How Is Provolone Cheese Made?
Separating the Whey
To make any kind of cheese, milk must first be separated into curds and whey. This is done by adding a thermophilic culture, a type of bacteria, to several gallons of milk. The culture for provolone usually includes s. thermophilus, d.s.lactis, helveticus and maltodextrin. The milk and culture are put into steel vats and allowed to ripen for an hour. Lipase enzymes and rennet are then added to the pot, which make the milk look very much like it has curdled. Within half an hour, the milk "sets," meaning that the hard curds separate out from the liquid whey.
Cutting and Agitation
After the curds are set, they must be cut using a knife. A sharp knife is run through the curds, cutting them into small blocks, much like cutting a cake. The pot is agitated or stirred for about 10 minutes, and then heated slightly to about 39 degrees F. They are stirred 10 more minutes, and then settled for 5 minutes. At this point, some of the whey is poured out, and agitation begins again. The stirring changes the pH level and is essential for forming the flavor. After the pH of the whey reaches a level of about 6.1, the remaining whey is poured out.
Curds into Cheese
The curds are then formed into a slab. The slab is cut into blocks and turned every 15 minutes until the pH level reaches 5.4. A mechanical stretcher is sometimes used, or the curds are hand pulled. They are placed into 77 degree F water and will naturally begin to stretch. The curds are pulled and stretched into desirable shapes for cheese; provolone is most often formed into cylinders. Once the cheese has been shaped, it is dropped into cold water to set.
Aging
The cheese block must be soaked in brine to create a rind. This process can last just a few hours for small blocks, or a few days for large blocks. Once the brine has set into the outer layer, the cheese is wrapped with twine and hung. It can be smoked or simply hung to age. A light-flavored provolone must be aged for at least three months in a cool room. Sharp cheeses are hung and aged for 12 months, or more.
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