Brie Mine

Happy Valentine's day! 

Have a great weekend!

Cheese making kit via Make Cheese Shop

Ripeness

Beautifully ripe wedge of Brie. Check out at that oozy goodness.

Image via Binnorie Dairy 

For the upcoming holiday party you might decide that you're going to bring a cheese platter. Awesome. But, to ensure a spectacular cheese experience, make sure that your cheese is ripe! This goes for soft-ripened cheeses (with the fluffy white rind) like brie and camembert. To measure ripeness, take the wheel of cheese and gently give it a push. If it gives, then it's ripe and if it feels stiff, it's not. Don't worry, cheese that's not ripe is still very delicious, just not as creamy.  If you're purchasing a wedge rather than a wheel, you can usually tell if the cheese is ripe if the interior (paste) of the cheese slightly oozes out. Wheels that are cut into wedges do not continue to ripen.

*Be careful! There's such thing as overripeness. If you find that your cheese is overripe, 
throw it out!
Signs of an overripe brie or camembert:

-Ammoniated scent
-Astringent flavor, slight burn on the tongue

What's the Difference? {Brie & Camembert}

Authentic Brie and Camembert are AOC protected cheeses, are creamy, and have white rinds known as bloomy rinds. They appear identical in appearance and texture, but what's the difference?

Authentic Brie comes from  Ile de France and made in 1,2,3, and 6 pound wheels.

Its flavor is a bit more fruitier and not as earthy (reminiscent of mushrooms) as camembert.  Brie is said to be a favorite of Charlemagne!

Authentic Camembert comes from Normandy. It's made in smaller 8 ounce wheels. And because of it's compact size, it matures faster than Brie does.

 When making Camembert, cheesemakers retain moisture through minimal cutting of the curd, before scooping it with a deep, perforated ladle. This is the reason for Camembert's rich, dense interior. It's aromatic and earthier in flavor. 

photography credits: camembert le chatelain via amazon, brie via cheese cupid