks now and only a little bit of mold has grown. I’m assuming this is the reason why. Is there anything I can do now? Should I wait longer? Is it ok to just eat the cheese? It’s frustrating to have spent all this time and effort only to find this out now. I used the link in your page to get the penicillium in dry form as I’m sure others did, but there’s no mention of this step in the notes. Can you please update the notes explaining that you need to soak the bacteria overnight so other people don’t make the same mistake.
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Andrew, if this step is “missing” from the directions it’s because I found out it’s not essential at all. I have made countless batches of camembert and always added the powder directly to the blender. I don’t bother soaking it anymore and it works like a charm.
If you only have a little bit of mold growing it’s definitely not because you added the powder directly. The most common problem is that the exterior of your cheeses dried too quickly. If it’s not moist enough the mold cannot grow on the exterior. I guess it’s dry to touch? Did you keep the cheeses covered the whole time? At what temperature are you aging them?
I would appreciate if you could update your rating next time you make the cheese, thanks! Good luck 🙂
Do you think that som coconut oil would add better and creamier texture to the Camembert cheese, like you do in the blue cheese recipe?
I added coconut oil to the blue cheese recipe because the blue mold needs more fat to grow than the penicillium candidum. You can add coconut oil to this recipe too, it will make the camembert cheese a little bit creamier and will help firm it up in the early days of aging. I find it pretty creamy without any additional oil though. Hope this helps! 🙂
Thank you! I will make one of the molds with some coconut oil to see what the diffrence will be.
My parchment paper were really sticky so I used plastic film instead, which doesn’t seem to stick much at all. Do you see a problem with using plastic film instead?
No problem at all with plastic film!
Hello Thomas!
It has been great for me to discover your blog, it´s really interesting… congratulations!
I´m experimenting with cashews-based cheeses, I´m from Argentina and here the summer is TOO HOT,over 40ºCelsius, so I decided to buy a small wine cave (for only 34 bottles of cheeses….NO! I mean wine) …well, the fact is that I planned to use this equipment to age my cheeses. The thing is that the Humidity levels are really high (84%)… temperature is OK at 12ºC.
Because I want to do all the process of aging from start using the cave (to avoid exterior temperatures), I started by introducing the “fresh” cheeses, into the cave… but after 4 days they are still in a creamy-like form…. should it be humidity, or should I install some coolfans, in order to air-dry my cheeses? I thought about installing some Computer-fans into the cave.
Well, I would really appreciate if you shed a bit of light into this….
Thanks in advance
Hi Claudio,
Thanks, glad you like it!
I’m no expert in humidity levels 🙂 but I think 84% is okay to age the camembert cheese. I know some people here had great results by aging the cheese in their fridge, so the humidity was pretty high.
Be careful, you don’t want to dry the cheese too quickly, the mold needs humidity to grow.
About the consistency of your cheese, I would advise to be patient and wait another 4-5 days. I had some cheeses that took more time to firm up. Also, you might want to try using a little bit less water next time, the cheeses will firm up faster.
Hello, I am really looking for a recipe like this but the Penicillium Candidum is NOT vegan : it is lactose based. I have done a lot of research on this and have written to many suppliers. Do you have an idea for me because I am 100% vegan and do not want to make exceptions. This recipe looks so delicious but I would be unhappy using the Penicillium Candidum.
Thanks for your comment.
Hi Deb,
I’m not sure which brand you are talking about, but I also did some research and found some that are labelled as vegan (the Danisco one for example). There are also some vegan cheese makers in Europe who are using penicillium candidum to make vegan camembert the same way as explained in this recipe. These cheese makers got the certified Vegan logo, so I can say for sure that penicilium candidum (at least some brands) is vegan.
Thanks for your reply but unfortunately Danisco is not vegan as it is grown on a milk product. I will send you their information leaflet which shows that. I am desperate to try your recipe but just can’t find a truly vegan penicillium candidum.
I do have a documentation too that shows lactose is not in the allergens. Also, this means not ALL penicillium are grown on lactose (some are grown on maltodextrine as Anderson said).
So sorry, Thomas, you are absolutely right. I just had not found the right product. Thanks for the link. I have bought some and will be making my cheese as soon as it arrives.
No problem Deb 😉 Don’t hesitate to comment if you have any question about the process.
Hey Thomas, I tried this recipe. The mould grew as expected, but the cheese had a somewhat lemon flavour, not like camambert or brie at all, and it was pretty solid, not runny like camambert. Any suggestions? Adding some coconut milk or other non-dairty milk? Thanks!
Hey Andrew,
I’m not sure what happened, but you shouldn’t get a lemon flavor. The inside is not as runny as a camembert though, but still very soft, and even softer when at room temperature for a few minutes.
Did you use acidophilus powder? I find acidophilus gives a much better taste than rejuvelac. Depending on the type of rejuvelac used, it can sometimes give the cheese that lemon flavor, that’s why I recommend powdered probiotics.
About the texture, you can add 2-3 tablespoons of refined coconut oil when blending the cashews, this should give the cheese a creamier texture.
Thanks Thomas. I did use acidophilus powder. Maybe I didn’t wait long enough, I think I ate it before two weeks.
you are a genius!!! the only reason i couldnt go fully on a plant based diet was because of cheese! i’ll try this right away! thank you, thank you, thank you!
on what grounds do you base this statement? not all penicillium candidum cultures are grown on lactose.
I would like to know the answer to this question as well, since I am unable to find any vegan source for the penicillium. It is for certain that the one recommended is grown on and therefore does contain lactose. Wish it were not so!
This is a question that I often receive. Unfortunately, I can’t give you a link to a vegan one at this time, if you are not located in Europe. It seems it’s harder to find a vegan penicillium candidum in the US. I would recommend checking the Danisco ones and then check out the documentation to see if lactose is listed as an allergen. They have some vegan ones for sure.
When a vegan penicillium is available on Amazon I make sure to change the link, but it’s not very often and it goes out of stock pretty quickly.
Hi,
I’m ageing my cheese in the fridge and it has been there for 7 days now. The first small patch of mold have now appeared on day seven, which seems about right, right? It had a lovely dairy like smell until 1-2 days ago, but now it is starting to smell different. Not unpleasant, not yet anyway, but not like that fresh dairy smell it used to have. I don’t know how to describe the smell, not very sharp, not earthy or moldy and not dairy.
I changed to a bamboo matt 2 days ago, that i didn’t sterilize. I don’t know if that makes a difference.
How have your cheeses smelled through out the ageing process?
Honestly I’m not sure about the smell, it’s not something I payed attention to. As long as the white mold is growing you are on the right track! (it should cover the entire cheese soon)
About the bamboo mat, if it is clean I don’t think it will be a problem, just make sure to flip the cheese everyday and you should be good. Keep me updated!
Hey Thomas, I’m making both – camembert and the blue cheese – at the same time, aging them in one refrigerator. And therefore I keep them all locked in boxes. It is day 7 now (if we’re counting from the day we blend the cashews, correct?) and no mold appeared yet, on either. They are still very soft, which makes it really tricky to flip the cheeses. Could this be caused by the fact I keep them in boxes instead of just on the bamboo mat with access to the air flow? I know that the blue cheese needs more humidity but is it good for camembert to stay in the box as well? Temperature in the fridge is 10C, I hope the mold will sppear soon. I used powdered cultures but I wonder if it makes any sense to dissolve some more mold cultures in water and spray the surface of my cheeses… What do you think? I don’t want to make them more moist, because like I said – they are still pretty soft, but I’m afraid I might have added not enough powdered cultures at the beginning. Many thanks in advance for your tips and suggestions. Cheers!
★★★★★
Hey Pedro,
That’s awesome!
Yes, 7 days after blending you should see some mold growing. It can take more time though, especially if you age them in your refrigerator, since it slows down mold growth. I had some cheeses where mold grew in 3-4 days and others where it took over a week.
I recommend you wait another 3-4 days and see if the mold appears, don’t spray the surface yet. You should move the cheeses to a bamboo mat only when they are firmer, otherwise they will stick to the mat.
Penicillium candidum/roqueforti is really powerful, I really doubt you didn’t add enough. Just a pinch usually work.
By the way, be careful when aging two different cheeses in the same place, sometimes molds can transfer very easily. It happened to me, I aged basic cashew cheeses (with no added penicillium) in the same place I used to age my camemberts, and they developed a white rind!
I hope this helps, and please keep me updated!
Hi Thomas,
thank you for your response. It is day 13 now and still no mold has appeared on my Camemberts 🙁 I know you said it might take longer to develop in the fridge but the temperature is not much lower than the recommended 11-13C. In addition all of my cheeses are still relatively soft. I could move them to my cellar but can’t really control the temperature there, it changes during the day and might even exceed 13C. I did spray the surface with additional cultures eventually, few days ago. Not sure what to do next…
Is it really ok to keep the cheese locked in the box? I get the impression that the smell has changed, not the pleasant way – it reminds me of some organic waste kept in the bin for few warm days, kind of rotten stench, not too strong but definitely it doesn’t smell invitingly…
Whereas my blue cheese “medallions” (still soft as well and not smelling nice either) turned brownish here and there. I have also noticed some small tiny hairy mold spot, like microscopic sprouts with black heads. Now – how do I distinguish the proper, desired mold from the one we should avoid? I did sprinkle salt all over the cheese and rubbed it into its surfaces.
All of this doesn’t seem right but what could have gone wrong?
Cheers!
Pedro
Hi Pedro,
Unfortunately if you cheeses don’t smell “good” it’s not a good sign and I would recommend not eating them. The camembert should have lemon-y smell, and once the mold has developed it should smell like mushrooms. I will be honest, I have no idea what happened here, I age my camemberts covered with a plastic box in a cellar (with temperature variations), but I know many people here aged the cheese in their fridge with no problem. I will actually try to age them in a fridge next time. Since you don’t have a lot to lose now, I would try to move the camemberts to the cellar, and cover them with a plastic box. By the way, was the water completely cool when you mixed in your powdered penicillium candidum?
Now about the blue cheeses, I’m not sure about the smell. If you have dark/blue spots appearing you are on the right track. The mold appears slowly, spot by spot. I don’t have photos of the mold growing, but check this link: http://www.onetomato-twotomato.com/2015/05/making-blue-cheese-at-home/
As you can see, some spots are dark, blue and white, it’s not looking as nice as the white rind on the camembert (it’s looking pretty bad actually :)). Keep on flipping your blue cheeses, the mold will grow uniformly after a few weeks.
Hey Pedro,
I think I found what might be your problem. I recently made another batch of cultured cashew cream to make my fried cheese balls. The thing is, this time I let the cashew cream sit overnight on a radiator. The next morning the cashew cream was smelling like rotten eggs. I made another one and this time I let it sit on the counter, no problem at all, the cashew cream was smelling good (like fresh cheese). I think the cashew cream goes bad if you let it ferment at a too high temperature.
I can second that. Had mine in spare room that gets a lot of sun. No mould and the cheese smelled awful
Wonderful recipe! I appreciate all the hard work you’ve put into this and for spreading the love to the world.
I hope that you also experiment with some other nuts. Unfortunately, I have to avoid cashews (as much as I love them) because I am unable to digest them. I would love to see recipes like this that use almonds, macadamias, or even hemp hearts.
★★★★★
Thanks for the kind words Gyan!
I’m sorry to hear you can’t consume cashews, I do plan to try the recipe with other nuts.
I just managed to wait as long as I had to to finish my first five camenbert with this recipe. They went out really great. I love the taste and the structure. We soon will have finished them, need to start new ones…
Hey Eva,
I’m so glad to hear you successfully made the camemberts! 🙂
Thank you so much for your feedback!
I am really looking forward to these! Vegan cheese is one disappointment after the next, with unskilled people all claiming the next big thing, but somehow they all taste vaguely like sugar and sadness. It’s a damn shame all the interesting ones exclude those with nut allergies, but this one is so wonderful looking, I did it anyway. Just have to keep my husband away. so he doesn’t die. I’ve got it all timed to serve at my all vegan (Canadian) Thanksgiving in a few weeks. Thanks so much!
I’m in the middle now and I’ve been quite frustrated with the instructions almost every step of the way. The temperature of the room? I know it’s Fahrenheit, but it would have been nice if you’d included that, as I think in Metric (as does most of the world) and wow! That’s one hot room. Some of the key instructions are not included in the recipe – such as how long to keep the cheeses in the spring form pans and even exactly how you put the parchment in the pans. I can’t scroll up and down without losing my place, though I am very cautious with new techniques, especially ones as expensive as this venture. I definitely took my cheeses out of the spring form pans immediately after shaping them, simply because I grew irriatted with searching up and down the pictures to try to find what should have been in the recipe itself.
Hi Renee,
I’m sorry to hear you were frustrated with the instructions. You are the first one to tell me about it, and I agree that some steps might be a little bit confusing.
I made a few adjustments concerning the temperature (obviously it’s in fahrenheit, we are not baking cheese here 🙂 ), and how long you keep the cheeses in the pans.
English is not my first language, so feel free to let me know if some steps are not completely clear to you and I will re-write the instructions.
I really hope your cheeses will be ready for your vegan Thanksgiving! Do not hesitate to ask if you have any additional questions.
Hey Thomas, thanks a lot! I didn’t mean to sound so prickly about it; I am so genuinely excited and impressed with your recipe. I will definitely let you know how it turns out – I’ll tag you on Instagram when they’re ready and let you know how my guests feel about them. Can’t wait to try the blue cheese, too!
No problem at all!
I can’t wait to see your cheeses!
Hi again. Just to say I am on day 2 of flipping my cheeses over. I have a small unused fridge that I put on the lowest setting to keep my cheeses in as it is still hot in my house. I did not cover the cheeses after flipping today…should I have? Thanks again for the recipe and for helping me find truly vegan penicillium!!! Kind regards from Deb
★★★★★
Awesome! If you just missed a day it doesn’t really matter and won’t affect the mold development.
I just managed to finish the work on my first five camenbert. They are jus fabulous. After four days in the fridge, they just taste exactly like camenbert from cowmilk. Will have to repeat it soon. Love it!!!
Day 3 of flipping the cheeses ! Tomorrow is salting day … They are looking good already…
Hey Deb. I am having the same issue you had, I cant find VEGAN Penicillium candidum. Im in Canada but have access to US retailers. Do you mind if I ask where you found yours? <3
I just started soaking the cashews 😀 I can’t wait for this recipe to be done. I’m starting it now so I can enjoy it for get together with my non-vegan friends. They’re throwing a get together for my husband and I since we both have our birthdays at the end of this month. We’re wanting a vegan charcuterie theme so I’ll be sure to report back how it all goes! Thank you so much for sharing this recipe.
P.S. If I come across any questions or issues with this recipe, is your email address contact@fullofplants.com?
Awesome! Let me know how your cheese turns out!
Yes the email is correct.
Thomas,
Thanks for getting back to me! I just completed day one of flipping. I divided the 3 cheeses up (1 plain and 2 flavored with fresh minced chives) last night. Do you think something like truffle oil would work well mixed in to flavor the cheese? I was thinking about doing that to one of the cheeses but was unsure if adding a liquid like that would throw off the firming/aging process.
Be careful with the fresh herbs, remember the cheese will age for two weeks. I never tried but I’m not sure the fresh herbs will keep very well after two weeks.
You can add some truffle oil yes, I would say no more than 2 tbsp for 4 cups of cashews.
How long will this keep in the refrigerator? Can you freeze it?
It will keep in the refrigerator for over 3 weeks, probably even more. I’m not sure about freezing it though, I never tried.
Dear Thomas do you think is posivble to make the proces in a largere vessel , the same with blue cheese (ca 25 cm)
★★★★★
Hi Veronika, the size of the container doesn’t really matter, it’s just to shape the cheese at the beginning.
Hello! For the probiotic is it okay to make your own? I sprout quinoa or wheat berry and then drain and refill with water and let stand for 2 days. Then I use. What is the equivalent to the acidophilus caps you use?
★★★★★
Hey Bev,
Sure, you can use rejuvelac! Just replace the 8-10 tbsp of filtered water with your homemade rejuvelac.
I love the look of the cheeses and have made cultured nut cheeses before but never with penicillin. T his looks much more advanced. I live in uk and could only obtain my penicillin in powder form. How much should I use, both for the Camembert and the blue cheese. Thank you
★★★★★
Hello again, Thomas.
I’ve collected all my ingredients for both the camembert and the roquefort…and am looking forward to experimenting with both cashew and pine nuts for the cheese. I also thought about fresh, hulled hemp seeds, since they are so soft and neutral-tasting.I thought I’d run this by you to see if you had an opinion or had experimented with hemp seeds yourself. Hemp and pine nuts can grow here in northeastern US, so I’m trying to regionalize the recipes. Thanks again for sharing these exciting recipes–what a great thing you’ve done to enable all of us to create excellent, plant-based recipes.
All best, Melissa
★★★★★
Hey Melissa,
I have absolutely no experience with hemp seeds, I’m sorry! I never tried them so I don’t know what kind of texture you should expect. Since they are seeds and not nuts I don’t know if you will end up with a smooth texture or if the cheese will firm up. I would bet more on pine nuts.
I totally understand your wish to make recipes with local ingredients though, I think it’s a great initiative. If only I could grow cashews! 🙂
Don’t forget to let me know how your experiment turns out! I’m very curious to hear about the results.
Will do! Thank you Thomas.
Awesome recipe! I’ve been experimenting with culturing various vegan cheeses myself for quite some time and it’s still a process.
With your cashew and acidophilus combination, I got a beautiful rind, fairly nice texture (even though nothing like it’s dairy counterpart, but that was to be expected.)
What I wasn’t so fond of is the tartness of the brie. It has more of a very tart yogurt finish than a soft ripened brie, so I am still experimenting with other combinations to see if a more soft-ripened flavor is possible!
Have you experimented with other nut and probiotic combinations?
I have several other bries going at the moment that utilize the “curds” rather than the nut pulp and a variety of other methods and probiotics to do the initial culturing in the hopes that I might hit upon that sweet spot eventually 🙂 While that’s happening, I sure get a lot of lovely vegan brie to eat along the way!
Of course it’s always possible that because it is SO hot here, a certain amount of initial “over culturing” happens, too. Maybe that’s why it’s tart? Is yours?
Cultures and ferments go nuts around here … they love it but everything only takes about half the time to be finished, even thought the house is quite air conditioned.
Can’t wait to see where you go with hard cheeses! I am trying those too, but the wait is so much longer, so the results are much delayed! 🙂
★★★★
Fascinating Birgit–when you say you are experimenting with ‘curds’ I’m wondering if you mean using a nut milk culture of sorts? I’ve also wondered if other strains of probiotic would create a less sour taste. Been musing about that…I’m just about to try Thomas’s recipe using pine nuts, and am looking forward to the results. I have a water kefir that might be interesting to try as the liquid probiotic, but I’m going to try the straight-ahead recipe first before tinkering.
Yes, I meant using nutmilks, thickening them by slowly heating them first (almond and cashew will thicken to a “vanilla sauce” thickness when gently heated. Of course that makes them no longer raw, but like with the dairy milk counter parts, sometimes that helps, as you have more control over the cultures you introduce and they are not competing with the wild ones. I found that i get better setting of the milk.
Once the thicker nut milk has cooled, I either made yogurt with it, then drained and pressed or let a mesophilic culture do the job. In the end I always drain through 4-layer cheese cloth, let it drip and then press into a cheese mold with weights. It’s a slower process, but it works.
Haven’t tried pine nuts yet! Might do that next! The buttery texture and flavor already inherent in the nuts might be quite helpful! I’ve also wondered how macadamia would do.
So far only tried almond, cashew, hemp (ugghh NOT a good flavor – very grassy) and a soymilk/cashew combination. And about 6 different cultures and ways of culturing.
Most of them are still ripening, so I don’t know the results yet 🙂
Thanks for your detailed reply, Birgit. I’ve been wondering about hemp!! I’ll be very curious to hear about your results, if you wouldn’t mind sharing. I was thinking that Thomas’s blue cheese process might mask any grassy or ‘omega 3 oil’ flavors in the hemp–might try a small batch. Will let you know if I do…
Thanks Birgit!
I’m not sure what you mean about the tartness, my camemberts were not tart at all, they had a strong mushroom flavor and a very, very subtle lemony taste.
I’m only using cashews because I think they give the best texture and taste, it’s difficult to get a very smooth texture with almonds for example.
I once tried making a fresh almond cheese using a curd method, but this time it was very tart! I’m also working on other recipes, but it’s not ready yet.
Yes fermentation (and aging temperature) definitely has an impact on the flavor of the cheese, if it’s too hot where you live I recommend aging the cheeses in your refrigerator.
Oh yes, my cheeses ripen/age in a refrigerator/wine cooler. The over fermenting I was referring to was in regards to the room temp fermenting of the cashew puree in the time before they get formed and aged.
I may try a cashew version with a much shorter fermenting time and see what happens. And we’re cooler now, so that may help too. 🙂
How long can you keep this in the fridge after those three days?
I mean, after how long does it go bad?
I was about to order the penicillium when I found out they don’t ship to the Netherlands… 🙁
Would you happen to know any brand/website that offers vegan penicillium and ships to the Netherlands?
Thanks a lot!
Hi Tess,
Sure, you can find everything you need to make vegan cheeses on Cashewbert, it’s a new website that is selling only vegan cultures. They ship everywhere in EU and their products are great. Hope this helps!
Question re Koji/Moromi
HI Thomas, I just visited the Casherbert website–great resource, thank you!–and they mentioned the addition of blended koji to cheeses for developing more complex flavors. I’m wondering if you’ve tried this yet, or know how it might work. Thanks much!
Melissa
Hi Melissa,
I haven’t tried it yet but I got my hands on some koji rice, it’s currently fermenting in my fridge and I will try it soon in cheeses.
Hello again! Lots of mould has starting forming on both cheeses – but the camembert has got both white and blue mould and it’s very fuzzy looking.. is this normal? What should the texture of the mould be?
Hey Jennifer,
Are you aging the camembert and the blue in the same place?
The mold should look fluffy/fuzzy.
Thanks for recommending Cashewbert, I just received my cultures!
One other question, I bought vegan probiotic capsules, but they contain pectine from lemon, is this a problem? I don’t think that they are “flavoured” or anything, but just saw this in the ingredients. Moreover, it says that these probiotics are “super strong”, should I still use 8, or maybe less? Can one ever use too much probiotics?
I’m sorry, I have another question since the recipe seems kind of unclear. Do I keep the cashew dough (so to say) in the springform pans for 4 days, or already take them out after a day? And thus you only salt at the 4th day?
I tried to make the recipe as clear and detailed as possible, you remove them from the springform pans after about 4 days in the fridge. If the cheeses are still too soft you can let them 1-2 days more in their pans, no problem at all. Yes you only salt once.
Hi Thomas! Thank you so much for being so insightful, it’s great. I just finished the fermentation process and put the cheeses into their pans (I did not have spring forms so used glass cups with the same shape). I was wondering, do I cover the cheeses with the plastic film too? I covered the bottom and sides with it. When putting it in, the mixture was also still quite wet (sticking to the film a little bit), is that alright?
Thanks again 🙂
Oh and, do I let them sit in the fridge, or in a cellar (mine is about 11 degrees celsius)?
11 degrees is good, but beware of the mice! Cover your cheeses with a box or a grid to protect them.
Hi Tess,
Springform pans are not mandatory, you can shape the cheeses how you like.
You don’t have to cover the cheeses with plastic film if you put them in a box, covering the bottom and sides of the pan is just to make sure you can remove them easily. Yes the mixture should be thick and sticky, it sticks to plastic film, it will firm up after about a week. During the first few days they will be very delicate to flip.
Great! The probiotics I use are also considered “super strong”, they contain over 1 billion microorganisms I believe. Regarding the pectin I don’t think it’s a problem, there is very little chance you will taste some kind of lemon flavor.
Hi, How do you store the finished cheese? And do you store the blue cheese differently?
You store them in the fridge, in a cheese box. If you happen to know someone who eats dairy cheese in your family, ask him to keep the papers that wrap the cheeses so you can use them to wrap yours.
I’m so sad, a few days ago I came down to my cellar to do the daily flip and they had grown some mold (black and red), which I scraped off and I added more salt again to these areas. But yesterday, the mold had grown back again.
I am wondering what went wrong? My cellar has always been under 13 degrees celsius, I salted them when I took them out of the pans (I left them in for 4 days). I kept them on a bamboo mat, and then covered them with a plastic box. Maybe air could still come in from my cellar (which maybe caused different molds to grow). Or maybe I did not add enough salt? Or maybe I should try just to ripen them in my fridge?
I was wondering, could I add some salt at the beginning of the recipe?
Just started on my blue cheese experiment, hope this one will go better!
Hi Tess,
Black and red are bad molds, you were right to scrape them off. Regarding what went wrong it’s very difficult to say…it can be many things. Was your bamboo mat very clean? Are you flipping then with clean material, is the cellar not too humid, etc… Not all cellars are good to age cheese, some of them are filled with bad bacteria. I would advise to age them in the fridge to see if it’s better, you can also put the box at room temperature for 2-3 hours everyday if you want to speed up a little bit the aging process.
You could salt them (the exterior) at the beginning but I find it harder because they are usually very soft and it’s not easy to rub the salt on the surface.
Bonjour, je n’ai pas trouvé de pénicillium candidum liquide mais en poudre et il préconise entre 3 à 5 doses pour 1000 l de lait pour un camembert et 5 à 8 pour 1000l de lait pour un brie mais pour cette recette je ne vois pas comment le convertir !!! Au secours pouvez-vous m’aider??
J’avais penser à mettre l’équivalent d’une point de couteau qu’en pensez-vous?
Merci par avance,
Ludivine
Bonjour Ludivine,
Pour 4 cups de noix de cajou, 1 pointe de couteau devrait largement suffire oui. Même si vous en mettez un peu plus cela n’aura pas un impact négatif. Lorsque j’utilise la version en poudre je remplis à moitié un petit verre d’eau (filtrée ou en bouteille) et y ajoute le penicillium candidum en poudre pour le diluer. Ensuite vous utilisez 7-8 cuillères à soupe de cette eau lorsque vous mixez vos noix de cajou.
Bonne chance !
Hey, sorry for my question (I am no native English speaker), you wrote above:
“The following morning, unmold the cheeses, and place them on parchment paper on a baking sheet. They will be very soft, almost like a cream cheese.”
What do you mean by “unmold” is there a layer around it that I would have to cut off? I want to make sure, before I start. And could a use porcelane forms to make it, or should they be made from a specific material?
Another question: If you heat it, does it melt? Like baked camembert?
Very kind regards and greetings from Germany!
Hi,
I meant removing them from the molds (or springform pans). Sure you can use any form you have on hand, the material doesn’t really matter.
No, unfortunately it doesn’t melt.
This is probably a really silly question……is it ok to use cashew pieces instead of whole cashews? The pieces are much cheaper to buy 🙂
Sure, as long as they are raw!
Amazing article! What does acidophilus feed off of? If it feeds off of sugar, would the fermentation be improved by adding a sweetener? What is the PH level of cashews as I learned acidophilus thrives with a PH below 5? what’s the lowest PH that would be ideal? What can be used to adjust the PH without promoting the growth of unwanted bacteria?
★★★★★
Bonsoir Thomas, Je reviens vers vous après avoir fait vos deux recettes (Camembert et blue cheese) voilà 2 semaines maintenant. J’ai suivi la recette à la lettre et n’ayant pas de pièce à température idéale après a fermentation je les ai placé dans mon réfrigérateur sur une natte de bambou avec des petites boîtes au dessus de chacun pour l’humidité. Je les ai retiré après 1 semaine. Ce qui me dérange c’est que je n’ai à ce jour aucune fleur et au contact du froid ils se sont recouvert d’une sorte de croute marron claire mais je sent que le coeur est tendre… Est-ce normal? Merci par avance pour vos réponses.
Bonjour,
Non ce n’est pas normal, vous devriez déjà avoir des moisissures blanches sur la surface du fromage. Pourquoi avez-vous retiré les boites après une semaine?
En général je garde toujours les fromages couverts, ce qui permet de garder de l’humidité et ainsi favoriser le développement des moisissures.
Je pense que votre problème vient tout simplement du fait que l’extérieur de vos fromages est devenu sec trop rapidement, ce qui a bloqué le développement du penicillium.
Bonsoir,
Je les ai retiré car en faite je n’ai pas vu quand les enlever et du quand je tente un rattrapage full loupage en les humidifiant chaque jour ou je les retourne… Du coup je pense que ma pâte d’origine était trop sèche j’aurais du plus l’humidifier! A refaire 😉
Effectivement il n’est pas conseillé de ré-humidifier les fromages car ça peut provoquer l’apparition de mauvaises moisissures.
Dear Thomas,
I am back again! I made my second batch, this time aging it in the fridge. I think it’s been almost 3 weeks, mold just started to appear a few days ago. There are small circles of white, fluffy mold and also some very light orange spots. Is this okay?
There are no dark/green/black spots, but I am still wondering about the orange spots. Should I wash them away with salt?
Moreover, how did the mold growth start at yours? Like, what shape, and also fluffy?
Thank you!
Hi Tess,
Great! Yes small circles of fluffy white mold are good, orange spots not so much. Just lightly scrape the orange spots with a clean knife and sprinkle with some salt and you should be good.
The mold always grows differently, sometimes it will grow uniformly everywhere, and other times I will just have a few spots here and there. Don’t worry too much about it, in the end it should cover the whole cheese. Place your cheese box at room temperature for about one hour everyday to speed up the process.
Hi Thomas,
This looks amazing! Apologies if you’ve already answered this question, but I was wondering if you’ve tried baking the finished Camembert and whether it melts?
I’ll be trying the recipe anyway, but it would be great to know in advance.
Many thanks,
Lily
Hi Lily,
Thanks! I never tried baking the camembert so I’m not sure what would be the result, I guess it would be slightly softer. No, it doesn’t melt like real cheese unfortunately.
Good luck with your vegan cheeses experiments!
Hi, can I use Inner Health Plus capsules for the probiotic? They have Lactobacillus acidophilus 12.5 Billion Live Lactobacillus acidophilus Bacteria and 12.5 Billion Live Bifidobacterium lactis Bacteria. Because they have a lot of probiotics in them, would I have to use less capsules? The capsules from the link you put in the article only had 1.5 billion live bacteria in them.
Hi Sophie,
I made some tests with different brands of probiotics but never hear of Inner Health Plus so I can’t really help here. I would recommend using two capsules instead of the eight. Then, if after 24-36H it doesn’t have that lemony/tangy taste I would add 2 more.
I wanted to say, “Thank You!” Made this and just hadn’t my first round for New Years Eve’s Celebrations. The taste and texture were amazing, and it was enjoyed by vegans, vegetarians, and omnivores alike. Totally worth the wait.
Awesome! 😀
I’m so glad to hear you liked it, and that even omnivores enjoyed it, that’s great!
Hello Thomas!
I was wondering, if I could use these two ingredients for the Camembert instead of the probiotic and mold you used?
http://www.cashewbert.com/penicillium-candidum.html
http://www.cashewbert.com/cheese-culture.html
I really want to try this for my boyfriend who loves Camembert so I am really looking forward to a reply from you. I hope you are having a great week. 🙂
Hi Katrin,
Yes definitely! I’m also ordering cultures from Cashewbert, great website and Anderson, the owner is always very helpful.
Hi Thomas, thank you so much for all your effort. I am now going to try making camembert for the first time, but I do not have a cheesecloth. Do you think a kitchen towel could also work? Or coffee filters?
Hi Judith,
You’re welcome! Don’t use coffee filters, but a clean kitchen towel will definitely work. The main goal is to prevent the cashew cream to dry out in contact with the air while it’s fermenting, and at the same time to absorb some moisture if your cashew cream is too liquid. If you don’t add too much water when blending the cashews, you probably won’t drain any water, and it’s totally fine.
Hi Thomas,
you were right, finally there was no need to drain any liquid. I tried the cheeses last week and I loved them. Thank you so much.
But, there is a question that remains. My mold grew much faster than predicted in the recipe, so by the time the salt step came, they were already covered. Because of this, I put the salt only on one in order to not ruin both, in case it was too late. Finally both tasted great, but differently! One was very mild, while the other had a slightly sour, joghurt-like taste. None of them tasted salty at all (so I sprinkled some salt on it for eating). Do you have any idea, whether the sour taste or lack thereof is connected to the salt step? Also, do you think it would be possible to add some salt inside the cashew mix or would that somehow interfere with the bacteria or the mold?
Same situation for me, and same questions in my mind. What do you think about it Thomas?
The yogurt-like taste can come from the type of culture you used. Did you use acidophilus or other probiotics? Regarding the sourness, I found out that the moister the cheeses are, the more sour they become. I never tried salting the cashew cream but I would not recommend it, you want salt on the outside to prevent bad mold from growing, and help white mold grow.
Thanks a lot for the advise and sharing the experience!
Hi Thomas, had my cheese in the moulds overnight, the notes above recipe says to take out of moulds after 24hrs but in recipe it says to flip them for 3 days and then remove mould, which is correct ?
Hi Christine,
It depends, you can remove the moulds after 1 day if the cheeses are firm enough to handle, or keep the moulds for a few more days to make it easier to flip them. In the end it won’t have an impact on the flavor or mold development of the cheeses.
Thanks Thomas, took my blue out and starting to mould nicely.
Great! You are on the right track.
You are a legender. Keep up such beautiful and pure talent work mate. Can’t wait to try it out. All the best
★★★★★
Can you update source for penicillin. Link shows out of stock
I think it’s a good idea for us to do some good online resaerch on our own instead of expecting Thomas to to the work for us! Just do a web search and put the time in to find a supplier…
Hi Angel,
At this time there are no vegan penicillium on Amazon, sorry. You might have to buy it somewhere else.
Can Geotrichum Candidum be substituted for Penicillium Candidum? The link that you have posted is sold out and when searching Amazon it kept suggesting geotrichum instead
Thanks!
Hi Rachel,
I’m afraid you can’t, it’s definitely not the same mold. You won’t get the fluffy white rind and it doesn’t develop at the same temperature, plus you won’t get the camembert mushroomy flavor.
Hello Thomas,
I’m very interested in making the camembert cheese, however the link for the pencillium product you provided is unavailable. Danisco offers an alternative: Geotrichum Candidum 17 to Make Camembert & Brie Cheese, but since this my first experiment, I don’t want purchase the wrong product and fail. Please let me know if this alternative will be effective in producing a quality end result. And would the ratio of this Candidum be the same as the other pencillium?
Thank you,
Lynn
Hi Lynn,
Geotrichum candidum is a different type of mold. You would get totally different results and it would not taste like camembert or have a white/fluffy rind. Try to get your hands on some penicillium candidum on another website, be aware not all penicillium are vegan though.
Thank Thomas. Do you personally know of another trusted website I could purchase from?
I have made the cheese and the white mould is forming which is exciting but then I’m seeing the odd couple of green mould growing to. Is this now unsafe?
I would recommend scraping the green mold. Are you aging them in your fridge, covered?
I was originally just aging them in a cool place but now I have relocated it to the fridge and also scraped off the green bits. lucky this has only occurred to one of the cheeses.
Thank you
Hi Thomas,
Thank you so much for all of this work. I have ordered everything to make the camembert and the blue cheese. So very excited!
Do you think that adding agar agar could help with the firmness?
Hi Laura,
You are welcome! Let me know when your cheeses are ready 😉
No agar agar is definitely not recommended, first because it must be heated to be active, and then because agar agar traps the water. You would get some kind of jelly texture and the cheese would probably not firm up well. The best way is to let your cheeses age slowly, they will firm up naturally.
Hi Thomas,
The cheese looks amazing! I’m looking forward to trying it myself. One question though: Do you think it is possible to use rejuvelac instead of probiotic capsules?
Hi Thomas,
The cheese looks amazing! I’m looking forward to trying it myself. One question though: Do you think it is possible to use rejuvelac instead of probiotic capsules?
Hi Maaike,
Yes you can use rejuvelac.
Hey there,
I have tried making this and it ended up smelling like vinegar and wasn’t edible.
Have you got any idea of why this might have happened?
Cheers, Harry =)
Hey Harry,
I’m sorry to hear it didn’t turn out well for you. It can be many reasons…At what temperature did you age them? Did you use only very clean tools/pans? When blending the cashews, did you use filtered or bottled water?
The cause can also be the probiotics, how many billions are there in your capsules, and what type? If there are more than in the ones I recommended it can make the cashew cream turn bad.
Thanks for your reply!
I got the moulds from a cheese making place, so I boiled the water and added the mould, so didn’t need to filter it. I also used the 1:8 tsp of mesophillic.
Should they be in a dark place? Would it be ok to use ramekins? I was using them, perhaps I shouldn’t??
Dark place: it’s better yes, I mean they should not be directly under the sunlight.
Ramekins are okay as long as you have no problem to remove the cheeses from it.
Dear Thomas,
I have fluffy white mold growing on my cheese after only three days unmolded in the fridge before I had a chance to salt the outside. SHOULD I still salt the outside? Thanks for the great recipe
★★★★★
Hi Martha,
Yes you should always salt them, first for better and uniform mold development and secondly for taste.
Thank you for the recipes, I am waiting for a Camembert and have already had some of the young cream cheese. What I have really been looking for though is a Parmesan style vegan cheese recipe. Do you have any ideas for how to start this? What cultures and flavors? I would really appreciate it. Thank you
★★★★★
The thing with parmesan is that it’s aged for about 30 months…so even if some people are very patient and dedicated here I doubt many would make it. There are no added flavors in parmesan, just thermophilic cultures that produce a natural nutty flavor. The other inconvenient is that it would not melt like parmesan does.
Hi, perhaps you might consider an easy vegan parmesan alternative
Well I’m tryin’ it, so any advice you have is appreciated!
Thomas you wonderful, wonderful person!
I finally found the time to try your recipe, and now I have a question: is it important to salt the camemberts before the first mold appears? Because I’m just on day 2 after I put the mixture in the forms and they’re already really fluffy and firm :’D
I hope you’re doing well, keep up the good work! (still looking forward to your washed rind cheese experiments!)
Greetings from Germany,
Anja
★★★★★
Hi Anja,
Thanks for the kind words 🙂
Yes the salting step is crucial to prevent bad mold from growing, improve the taste and help the white mold grow uniformly.
I have to admit I’m surprised you already have white mold after only two days!
Haha, me too! At first I thought “Mh, are those some dry spots? Did my plastic box let in too much air?”, but no, definitely white mold 🙂 I was just afraid I might ruin my precious mold when I rub salt on it after it already begun growing.
But I also thought I killed the penicillium culture when my blender (although powerful) struggled with the cashews and heated the whole mixture up like crazy. Well, now I know it didn’t ^^
But how in the world did you get such a smooth surface on your camemberts? I tried to smooth mine after I put the mixture in the forms, but it just stuck to everything, spoon, plastic film, disposable gloves. I know, this doesn’t affect the taste, but my inner perfectionist cries at this bumpy surface.
I never “killed” the penicillium culture and sometimes my food processor is really heating the cashew cream.
What I do is that I transfer the cashew cream to the springform pans, then place a plastic film on top and flatten it with my hands, and then carefully remove the plastic film, that’s it 🙂
Can they be frozen?
I never tried but just like real cheeses you should be able to freeze them.
I think they will taste better fresh though, you can keep them for almost a month wrapped in cheese paper in your refrigerator.
Hi – I live in the tropics so will have to put the cheese in the fridge. When you say put it in a box – do you mean cardboard box, plastic box? Thanks
Hi,
Place the cheeses in a plastic box to keep some humidity, you don’t want them to dry too fast.
Hi, a plastic box, you can get some with a little stand that sits of the bottom. If you are making both cheeses they will need seperate boxes and be careful when you turn them over I cross contaminated mine had patches of white on my blue and my white had a layer of blue under the white mould.
Thank you Thomas and Christine. I know the type of box you mean with the little tray. Your little story about cross contamination made me chuckle, although I am sure it wasn’t so funny for you.
Hi, Will bottled water do?
Hi Chris, sure!
Hi Thomas, Thanks for this recipe! I have been trying various recipes for vegan cheeses and have not been entirely happy with air-dried goudas, and a brie that has a lot of coconut oil and melts into a puddle in my hot southern California climate. I have made your cheese for the first time and I’m into the second week of aging. The mold is growing in patches, but I read in past posts that this should spread out to cover the entire cheese after two weeks. I couldn’t help myself, I have already sliced into one of the cheeses and had it with fig jam and crackers. It is truly delicious! By itself, I can tell the cheese is not dairy camembert, but on crackers and with the jam it tasted like real cheese! I am so happy, I can serve this to guests even in summer months here. I am going to be ordering the culture for the blue cheese next. Can’t wait to try it.
★★★★★
Hi Sheila,
That’s correct, the mold doesn’t always grow uniformly but in the end it covers the whole cheese, you just have to be patient 😉
The flavor will develop as it ages. Once the white mold will have covered the cheeses, it will slowly penetrate the interior to give it a different taste, so make sure to wait at least a week after they are white before tasting. I hope you will like them!
Hello! Thank you, that looks so great! Were you able to find those cheese making bacterias in a vegan form? I was looking for long time, but all the cheese making starters available here in the US (what I found on internet) were grown on dairy milk base so I couldn’t buy and use them. The only available vegan starter was vegan probiotic, containing beneficial bacteria like acidohpilus from a food store.
Yes it’s possible to find vegan molds but you might have to do some additional research and check the technical documentation for each culture to make sure it’s “dairy-free”. Danisco has some non-dairy ones.
Hey Thomas, really excited to get round to making this for myself and my partner, by any chance once the cheese is ready after the 3 weeks, will it be able to be baked in the oven? It was a favourite starter for us both to season it with whole chopped garlic and rosemary sprigs into the camembert then baking for 45 minutes with crusty bread.
Thanks in advance 🙂
Hi Nathaniel,
Honestly I never tried to bake it, I can tell you it won’t become melty like real camembert though, it might get softer. I would be interested to know the results if you try baking it!
Hi Thomas,
My camembert seems to be going quite well, with exception of some blue mould growing in small spotted areas. Is this natural with the aging process?
Hi Denise,
You should not get blue mould growing, if that happens, scrape it off and resalt the area where you removed it.
Usually blue mold appears when there is too much humidity, make sure there are no water drops in your box for example.
I forgot to mention that Im also making blue simultaneously and think i cross contaminated somewhere along the lines. I was being soooo careful too. Ill try again.
TY Thomas!
x
★★★★★
Don’t worry that happened to me too 🙂 I don’t age blue and camembert in the same fridge anymore, too many risks of cross contamination. But in the end it’s not bad contamination, they are still edible, it’s good mold.
Bit of a silly question but I processed my cashews last night but started to worry I was going to wake up my roommate . My mixture is smooth possibly not as smooth as it could be. Can I try to blend my mixture thats been sitting out again, or will it kill the mold?
★★★★★
Ahhh…never process cashews at night! 😉
You can process it again, I have done it before and it never killed the molds.
Bit of a silly question but I processed my cashews last night but started to worry I was going to wake up my roommate . My mixture is smooth possibly not as smooth as it could be. Can I try to blend my mixture thats been sitting out again, or will it kill the mold?
★★★★★
Hi Thomas.
First of all, Thank you for the wonderful recipes. I was really missing blue cheese and camenbert and am now looking forward to my tasting in about three weeks 😉
Have you ever tried taking the mold from other cheeses in order to become independent from mold suppliers? i know it should work, but I not sure about the amount yet …. and I wonder if it would affect the purity, since a kitchen is not a molecular biological lab!
Greets,
Lama
★★★★★
Hi Lama,
I never tried using mold from other cheeses but I know it’s possible. Regarding the amount you might have to do some research about it, I would probably go for 1-2 tbsp of cheese for every 4 cups of cashews, but I might be wrong. Good luck!
Thank you! I’ll keep you updated.
I have just been (yesterday) to the Roquefort caves in Roquefort, France. They grow their mould on bread (whole wheat with rye) slices in jar with a cork (I guess that lets in some oxygen). They keep it in the cave with the cheese, so at 10 degrees C. When the bread is consumed they crumble whats left and that is their starter culture.
i intend to try this when I get home, but that won’t for a few months.I didn’t learn whether they moisten the bread before growing the mould.
★★★★★
Hey Thomas,
I was wondering what the ideal room temperature for the 1 day fermentation outside of the fridge, in the beginning stages, would ideally be? I ask you this because i live in a country that gets extremely hot and humid temps & noticed in the comments that a few peoples batch has gone off from perhaps the extremely hot weather. I have a wine cooler/fridge and would prefer to be fermenting it under a controlled temperature.
Thank you so much, I love reading every comment and learning more and more.
★★★★★
Hey Denise,
I can’t give you an exact temperature but around 68°-73°F is usually enough. I recommend you taste it after 24 hours, if it still tastes like cashews, let it rest for another 24H.
Also, you should notice a more “airy” texture, with very small holes, and a fresh cheese flavor.
I can’t agree more, vegan cheese making is so interesting! There is always something new to experiment or tweak, wether it is about temperatures, cultures, nuts, etc.
Hi!
Great recipe! Havn’t made it yet but I will be ordering the ingredients shortly.
I have a question. If I added some Tapioca flour or carrageenan to the recipe, would that help in aiding the cheese to melt once heated?
Kind Regards,
Jason
Hi Jason,
No it would not help unfortunately, it might make it more stretchy (and I’m not even sure about that since you don’t heat the cashew cream) but it won’t affect how it could melt.
Hi Thomas, after 16 days has my camembert just a little bit mold on some places and some of them has a blue colour (like with the blue cheese). Is that alright?
I have also blue cheese in my fridge but in seperate boxes and I use gloves to turn them so I think there is no contamination…
I also put my camembert cheese every day a couple of hours outside the fridge because of the temperature (my fridge is a little bit too cold but the temperature in my house is a little bit too warm)…
Hi Barbara,
I’m afraid the blue mold has grown on your camembert. Even when kept in separate boxes, it happens…
16 days without mold is not a good news though, usually within 10 days they are fully covered with white. My guess is that the problem is coming from the temperature, can you change the temperature of your fridge? Putting the cheeses outside of the fridge for a couple hours can definitely help, but if the aging temperature is really too cold then the mold can’t grow well.
Hi Thomas,
I have a question. I started my camembert about a week ago. I didn’t keep them in molds for 4 days, I took them out and just kept ona a parchment paper, under a box, in the fridge. The mold started to grow nice and fluffy on the second day but then I had to add the salt on the 4th day and since then the mold doesn’t really grow. The cheese still have patches of mold from before I added the salt. Today i supposed to transfer them on a bamboo mat but I’m not sure if I should or maybe i should wait a bit?
Hi Maggie,
Well, you should salt them the same day you remove them from the molds. Salting when there is already mold is not recommended, I think it stopped the mold from growing.
If they are not too soft, transfer them to the bamboo mat and wait, the mold should start to grow again after a few days. Make sure to keep them in a container to keep some humidity, it’s very important otherwise the exterior will dry too much and then the mold can’t grow. Good luck!
Hi Thomas,
Thanks a lot for your advise! The mold started to grow again and I transferred the cheese on a mat. I hope it will keep growing!
Thanks,
Maggie
Bonjour Thomas,
J’ai très envie de tester les deux recettes de fromages ! Par contre, dans une optique de réduction de déchets, j’aimerai éviter l’usage de boîtes en plastique (est-ce que ça fonctionnerait aussi bien avec des boîtes en verre hermétiques ?) ainsi que de film ou gants en plastique pour retourner les fromages (là, par contre je ne sais pas par quoi les remplacer). As-tu (je peux te tutoyer ? 🙂 ) une solution pour moi ?
Autre question : également dans une optique de réduction des déchets, je n’ai pas de carafe filtrante pour mon eau, j’utilise un charbon binchotan. Est-ce ok ? Ou vaut-il mieux que je fasse bouillir l’eau que je vais utiliser pour la recette ?
Merci d’avance !
Hélène
Bonjour,
Les boites en verre fonctionnent en général aussi bien que celles en plastique, j’ai même déjà utilisé des bols ou assiettes à soupe retournées pour couvrir les fromages.
Les gants sont assez pratiques, mais avec des mains bien propres je pense que ça peut le faire aussi 🙂
En ce qui concerne l’eau, je n’ai jamais entendu parler de charbon binchotan ! Je ne peux pas te conseiller là dessus, mais si tu fais bouillir de l’eau et la laisse refroidir complètement avant de l’utiliser c’est ok, c’est ce que je fais en général car les carafes filtrantes ne filtrent pas toutes les bactéries.
Bon courage !
This is such an awesome recipe! Thank you!
I’m at day 4 and getting ready to salt the cheeses. So far, everything looks great.
I was thinking of salting the rind with truffle salt instead of regular salt, and possibly adding cracked peppercorns in addition to one of the cheese rounds. Is there any issue with using flavored salts instead of regular sea salt?
Thanks!
★★★★★
Hey Steve,
I never tried using flavored salts before but I guess it will work as well (let me know how it goes!). Regarding the cracked peppercorns I think you should have added them before forming the cheeses because I don’t know what will happen when the mold will grow, maybe it will cover them, I’m not sure.
THANK YOU
I’ve been making non-vegan cheese since some years ago, specially brie. But, even if I’m not vegan nor vegetarian, I dind’t want to develop a hobby that involved ‘using’ animals. Thank you, I’m really happy to have found a way to continue exploring my hobby of cheese-making
★★★★★
Glad to hear you liked this recipe! Good luck with cheese making 😉
Hello Thomas,
Thanks for this amazing recipe! I tried a bit of the cream yesterday, and it was lovely!
I put my cheese into four small porcelain forms yesterday as I don’t have metal pans. I left them in the fridge over night and too them out today and transformed them onto a mat in a box that went back into the fridge.
After reading the comments and instructions again, I am not sure if I should have left the cheeses in the forms for another three days. Is that the case? If so, would you recommend putting them back into them? They were already quite firm. And should I salt them now then instead of in three days if I can leave them out?
Sorry for the questions!
Thanks and kind regards from Germany!
★★★★★
Hi Britta,
It all depends on the texture, if you were able to remove them from the forms, then no problem. I recommend waiting about 3 days until they firm up a bit more because I find it easier to handle them.
Yes salt them now. My reply is a bit late but even if you have waited for 3 days before salting, it should be okay. I hope this helps 🙂
Hi Thomas,
I make cheese with milk regularly but I really fancy making your Camembert. Where do I buy the probiotic powder from. I do have mesophilic culture powder in my freezer. Is it the same? Normally I would add the powder to milk and culture this overnight. But as I want to avoid using any milk products can I just add the powder directly to the cashew nut mixture?
Thanks in advance
Hi Caroline,
Yes, as you can see in the ingredient list, you can use mesophilic or probiotics, both will work.
You add the powder directly to the cashew mixture, at step 3.
So cool. Thanks a lot.
Thanks for sharing your recipe….it’s very kind of you after all your effort!! Since going vegan 3 years ago I have so missed Camembert…I will definitelybe trying your recipe after I manage to buy the all the ingredients 🙂
★★★★★
You are a genius, Thomas! Your cheese recipes are amazing. I made the Camembert but didn’t read the instructions well before starting. My culture was powder and I should have prepared it the day before starting the cheese. So I made the Camembert without the culture and it is still a lovely cheese. Everyone who tries it loves it.
How long do you think it would keep? I’ve had mine for a couple of months and it’s still yummy. I have just started your Bleu Cheese and I am very excited and hopeful because I was a bleu cheese enthusiast.
Thomas, please, please develop a sharp cheddar! That’s what I’m really hankering for. It’s the cheese I miss the most.
★★★★★
Thank you Enid! 🙂
You should definitely try it with added cultures, it really changes the flavor, and who can resist the white and fluffy rind?
They will keep for several weeks if wrapped in cheese paper and stored in the fridge. Regarding the cheddar, I’m not there yet but I keep experimenting different types of cheeses, stay tuned 😉
Hi Thomas,
I have just salted my cheeses and they are out of their spring form pans. Do I keep them covered in the refrigerator? I see that I put them back in the spring form pans after I scramble them but do I keep them out of their pans until then?
Thanks and I look forward to your cheddar!
Best,
-Enid
★★★★★
Hi Enid,
I’m not sure what you mean, you don’t scramble the cashew mixture when making camembert.
Yes, always keep them covered in the refrigerator to keep some humidity and make sure to remove excess droplets in the box every day if needed.
I’m sorry, Thomas. I neglected to mention that I am currently making your roquefort cheese. I will try the camembert again after I finish the roquefort. BTW, my first cheese lasted about 2 months. Took it to a vegan potluck recently and it was a hit! Thank you so much for sharing your wonderful recipes. I know a ton of work went into developing them and it is greatly appreciated.
-Enid
Hi Thomas,
Thank you so much for this wonderful recipe.
I made this for my mom, who misses cheese a lot after going over to a plantbased diet and she absolutely loves it. To be honest, I didn’t think I missed cheese, since its 8-9 years ago I went vegan, but I have to admit, I absolutely love this.
I have another batch underway, but I can see now that I have to double or triple the amount if I have to keep up with demand 😀
I also tried to top it with a little vegan honey and it is freaking awesome 😀
★★★★★
I hear you, it requires planning to always have vegan camemberts ready to eat 😉
Vegan honey on top sounds delicious! I also like to drizzle with some maple syrup.
Yeah I know.
Just bought 10kg of cashews to keep up with demand. The whole family is in awe of how good it is 😛
Quick question: Have you ever dabbled in making a firm slice able cheese, using real cheesemaking techniques, like heating a plantmilk, adding mesophilic cultures, vegan rennet etc?
I’ve seen all the agar agar/carrageenan versions, but they just don’t cut it like a real fermented cheese according to my mother. She is not impressed. To be honest, I have tried a lot of the commercially available “cheese” as well and it is fairly bland and the texture is often wrong…
I did but the process is a bit more tricky and the cheeses turn a bit too acidic very quickly.
You don’t have to use rennet but Transglutaminase and really take attention to the temperatures, you might check Cashewbert website for more info about this process.
Transglutaminase? Meat glue? Well that’s news to me. I will look into it, thanks 🙂
Hi Thomas:-)
I’m trying to make this beautiful cheese. I’ve used 1/8 teaspoon of powdered penicillium, and the mold is already starting to appear on the third day. Isn’t it to quickly?
I’ve used half of the amount in the package, and it’s written that it should be sufficient for 300 l of milk…
I’m not sure if I’m doing this correctly… please help me:-)
Hi Domi,
It really depends, sometimes it can take up to 7 days to appear, sometimes it’s quicker, it all depends on the moisture and temperature.
Vegan cashew cheese making is quite different from dairy cheeses, it requires over 2L of dairy milk to make a camembert. Also, since we are not making large quantities, we are obviously using more mold than needed. For example, if you have a large capacity food processor and want to double or even triple the recipe you can just use the same amount of penicillium candidum.
Hi, is this cheese pasteurized, when making vegan cheeses with bacterias or rejuvelac do you have to worry about pasteurization? Is this cheese safe for pregnancy since real Camembert is not because it a soft cheese and it unpasteurized?
BTW can this cheese be made with homemade rejuvelac? Thank you for your recipe
★★★★★
Hi, no you don’t, it’s a different process since we are not using cow milk here, with cashews there are fewer risks.
Yes you can use rejuvelac instead of water and omit the acidophilus.
Dear Thomas, I am not having much luck with my camembert. I live in southern California. It is spring, so we are having warmer weather than most of the world has in spring — in the 70s — except it might be in the 60s in the morning (which seems chilly to us). I have been leaving my camemberts out on a rack with parchment paper on the bottom and an inverted plastic container as the top. They did get some white but most of the mold is beige. I do not think this is a good sign and about to chuck them but thought I’d check in with you. If you think I shouldn’t toss them out yet, I will put them in the fridge. Mind you, these were started with a chunk of regular camembert. Please suggest what I might do next. 🙁 I am sad, but I will not let this deter me.
Hi Kathy,
I’m not sure to understand, why are you leaving the camemberts out? You should age them in the fridge at all times, or just leave them out 30 minutes per day max if you want to speed up a bit the process but that’s not essential and might not be recommended if it’s really hot where you live.
Regarding the color, the mold should be completely white. Maybe the beige color is actually the rind that is starting to dry out and not a mold.
Did you ever try to use something like a stone grinder to get an even smoother texture of the cheese?
I am thinking of trying something similar, even though I really like the cheese as it is now, I would like to try and get an even creamier texture inside the cheese, without turning the cashews into nut butter of course 🙂
I got my Transglutaminase today by the way and my next batch of cashews are soaking. Looking forward to trying this 😀
I use either my blender or food processor and always get a super smooth texture, I just let it run for a longer time in order to get a fully smooth cream.
Can I just use pre-made Cashew Butter instead of soaking the cashews?
I’m afraid it won’t work, you have to use raw cashews.
Hello, Thank you so much for the recipe !!
I’m at day 4, I salted the cheese, but now I have a question, I’m aging it in the fridge, so today I removed the sprinform, then do I have to put the cheese in a box again but on a mat without spingform or parchment paper ?
Thanks
Hey Lysiane,
That’s correct, you want to keep the cheeses in a box at all times to keep enough humidity for a good mold growth. I usually place them on parchment paper and change the paper every 2-3 days if it becomes too humid. Once they become a bit firmer (after 7-8 days) you can move them to a mat.
Thank you very much 🙂
Hello Justin,
I have a new question, The white mold is growing in the fridge, so that’s perfect but for few days now I have some blue mold growing as well, what does it means ? Maybe it’s too humide ?
Thanks
Hi Thomas,
Could I use a vegan Yogurt starter instead of the probiotic?
I have a probiotic and I used it ones to make yogurt and it did not taste nice, it had a metallic taste.
However the yogurt starter always seems to do a real good job, a little sour but also soft .
Hi Kristien,
It really depends on what your yogurt starter contains, it can work but I would still recommend using a mesophilic starter or acidophilus starter. Most yogurt starters are thermophilic and require a higher temperature to work.
My camembert is growing a mixture of white and grey mold :S more white than grey though. Is this a write-off?
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Grey mold is not a good sign, I’m afraid. At what temperature are you aging the cheeses?
In the fridge (~ 6 C I think)
Although the white is more plenty, the grey is really dark, black-ish 🙁
Hi Thomas –
Your camanbert recipe looks so amazing! I’ve followed the recipe, all except the spring form pan. I didn’t have one so I used a glass bowl instead. I’m on day 2 and I have patches of green fuzzy mold growing and parts of the cheese are turning grey. I’ve been aging them on the counter but have now moved them to the fridge. Any help would be appreciated. I SOO want this to work! Thanks!!!
Hi Jessica,
Unfortunately, that doesn’t sound good…You should not leave them on the counter, always keep the cheeses in a cold room (53°F max) or in a fridge.
If they don’t smell bad you can remove the green mold and rub with salt, otherwise, I’m afraid you will have to start again.
This recipe looks great!! Has anyone tried baking it? I looove baked camembert 🙂
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It is the first time I have made this recipe but my camembert has blue mould as well as white. I have a feeling this is not a good sign? I do have two aged Blue cheese in a tuppleware pot in the same fridge is this normally a problem. I may have to start again?
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You should only get a white mold for the camembert, but if you are also aging blue cheeses then it’s probably a cross-contamination problem. Molds can transfer very easily, that’s why professional cheese makers are using separate rooms for different kind of cheeses.
Bottom line is that your camemberts probably won’t become fully white and will have a mix of different molds on the surface, but they should still be edible and tasty. I would recommend starting again once your blue cheeses are done and make sure to clean your fridge just in case.
Hi, I’m excited to try making this. I am confusing about the flipping whilst they are in the mould. Do you take the cheese out of the mould, flip it and put it back in the mould?
Hi Steph,
That is correct, you can put it back in the moulds if they are too soft. If you didn’t use too much liquid and the cheeses keep their shape well you can remove them from the moulds after 1 day. It’s really just to shape the cheeses.
WOW – I’m so happy to have discovered your cheese recipes! I was directed here by *Kari Eats Plants* on YouTube. She gives loads of kudos to you and shows how she attempts to make your cheese (and it turns out wonderfully!). She said to definitely check out your site and so happy I did. Thank you very much for sharing your amazing recipes.
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Thank you! Kari did an amazing job with her video, each step is well explained and she even made the blue mold starter from a piece of cheese and some bread!
Hi Thomas!
I bought Acidophilus caplets by mistake. They’re hard, and I wonder if there’s any way I can use these for the Camembert? I sure hope so, I already started soaking the cashews before I noticed my error.
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Hi Rosy!
I guess you could crush them into a powder and add it to the cashew cream. Make sure to check how much billions of probiotics they contain, if they have more than 500M per caplets, you might want to use less than 8.
Hi! Thanks for your solution. The cashews had been soaking since Thursday evening not knowing how long they can be left soaking, I went ahead and followed your instructions for the penicillium powder, and the capsules dissolved well, so I went ahead with making the cashew cream. I wish I would’ve waited for your response because I now see that they are “2 billion colony forming units” caps, how is this going to affect my cashew cream? I hope I won’t have to throw it all away . This is the type of cheese I’ve missed the most since going vegan, I hope this batch will work out, but If not I’ll certainly try again, this is too good a recipe to abandon! Thanks
I once bought by mistake a probiotic containing a few billion probiotics instead of the 500M I usually use. The cashew cream turned out bad with a rotten smell, probably because I used too much capsules. Hopefully, you won’t have this problem but it might happen…
Hi again!
The cashew cream doesn’t smell bad per se…just a little yeasty…do you think that’s ok?
Hi Rosy,
Then you should be good! 🙂 Good luck for the next steps!
How the small things in life can bring so much joy! Thank you, thank you, thank you! Can’t wait for the next steps to vegan Camembert heaven!
Hello
I’m really excited to try making this cheese. I’m sorry if the answer to my question is obvious or has been answered previously…. if I am allergic to medicinal penicillin, will I have an allergic reaction to this cheese?
Thanks
Hi Christine,
I’m no doctor or nutritionist so I can’t say for sure, but it seems people who are allergic to the medicinal penicillin have no problem with penicillium candidum, which is a different mold.
Hi. I am trying out your recipie for camembert. My chese has begun to have som mold on it, but there has come some red mold onn one of the cheses. I this a dagerous mold or should it be like this?
Hi Hann,
The only mold that should grow for the camembert is white mold. Red mold is not a “good one”, so if there is not too much of it, you can scrape it off and re-salt the area.
hi there
i have done all as you reccomended but there is no mold. the batch is 2.5 weeks by now but nothing is growing.
i keep it in a plastic box in the fridge because the temputure are about 35 degrese..
should i wait for more weeks?
thanks
Hi Orit,
This is not a good sign and I doubt mold will grow now. The problem might be that your cheese dried too quickly, if the exterior becomes too dry then the mold can’t grow.
If your fridge has a fan, it might be the cause.
hi Thomas
i took the chance and waited for few more days and the mold appeared 🙂
thanks!
orit
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Hi Thomas! OMG I can’t wait to make this! I already ordered the penicillin! One quick question, Im really impatient to make it, however, due to my holidays Im only gonna be at home for 7 more days.
I’m afraid I won’t be able to flip the cheeses daily, since Im away. What would it happen if I let the cheese in the fridge for 4 weeks without flip them? Would that still work? the same question goes for the blue cheese…I wanna really make them tomorrow…thanks!!!!
Hi Marta,
It’s always better to make these cheeses when you are around so you can check them regularly and scrape off bad mold if it’s necessary (it’s rare but can happen).
If you really want to start them before leaving, I would recommend placing the camemberts on a very clean wire shelf fridge rack and cover them with a plastic box. Leaving them in the fridge all the time. That way white mold will be able to grow on 95% of the surface.
Regarding the blue cheese, you can just leave them in a box in the fridge. If you happen to have two refrigerators, then age each cheese separately to prevent mold contamination (you don’t want blue on your camembert).
Good luck!
Hi. I have 12 camembere cheeses in my fridge, but 2 of them have red mold on it. Should I throw them? Or is this ok?
Hi Hann,
Wow 12 camemberts! 🙂
Don’t throw them, just scrape off the red mold and re-salt the area. You should be good after that.
Ok, I’m on round 2 of this and this time there was no mold whatsoever. No white mold formed at all. Thanks for being so patient and helpful! I really want to get this right!
How is the exterior of the cheese? It should not be dry to touch, otherwise, the mold can’t grow. Does your fridge have a fan? Some people had trouble with refrigerators with a fan, it dries out the exterior too quickly. Also, sometimes it can take up to three weeks for the mold to grow if the temperature is too low. I hope this helps, feel free to keep me updated.
Hey Thomas!!!
I know Brie and Camembert are very similar, but I’d like to give Brie a try!
Which are your thoughts on that one? Would you put refined coconut oil in it to increase the content of the fat?
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Hey Marta,
Yes I would add a bit more refined coconut oil, and/or add some raw cashew butter maybe.
If my cheese didn’t grow mold after 2 weeks now…..what can it be that I did wrong….?….
Most of the time it’s because the exterior dries too quickly, if there is not enough humidity the mold can’t grow. The exterior of the cheeses should be slightly wet, that’s why you need to keep them covered in a box all the time.
Just a quick question about the cheese, does it also melt well?
Unfortunately, it doesn’t melt.
Thank you so much for posting this recipe, I can’t wait to try it out!
I’m desperately trying to find liquid Penicillium Candidum but can only find powdered versions can I check that with this “freeze dried” sachet found on Amazon
(https://www.amazon.co.uk/Cheese-Culture-Penicillium-Candidum-Freeze/dp/B007RMS7TA/ref=sr_1_cc_1?s=aps&ie=UTF8&qid=1502698681&sr=1-1-catcorr&keywords=Penicillium+Candidu)
Can I use this as a powder? And is the measurement for freeze dried powder ( as you recipe states) 1/8 tsp ?
Or can you provide a link to purchase a more suitable from of Penicillium Candidum in the UK?
Thanks so much for your help )
Elsie
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Hi Elsie,
I would recommend checking out cashewbert.com They are on holidays right now so you will be redirected to their Facebook page, but I guess it should be available again in September. They have all the cultures you need, liquid and powdered. To answer your question, yes powdered versions work just as well. I usually use 1/16 tsp of powdered penicillium per batch.
Good luck!
Thank you so much for a prompt response, I’ll check out Cashewbert when they are back online 🙂 Can’t wait to make this and impress dinner party guests!
Elsie
Hi Justin,
I wanted to ask if this vegan camembert can be baked with similar results to a conventional camembert?
And thank you for sharing your recipes – they make it easier not to miss dairy!
Many thanks in advance.
Hi Thomas.
The mold on the cheese is growing nice, but part of it is not white but yellow, light yellow. The taste is nice as well, doesn’t taste yet like camembert cheese. It’s bett 3 weeks now, Any thoughts?….Thanks a lot
Hi Vita,
Yellow parts are because the cheeses dried too fast. If there is not enough moisture on the exterior of the cheeses, the mold can’t grow.
What probably happened is that some parts of the rind became dried than others, resulting in the mold not growing uniformly. I would recommend trying to keep them in a more humid place next time.
Thomas, you’re the best!! When I saw this camembert recipe I knew I had to try it. I’ve been experimenting with vegan cheese-making for months now. Though I’ve had great results with rejuvelac and air dried cheezes, they are unlike dairy in virtually every way.
But this camembert recipe is a game changer. I’m at week 2 of the process. My ‘berts are almost completely covered with their white coats. I made my cashew paste very dry, and one of my ‘berts is partially cracked. As you recommended, I covered the fault with salt to keep nasty bacteria away and took the opportunity to taste a piece of the cheeze with rind. I was so surprised to discover that it really does taste like camembert. Yay!
But tell me, Thomas, will it ever become “coulant”, or “fait”? I really like my cheeses on the ripe side, but do cashews have enough fat content to achieve this?
Whatever your answer may be, this recipe is still exquisite. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.
★★★★★
Thanks for your feedback Denise! I really appreciate it 🙂
How magical is it to see the white mold growing overnight? It’s the best part of the recipe in my opinion!
So glad to hear you like the taste, it will become even stronger after a few more weeks.
Unfortunately, it will never become “fait”, it will just continue to dry a bit more. I wish it could have a runny inside too! The thing is, the process to make this cheese is completely different than the one used for dairy-ones so the result is also different. Next time, try to make your cashew paste just a bit more creamy, it will be harder to handle flipping at first but in the end you will have a creamier camembert. Also, more moisture is better for mold development.
Could I ask for clarification on some of the instructions? Towards the end of ‘forming the cheese’ you say we should put the cheeses onto a baking sheet. But, as I presume the cheeses are still in their moulds at this point, what function does the lined sheet perform? If the moulds are lined, and we have to flip the cheese, I interpret that to mean we are flipping it and putting it back into the mould. Is that correct? I.e. we remove the cheese, keeping it in its lining, put a parchment lid on the top, turn it over and pop it back in the mould, and remove the circle of parchment that was previously on the bottom. Correct? So at no point do we remove the cheese and place it onto the parchment on the baking tray until the cheeses have firmed up and are ready to be salted.
Or, do you mean the moulds are only used in the first instance to ‘shape’ the cheese which is immediately turned out, unlined, onto the lined baking tray in order for it to start firming up? Is that why we have to use a plate to do the flipping? Otherwise, again, I’m not sure what function a plate performs in the flipping process.
I’m sorry, but I’ve never tried a recipe like this before, and I don’t want to get it wrong just because I misinterpreted the instructions.
I recommended putting them onto a baking sheet because I usually use moulds without the bottoms, or sometimes stacked round cookie-cutters. You are right, it might be a bit confusing, I will rewrite a bit this part.
If using a springform pan, then there is no need to place them onto a baking sheet. Flip them and put them back into the moulds. Then, after salting you don’t need the moulds/pans anymore.
A plate can be useful after the salting step, cheeses might be a bit too soft to handle with hands, so you use a plate line with parchment paper to flip them. I hope this makes sense. Good luck with cheese making!
Ah ha – that makes sense; I understand now. Thank you.
Hi Thomas! I’m so excited about this! My cheeses have been in my wine cooler at 55 degrees and I went down today to salt them and noticed some light orange areas on the edge of the cheeses. I’m just wondering if its bad? 🙁
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Hi Sally!
It’s not good mold, scrape it off, and resalt the area. This should fix the problem!
By the way, make sure to keep the cheeses in a box to keep enough humidity, even in a wine cooler.
Can’t wait to try this…have just ordered the peniccilium online from Country Trading in Nelson, NZ..deliver tomorrow! yeeyah! this is going to be fun!! 🙂 Will update you on my result. Thanks for the great sounding recipe, clear instructions and great photos!!
I’m wondering if it would be easier (or would even work) to brush the cheese with a salt water mixture instead of sprinkling it to get a more even coat of salt. What do you think?
I’m in the midst of making this cheese and I’m having trouble with getting the salt to evenly sprinkle… it seems like I have to put a ton of salt to get it covered evenly.
Either way, you’re a genius. I commend you for your hard efforts in creating this recipe and it’s a real shame that people are copying it without giving credit to you. 5 stars!
★★★★★
What I do is sprinkle with salt and then rub my finger on the surface of the cheese to distribute it evenly. Using a brine and brushing the cheeses should work too! 🙂
I’m prepping to make this and wonder if you have seen/used/recommend this product?
MAD MILLIE WHITE MOLD CULTURE.
I never heard about this brand, so I can’t say if it’s vegan or not. But any penicillium candidum will work for this recipe.
Hi Thomas!
Thank you so much for sharing these recipes with us! I’m making the camembert and blue cheese, and just moved them into the fridge after their 24 hour ferment. Is there a reason that you use plastic boxes? All I have on hand are large glass tupperware. Also, I’m afraid I made a mistake and didn’t soak the cashews beforehand– their consistency is smooth, but they don’t look quite as creamy-white as your picture. Do you think they’ll still come out ok?
Thank you again!! I am SO looking forward to this whole process!
Hi Anna,
No reason at all, sometimes I also use glass containers. The goal is just to keep the cheeses in a box to have enough humidity to let the mold grow. Regarding the texture, your cheeses might be a bit more grainy, yes, but it should not affect the mold development or the taste, so you should be good! But next time soak the cashews overnight 🙂
Thanks for the amazing recipe Thomas! I aged mine in the fridge as my house is too warm so it took a while but turned out delicious. It was a hit with my dairy eating friends as well!
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Hi Thomas,
I am so happy I found your recipe for vegan Camembert. I ordered all ingedients already and can’t wait for them to be delivered.
I have one question: I have no room with a temperature below 13° so I will have to store the cheese in the fridge. How exactly do I store the cheese in the fridge? A baking sheet will not fit in. Do you have another suggestion? Do I still have to cover the cheese with something like a plastic box? Do I cover the individual forms with plastic wrap?
Sorry for all the questions… I am so much looking forward to making and eating this cheese that I wanna make sure nothing goes wrong 😉
Thank you!!!!
Kerstin
I’ve made two batches of camembert so far. The second time I kept the cheeses in a sealed Tupperware container, with the bottom lined with greaseproof paper, and the mold developed much better than when the cheeses were on a baking tray covered with an inverted tupperware container. I imagine it was the increased humidity that made the difference.
That’s good to know. I’ll do it the same way then. Thanks!
Hi Kerstin,
You don’t have to use a baking sheet, you can use a flat plate lined with parchment paper. Keep the cheeses covered with a plastic box, or glass container at all times to keep enough humidity, it’s essential for good mold growth.
Do not cover with plastic wrap, otherwise, the mold won’t grow. I hope this helps 😉
Hi Thomas,
Thanks for your reply. I have to ask another question 🙂
Yesterday night I put the dough into the spring forms and into the fridge (in glass boxes). So tonight I’ll have to turn them around for the first time. I am not sure how to do that. I am not supposed to remove the dough from the forms right? So I turn around the entire form? The form is not brimful, so there is at least 2-3 centimeters space to the upper edge. I am afraid the dough will slide down and lose its shape and compactness once I flip it. Any advice from your side?
Thanks a lot!!
If they are too soft, then flip them without removing them from the springform pans. I would recommend lining a plate with parchment paper and flipping the cheese directly onto it, it’s usually the easiest way.
HI,
Is there an updated link to Vegan Penicillium Candidum or do they all contain milk?
Love the cheese!
Thanks,
Julie
Hi Julie,
You might have to make a search on Google for that since I can’t keep the links updated at all times, that kind of product changes very regularly on Amazon (sometimes vegan, sometimes not).
Hello Thomas
I’m about to get started with my first vegan cheese! I was wondering: does it have to be filtered water? I don’t have a water filter and I live in Switzerland where the water is very clean.
Should I just buy a bottle of water so soak the cashews? What do you suggest?
Thank you for your answer
Jenny
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Hey Jenny,
You can just boil water and let it cool! 🙂 Usually, I bring a pot of water to a boil and pour directly onto the cashews, this step helps kill possible bad bacteria.
Hello I have made the blue cheese recipe twice now with no problems at all. My partner absolutely loves it. However I have tried to make the camembert twice and have had no mould at all ,until it seems to go off. Would you say this recipe is more delicate to get correct?
I am using p candidium,salting them, and putting them in a tupperware pot on plastic cheese matts in the fridge. So just no idea what I am doing wrong.
Have just read all the comments and you say leave them out of the fridge for an hour a day so may try that. Any other suggestions welcome as I don’t want to be beaten by cheese!!!
Thanks for all your hard work.
★★★★★
Hello Maria,
Glad to hear you liked the blue! 😉 I would say blue cheese is a bit more complicated to make than camembert actually. The thing with penicillium candidum is that it requires moisture to grow on the exterior of the cheese, probably even more than p. roqueforti. It’s a bit hard to tell what is going wrong, but maybe try to add one more tablespoon of water while blending the cashews, this way it will be creamier and moister.
Hi Thomas,
Thanks for your reply, it definitely helps. I have to ask another question though 🙂
Yesterday night I put the dough into the spring forms and into the fridge. So tonight I’ll have to turn them around for the first time. I am not sure how to do that. I am not supposed to remove the dough from the forms right? So I turn around the entire form? The form is not brimful, so there is at least 2-3 centimeters space to the upper edge. I am afraid the dough will slide down and lose its shape and compactness once I flip it. Any advice from your side?
Thanks a lot!!
I started my cheese on Sept 6, it’s the 28th now so It’s been 3 weeks. I’ve been aging the cheese in my fridge in a container, in a drawer, with controlled humidity. I haven’t seen any mold until today. The mold is growing in tiny circles/spots and is furry/hairy, and is only on the sides. Is this good or bad mold? I thought it easy supposed to be more cloudy/mashmallowy not hairy and furry?
Also, I haven’t had the cheese on a mat because it all sticks to the mat. I added coconut oil to the cheese so it would be more of a soft brie, so it’s quite soft and sticky. Is this part of my lack of mold issue? I’ve kept it on a surface covered in plastic wrap that I change each day when I flip the cheese.
Thanks for any answers you can provide!
It’s hard to say without seeing but it doesn’t seem to be penicillium candidum that is growing. Usually, PC grows uniformly (more or less) and in large patches, not in tiny spots.
I would recommend waiting a few more days and see how it grows.
Yes, the fact it’s not on a mat is a problem, mold needs to be in contact with air to grow. Even if you flip it every day, there is still one side that is on a surface.
Did you blend the cashews with water + coconut oil? If yes, maybe next time try to blend only with melted coconut oil, this way the cheeses will be firmer and easier to handle.
Hi Thomas!
Im on my second try of making this cheese (the first time I salted it like 3 times! but then you told me the mistake and I tried again :)).
I’m a bit confused with the response you’ve given to Soda. You said: “Yes, the fact it’s not on a mat is a problem, mold needs to be in contact with air to grow. Even if you flip it every day, there is still one side that is on a surface.”
What you told me once when I asked after the first failure was: “What you should do is place the cheeses on a flat plate lined with parchment paper and cover with a box, plastic or glass, both work. Or, use a large box like a Tupperware for example and place parchment paper in the bottom. Keeping the cheeses in a box is essential to keep enough humidity on the outside of the cheeses. Then flip every day and remove excess water inside the box if needed using a kitchen paper towel.”
Now Im a bit confused, I’ve put my cheeses on a piece of parchment paper and then inside a covered box to keep humidity. Should we then age this cheeses on a mat or on a piece of parchment paper inside a box (flipping them every day). I’m afraid now my cheeses won’t ferment properly because they’ve been aging on parchment paper. What do you think?
Thanks a lot for your awesomeness Thomas and for any feedback you could give me. Im so looking forward to getting results making camembert! 🙂
Hi Marta,
When I was talking about placing the cheeses on a flat plate, I didn’t mean the whole time. You transfer them to a grid or bamboo mat once they are firmer and not as creamy, after about 7-10 days. They should be in the refrigerator, covered at all times though.
I agree this step is not very well explained in the recipe, I will update it. Thanks for the feedback!
You are the best Thomas and thanks so very much for taking the time to reply! Should I do the same with the roquefort?
You’re welcome! Yes, same process for blue cheese. Blue can be flipped every 2-3 days though, no need to flip it as much as camembert.
Ok, so first on parchment paper inside a box. Then when they are firmer we move them to a bamboo mat or grid (Im guessing without parchment paper right?). I just want to make sure to do the process right.
Thanks so much!
That’s correct.
Hi! How long does this cheese last? I mean date of expiry how many days later?
Thnx a lot!
Zoe
Hi Zoe!
It’s in the recipe, about one month in the refrigerator 🙂
Thank you so much Thomas! Didn’t notice.. Can’t wait to try it! (Once I find out from where I can buy in Greece penicillium candidum and vegan probiotic…. )
Hi Thomas,
We started making the cheeses the 21st, had to place them in the refrigerator and they are not totally covered in white mold, but blue mold spots started to appear on the white mold. We removed the blue spots, should we pack them in paper+boxes and let them age for a few days, or let them stay under the tubberware in the fridge and hope they get covered completely in white mold, removing more blue spots as they come?
Hi Vibe,
I would recommend wrapping the cheeses in cheese paper and let them age again for another week in the refrigerator. White mold can also develop when the cheeses are wrapped, just make sure to wrap them not too tight.
When aging in the fridge you say to put them in a plastic box. Like a Tupperware container? Is the container supposed to have the lid on and also do you ever take it out or leave it in the box the entire aging process? I’m going to start the process tomorrow and I’m super excited! Thanks for sharing!
Exactly, a Tupperware plastic box is perfect. Yes, the container must have the lid on, you don’t have to close it completely though. I usually place the cheeses on the lid and cover with the box (so the box is upside down), but that is up to you. You should always keep the cheeses in the box to keep enough moisture. If left in the refrigerator without being in a box, the exterior of the cheeses tends to dry before the mold appears.
Good luck with cheese making!
Thanks for the reply! I have one more question. I’m putting the cheese in the pans tonight and was wondering when I flip them tomorrow does it matter if I keep them in the pans or do I need to take them out and then flip them?
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You can leave them in the pans. Actually, it will be easier to flip if they are still in the pans. After a few days they will be firmer and easier to handle but at first, they are very soft.
Hi, should i use the same amount of penicillium when used in powder form? 1/8 tsp. thanks!
You can even use less than that, 1/16 tsp is more than enough. I’m giving a measure of 1/8 tsp because it’s the easiest way to measure but you don’t need that much.
hi Thomas
i make this Camembert for the past 3 months and it gets easier and better from time to
time! so thanks for this!
But the powder i use is about to run out and i was wonderind if i could reuse the mold from Camembert i already have..
i do reuse the mold from the blue cheese and i take some and freeze it for next time..
can i do the same with the Camembert ?
thanks again
Orit
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Hi Orit,
Yes, you can reuse a piece of a camembert you made as the starter! I tried it and it works, use about 1 tbsp of the rind.
Hi Thomas, I’ve been making vegan cheese for some years now, but mostly cream cheese. I tried another camembert-recipe before, but I have have to say, your’s is working out much better. Thanks for that. I am also on the try with the Roquefort. Funny thing, living in Germany I should have known Cashewbert already, but learned about them by reading your blog. I ordered my mould somewhere else before But did not like that it was liquid. Thanks to you for doing all this work and research.
★★★★★
Awesome! Cashewbert is a great website, they have everything you need to make many types of vegan cheese.
Personally, I like the liquid form of penicillium, I found it easier to use, but taste wise it’s giving the same results as the powdered one.
Hi Thomas,
I’am freezing the penicillium, so I hat to split the liquid which was a bit tricky. And my next batch of cashew camembert didn’t come close to the one I did with the fresh penicillium. So I found it great to get penicillium as a powder (and it works great). At the moment there is blue cheese in my refrigerator and some chickpea tempeh and some smoked cheese is following. Let me say: my family and I are really thankful for your recipes.
Thanks, Katja
Hey Katja, when it comes to frozen liquid penicillium, I usually thaw the bottle on the counter for 40-60 minutes before using. Then take what I need and put the bottle back into the freezer. I can understand you find the powdered form easier to use though. Wow, there is a lot of fermentation going on in your house 😉
Thanks for the kind words!
Hi Thomas,
could you clarify when should the cheese be in a plastic box during the aging process ?
Once the cheese on the baking sheet, should we cover them with a plastic box ? or can we leave the cheese in the plastic box all the time? should the box be open for air to circulate or closed for humidity ?
thank you 🙂
★★★★★
Hi Chris,
Yes, the cheeses should be covered, or in a plastic box with the lid on the whole time to keep enough humidity. I updated the recipe to make that part clearer.
Hi Thomas
Is penicillium Roqueforti and penicillin candidum different strain because I noticed somewhere you have written it as penicillin Roqueforti/candidum. I am asking this because I just made this recipe with almonds and think I put the penicillin Roqueforti Do you think I will have a mess and should just start over.Thanks
I made your blue cheese and that was great.
Hi Donna,
Yes it’s a totally different strain. Penicillium candidum is used for camembert, resulting in a white and fluffy rind while penicilliUm roqueforti is only used for blue cheese, resulting in a blue/green mold. The flavors of each are very different. If you used penicillium roqueforti, then I would recommend following the blue cheese recipe, not this one.
Thank you for all those beautiful recipes. We already tried the burgers, the confit and tonight I’m going to make the foie gras.
14 days ago, I started to make the vegan camembert but it is not quite working because there almost no molt growing on the cheeses and they look very dry. My guess is that I have used to little penicillium candidum. I use the dry one and measuring is quite a challenge. I have a measuring spoon 1/4. So, I used that one and parted that, by hand/sight, into 4. So maybe that isn’t accurate enough.
The cheeses are ripened in a wine climate cabinet at 11 degrees Celsius. So the temperature is stable. The first 4 days they were in the sprinforms in a plastic box in the wine climate cabinet. After that, I salted the cheeses and they were 3 days on baking paper (not in the springforms and not in the plastic box). At this stage, the cheeses became drier and cracked at the surface. After that the cheeses ripened on a straw mat. Now 14 days later there is almost no mold on the cheeses and they look very dry. Any thoughts on this? And what will happen if I use a little bit more penicillium next time?
Again, thanks for all the great recipes!
I used about 1/4 of an 1/8 tsp (or two tip of a sharp knife) of PC powder for 4 cups of cashew, so very little.
However, I let the plastic lid on during all the process and I sprayed a little bit of water on the inside side of the lid each time I flipped the camembert, to keep a high level of humidity. To be honest, I don’t know if it changed anything but it worked perfectly !
THNX Martin. I’m going to try a new batch. Can’t wait
The problem is not insufficient penicillium, but that you let the cheeses get too dry for the mould to grow. You need to keep them covered. Recently I’ve been keeping mine sealed in a Tupperware container, and the mould has been luxurious! I imagine that if you cut off the dry skin the mould will grow on the fresh surface.
THNX Bodhi, I will try that!
Thanks for your feedback Mark 🙂
As Martin said, you need a very tiny amount of penicillium candidum, a tip of a fork is usually enough. He is also right about the humidity, you absolutely need to keep the cheese covered all the time (I recommend using a small container, the larger it is, the dryer they will become). A wine cabinet is good for the temperature, but usually, the humidity levels are too low. So next time, no need to use more PC, but make sure to keep the cheeses covered with a bowl or plastic box. PC cannot grow if the exterior of the cheeses is dry.
Good luck 🙂
Thanks Thomas, Today I’m starting a new batch. Also made your foie gras. Absolutely stunning! Fooled some ‘ real Foie Gras loving’ friends with it. Hilarious!
Again, THNX!
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Awesome! 🙂 Glad to hear you and your friends liked it!
I just made this and I realized I added the salt to the cashews! I read above that it’s okay other than it will be really salty but do I have to add more salt to the outside? I may make more right away as I want it to be perfect! Thanks!
Unfortunately yes, the cheeses will be very salty. But don’t throw it away, you might consider following the next aging steps without the salting step. I actually never tried but it could work.
If you want it to be perfect, then yes I would recommend starting another batch. Good luck!
Hi Thomas! So I’m three weeks into the recipe and I’m aging the cheese in my fridge covered with Tupperware. One of the cheese the mold is spreading fairly well, but the other two it’s not. One has some and the other barely at all. I’ve noticed while flipping the two that the ones having trouble are a lot harder and dryer on the outside and based on other comments I think this is the issue that there isn’t enough moisture or it’s too cold. I actually used more water in the beginning than recommended because the mixture seemed so thick, but is there any way to fix this now? I’ve lowered the temperature in the fridge, but I’m not sure what else to do. It would really be a shame to not be able to save the cheese after all the time and effort I’ve put into it. Any help would be much appreciated!
Hey! At the stage of just seeing the white mold develop but it smells slightly yeasty, is this normal?
Hey Gael,
I’m not sure what you mean by yeasty, it should smell mushroomy.
Really looking forward to trying this recipe – it looks amazing. I was wondering how much Acidophilus you use as some capsules say 60g each and some 90g each. I am wanting to purchase the powder as it doesn’t contain many hidden extras and wonder how many g (tsp) would equate to your 8 capsules.
So I just measured, 1 capsule equals about 1/8 tsp, but you should be good using 1/2 tsp of acidophilus.
I’m on day 5, and it is looking good!! Thank you for the detailed instructions- much appreciated!!
Thank you Thomas. Can’t wait to try this recipe. Many Thanks for your blog and perfecting this recipe for Humanity. Happy New Year will good health, abundance, and joy!
You’re welcome, let me know if you try it!
Great recipe!
Thanks a lot for YOUR suggestions and tricks.
Great job 🙂
I’ll seriously interested to try it!
Pier
Hi Thomas,
Just curious, have your tried making this (or other cheese) with Penicillium camemberti? Google tells me that is the mold species traditionally used to make camembert. If you’ve tried it, what were the results like? Why did you choose the candidum vs. the camemberti species of cultures?
Hi Dominica, Penicillium Camemberti is the same as Candidum. There are different types of penicillium candidum though, some yield a thicker rind and/or have a faster rind development.
This is amazing! I would love to try to make it myself but all the Penicillium I found on the internet contains dairy… is there a vegan version of it?
Yes, there are several vegan versions of it.
After 24 hours I can’t see any signs of fermentation, my mixture was very thick and needed no straining, should I leave it overnight before refrigerateing
It’s okay if the mixture is thick and don’t need any straining. Did you taste it to see if it has a slightly sour taste?
I would say leave it for another 12 hours if it doesn’t taste like fresh cheese.
Hiya Thomas,
On step 2 you flip the cheeses daily, but at this point they’re still in the springform pans.
How do you actually do that, take them out and put them back in ?
Hi Monique,
At this point your cheeses should be slightly firmer, so you don’t need the pans anymore. Remove the cheeses from the pans and place them on a plate lined with parchment paper and cover with a box to keep the humidity inside. Flip every day and always keep in the fridge. You can also use a large box instead of the plate + box on top.
I haven’t made it yet (still waiting for my vegan blue to finish) and I would like to know if this recipe would be good for baked camembert.
This camembert won’t melt like a real one, it will soften slightly though.
Can you explain your instruction in step 11 to not let the cheese touch the metal? Is that because the metal will react somehow with the cheese or because the metal and cheese will stick? I have not yet tried the recipe, but I bought non-stick springform pans. I am going to line them with parchment paper, but I am not sure how careful I need to be.
Why not put the salt in the first step? Thank you
Why we shouldn’t put the salt inside the cheese? A little bit of salt? Will stop the fermentation? Thank you for sharing
It won’t stop the fermentation, but for this specific recipe, you want to rub it on the outside to help the mold develop.
Hi Thomas, great recipes!! I’m not sure if you’re still responding but will try anyway. This is my 4th attempt of this cheese, I’ve had good luck with the blue cheese but my last attempts for Camembert weren’t successful. This time itsgoivbetter, after 5-7 days I’ve started to see mold growing on the cheese and it’s spreading nicely. Today on day11 the cheese is still very soft and it’s difficult to flip it without ruining its shape. I just moved it to a bamboo mat today hoping it will get drier and let the mold spread faster. I’ve seen one or two pink spots which I’ve removed and salted but I think the cheese is very sensitive to unwanted moods since it’s still so soft. I really want to succeed this time and hope to get only the white mold growing on it. Any input at all?! I’ve probably read the instructions and. Moments hundreds of times by now but still feel like it’s so difficult to get it right. Would love to hear any tips or anything you’ve learned since posting this recipe. Your work is much appreciated!!! Thanks a lot
Didi
Hi Didi,
I think you are on the right track. Maybe next time add a bit less water so it’s not as soft. When your cashew cream is very soft, penicillium candidum grows very quickly but it’s true that it’s a bit harder to handle while flipping. If the cream is too dry then the risk is that the mold won’t have time to grow until the outside of the cheese is completely dry, resulting in a rind-less cheese sometimes.
Regarding the pink mold, you did the right thing, it’s not dangerous if you remove it and resalt the area. To reduce the chances of having other molds growing I would recommend using latex gloves while handling the cashew cream and flipping the formed cheeses. By using gloves and very clean equipment, you have very little chances of seeing bad molds growing. Another quick tip: boil some water for 5 minutes, then directly transfer to your blender. Let it sit a few seconds and remove the water. This step will sterilize the bowl of the blender.
I hope this helps, good luck with cheese making!
I’m really not sure this is going right… I have very fuzzy white mold on the sides and nothing on the top or bottom. It’s a much fuzzier mold than I see in your pictures. How can I tell if this is good cheese mold or mold that will kill me?
The only way to tell is to have a bite and see if you wake up tomorrow. Okay, seriously, fuzzy white mold (appearing as patches or spots) is usually not penicillium candidum so it’s an unwanted mold. It’s not dangerous but not the one you want. Remove it with a clean knife and re-salt the areas. To prevent bad mold from happening again, try using latex gloves while handling the cheeses and change the parchment paper from time to time, or as soon as it’s too moist.
Just I what I was looking for!!!
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Thank you, this is an excellent recipe. I thought I’d add a trick for people who don’t need have a room the right temperature in their house. I use a large cooler like you’d bring to a picnic. Place one or two frozen gallons of water at one end. The cooler will stay about the right temperature. You can always place a thermometer in there to check. Every day or two you’ll have to switch out the gallons with new ones from your freezer. Then just refreeze the ones you took out. Don’t just use bags of ice because it will flood the cooler when they melt.
Thanks so much for sharing Rob! Your technique sounds great, I like the idea!
Hi, very good recipe!
Have you tried doing it from cashew powder instead of entire cashews? Grinding them with a coffee grinder, so you can mix well all dry ingredients and control how much water add from 0, instead of soaking.
No related to the post, but do you know how to do almond milk curdle? Thanks a lot!
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Hey ! Good idea ! Will try this for the next batch 🙂
Hi Junip,
Thanks!
I’m afraid it won’t work if you use cashew flour/powder. You won’t have a smooth and creamy texture.
Regarding curdling almond milk, you might have to look into transglutaminase.
Thanks for your answer.
I was looking at transglutaminase, but it’s very expensive and difficult to find in Spain. I was thinking about papain but I believe that is not working to curdle almond milk. Have you tried it?
Cheers.
Papain is completely different, it’s useful to improve the flavor of the cheeses, but it won’t curdle almond milk. Have you checked out cashewbert.com?
Ooh ok. I’m going to check out that website. Thanks a lot!
Hi Thomas, thank you for this recipe! I’ve recently gone dairy-free, and am super missing cheese. I’m excited to give this a go, as well as your vegan blue cheese!
Any chance you might come up with a hard vegan parmesan? I’ve tried several recipes, but haven’t been happy with the results.
Cheers from New Zealand
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Hi Christina,
Parmesan is a hard cheese, in both senses of the word. First, it’s aged for over 12 months, I doubt many people here would be patient enough to make it 🙂 Secondly, it’s made from cooked milk, it’s difficult to reproduce this process with cashew-based cheeses. And finally, it would not melt if made from cashews. I’m regularly testing new cheeses, but it takes a lot of time tweaking each process and ingredients, hopefully, I will release new cheese recipes this year!
Hey! Thank you for this recipe it turned out amazing! I will open a blog/website and I was wondering if I could post the translated (to italian) recipe up there. Of course I would link your website and give you the credit for it 🙂
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Hey Anna, glad to hear you liked the recipe! 🙂 Unfortunately, as stated in our terms, we don’t allow the republishing of recipes.
Good luck with your blog!
Hi Tomas! Thank you for sharing your recipes, they are awesome!
Should I always keep my cheese covered with a bowl? Even when I place them on a bamboo mat?
Thank you! Cheers
Hi Sarah! Yes keep the cheeses covered at all times, it’s essential for a good mold growth.
Thanks so much Thomas!
Please add “for rubbing” upfront at end of ingredients list entry for salt. It’s easy to miss that this is not an ingredient for flavour or texture per se, but more a processing agent to protect and preserve the cheese with. It has resulted in me adding salt directly into the recipe by mistake due to having to read lengthy paragraphs in a fatigued state.
Hi Thomas, thank you again for your generosity of sharing recipes. They’re amazing.
Just to check I’ve got it right with the Camembert – the ‘ageing’ process happens with the cheese in an airtight container – or at least always covered on a plate with a bowl etc. I’m in Australia and the temperatures have been in the 30 degrees centigrade lately, so I have the cheese in the fridge in a glass ‘Tupperware’ type container. Is that ok? Does the cheese need to be exposed to air at all? I can’t see how it’s going to ‘dry out’. Many thanks.
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Hi Clare,
That is right, you keep the cheeses in a container, or covered with a bowl or plastic box in the refrigerator. Your setup sounds good!
Oh it would definitely dry out after 10-15 days if it’s not covered, believe me! And then the mold would not grow because it requires some moisture.
Hi there!
Can I put the “cheese” in a container in the fridge for the agening process to prevent the mold to spread over my fruits and veggied in the fridge?
Thank you for sharing this recipe!
Greetings from Switzerland 🙂
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Hi Leopold,
Well, actually you have to put the cheeses in a container otherwise the outside will dry out. You can use a container, or place the cheeses on a plate line with parchment paper and cover with a bowl or plastic box.
Hi Thomas,
If you don’t turn the cheese for two days, because your not at home in the weekend.. will this disturb the proces?
Kind regards, Anne
Hi Anne,
No it won’t, don’t worry 🙂 It’s okay if you don’t turn the cheeses for 2-3 days. If the mold has already started to appear then you can transfer the cheeses to a clean grid so the mold can also grow on the bottom.
Hi Thomas,
I wanted to touch base with you about an issue I’m having, just to see if you’ve experienced it as well. I made two recent batches of camembert using mesophilic culture. The first time, the cheeses had an essence of blue cheese in the flavor, but no sign of blue mold and a strong camemberti skin. I made another batch with meticulous attention to no cross contamination, since I’ve made blue cheese in the past (not recently). And the same issue for all 3 cheeses–they had a blue cheese smell but no sign of blue mold. I thought the mesophilic culture might have caused this, or might be contaminated. I can’t figure out why this is happening, since previous camemberts I’ve made have had none of this roqueforti accent, just a deep mushroomy flavor. Any thoughts? Thanks again1! Melissa
Hi Melissa,
I never had this problem and honestly, I have absolutely no idea why you are getting a blue cheese flavor in your camemberts. The only thing that is coming to my mind would be that your mesophilic culture has some penicillium roqueforti in it, and penicillium candidum is growing on the cheese before the PR has the time to appear so you don’t see any blue mold. Do you use the same measuring tool when you add the different cultures to the cashew cream? Maybe you measured a teaspoon of penicillium roqueforti before measuring the mesophilic culture so “contamination” happened. I would recommend buying mesophilic again and make another batch to see if that is the problem.
penicillium candidum is not vegan
Yes? Any links or studies that come with this false statement? Vegan penicillium candidum exists, you just have to find one that is not grown on lactose. Please read the note at the end of the article, just above the recipe, I explained a bit more about it.
Hi, these look so good, will try and make some, how long do they last? stored in the fridge
Hi Glenda, thanks! As stated they last for about one month in the refrigerator.
Hi Thomas,
When did you posted your recipes? (What date)
I would like to know for the vegan camembert and the vegan roquefort.
Thanks!
Hi Anne,
It was over a year ago, why does it matter?
Hi Thomas. I’m lactose intolerant and just discovered this recipe on Pinterest. I’m going to get all the ingredients and attempt to make my own. It seems a little daunting, but wish me luck!
Good luck Michael! It’s not that complicated 🙂
Hi Thomas!
I started to do camembert and blue cheese on February 27th and I still cannot see any mold. About Camembert, you write this: After 7 days, they should be a little bit harder and you should be able to place them on a bamboo mat.
Flip them everyday for the next week. The mold will appear after 5-7 days and continue to grow until they are fully covered with a white rind.
After 2 weeks, wrap the cheeses in parchment paper or cheese paper and place them in the refrigerator for at least 2 days.
My question is: the mold will appear after 5-7 day from the moment the cheese is on the bamboo mat? After 2 weeks is to intend from the beginning (in my case 02.27) or from the day I put the cheese on the bamboo mat?
Furthermore. Should the cheese stay all the time covered or not?
Btw, I did it in the fridge.
Thank you for answer!
Giulia
Hi Giulia,
The mold usually appears after at least 7 days but can take up to 2 weeks before appearing depending on the humidity and temperature. If you are aging in the refrigerator, then it can take a bit longer. Try setting your fridge at the highest temperature (usually 10-12°C). Yes, cheeses should stay covered all the time (or in a box) as stated in the recipe.
Thomas, the penicillium candidum you posted isn’t vegan.
Efraim, please check the note at the end of the article, I explain more about this 🙂
I read it. I just think that you should not redirect people to a non vegan product on a vegan recipe. most people won’t read the whole article and they might buy the non vegan one.
which one do you use? Can’t I produce it by my own?
If you are located in Europe, check out cashewbert.com, otherwise you will have to do your own research to find a vegan version in your country.
Can’t I make it myself?
Hi Thomas,
First let me tell you how great I think your site is! I am in the middle of trying the camembert recipe but I’m finding the aging directions a little confusing. My cheeses were firm enough after day 1. After blending I placed them in spring form pans lined with plastic wrap and let them culture in the refrigerator for 24 hours. Next I took them out of the spring form, placed them on parchment on a cookie sheet, covered them with a plastic container, and have been flipping them once per day for the past 3 days. Was I supposed to leave them in the spring form pans for 2 weeks before doing this or is the two weeks only if they are in the refrigerator? Should I now rub them with salt as it’s day 4 or wait until two weeks have past?
Thanks for clearing this up and keep up the awesome work!!!
Kelly
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Hi Kelly,
Thanks! Your cheeses should not be too firm after only one day, they should still be soft otherwise you might run into problems during the aging process. If the cheeses are too dry the mold will have trouble growing as it requires moisture. I’m not sure you followed the exact steps, you have to let it culture at room temperature the first 24-48 hours. Then place them in springform pans. The springform pans are just here to shape the cheeses, I recommend removing them once you have salted the cheeses (step 3), which should be done after 3-4 days, not two weeks.
Placing the cheeses on parchment paper and covering with a plastic container is good, it should keep enough moisture inside.
Good luck!
Amazing! We have now made this, the blue cheese, and the ash Camembert is coming along in the fridge.
Thank you so much for sharing. We have really enjoyed the process and the results are delicious. Our cheese eating friends are equally amazed. Thank you again!
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I’m so glad you and your friends liked the recipe! 🙂 Thanks for the feedback and kind words Crystine!
Can I use a mix of almonds and Cashews? Have tried cashew cheeses in the past and never liked the full on cashew taste.
I doubt you will taste the cashew flavor honestly, especially since these are cultured and aged for several weeks. I’m not sure about the mix of almonds and cashews but I think it could work.
I’m on day 9 of this recipe. My cheeses have most of their mold, with a few patchy sections. I’m hoping they’ll cover up soon. But my problem is flipping the dang things. I have them on a bamboo mat and they just love to stick to it. The mat is a little moist from being under the dome so that’s not helping. Any suggestions? I could also put these on a coated-metal cookie cooling rack. But it has a 1 cm square grid, so I’m worried it will stick even more!
Thanks for the recipe, I’m really having fun with my cheeses.
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I used a tule style clothe to prevent the cheese from sticking to the the mat