Vegan Camembert:
Vegan Camembert also knows as a delicious dairy-free cheese which replicates the smooth traditional Camembert cheese. If you are looking for a vegan cheese alternative or a plant-based cheese option, this recipe is ideal for a vegan cheese board giving the gourmet touch to your vegan appetizers. It is easy to make and it is also made with simple, whole food ingredients, this dairy-free Camembert is not only vegan but also gluten-free and nut-free, making it a versatile addition to a variety of diets. Whether you’re preparing a vegan charcuterie board or looking to elevate your vegan recipes, this vegan Camembert will be the star of your meal.
Ingredients:
200 gr raw no salt Cashew nuts or any nut of choice.
1/8 tea spoon of Penicillium candidum
1/8 of mesophilic culture or thermophilic.
50 ml of water.
Method:
soak the nuts overnight or at least 6 hours. Wash it in warm water (to make the nuts lukewarm) and put it in a food processor or blender mixer. Put half the water, and add the cultures and blend it until becomes a paste. You can add the water slowly, just to help the blending. But not a lot of water, it needs to be a paste like texture.
If you have a cloth, put it in a small container and put this paste on it to shape. Next day, with a lot of care, remove the cloth and place the cheese in a bigger container, sprinkle a bit of salt on top. Use baking or vegetable paper under the cheese, it help to moving. You need to turn it everyday, so the mould grows evenly. It needs to be kept in a cool place, ideal temperature something between 8 and 11 Celsius. But if you place it in the fridge bottom (it is less cold) it also works. In less then one week you see the white layer, but let it about 10 days to dry a bit and get harder. Some people leave it 4 weeks. Everyday you can smell and check if everything is going ok.
Important, the two main ingredients in cheese making is patience and hygiene haha. Remember it is a living food, and it’s easy to get contamination. Hands and kitchenware very clean are a must.
I’m a foreign, so forgive my grammar lol.
Tips: if using thermophilic culture you need to warm up the nuts at 45°C. You can use a bain Marie pot. Mesophilic is 30-35° C. Enjoy
