Parmigiano-reggiano Valserena Recipe

Time12h

Serves100

Cow’s Milk, DOP, Emilia Romagna

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Ingredients

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1
Heat the Milk
Pour 10 liters of cow's milk into a large pot and slowly heat it to 32°C (90°F) over medium heat. Stir gently to ensure even heating.
2
Add Cultures
Once the milk reaches 32°C, add 5 tablespoons of cheese cultures to the milk and stir gently for 1-2 minutes. Allow the milk to ripen for 30 minutes, maintaining the temperature.

3
Add Rennet
Dissolve 0.5 teaspoons of rennet in a small amount of cool, non-chlorinated water. Stir the rennet into the milk for approximately 30 seconds, then stop stirring and allow the milk to sit undisturbed for 45 minutes.
4
Cut the Curd
After the curd has formed, use a long knife to cut it into small cubes (about 1 cm). Allow it to rest for 5 minutes.

5
Cook the Curd
Gently heat the curds to 54°C (130°F) over the course of 30 minutes, stirring gently to prevent them from clumping together.
6
Drain the Curd
Once the curds have reached the desired temperature, pour everything into a cheesecloth-lined colander to drain whey. Gather the cheesecloth and allow it to drain for 30 minutes.

7
Mold the Cheese
Transfer the drained curds to a cheese mold. Press the curds into the mold using a cheese press to form a solid wheel. Apply pressure gradually over 15 minutes.
8
Salting the Cheese
After pressing, remove the cheese from the mold and rub 0.5 cups of salt over the entire surface of the cheese. Allow it to rest at room temperature for 24 hours, flipping it every 6 hours.

9
Age the Cheese
Transfer the salted cheese to a cool, humid environment (ideally 10-12°C / 50-54°F) and allow it to age for a minimum of 12 months. Turn the cheese every 1-2 weeks and ensure it is kept clean.