Parmigiano Reggiano is a hard, fragrant cheese produced in Northern Italy, that is often grated over soups, salads and pasta.
True Parmigiano Reggiano cheese is only made in certain parts of Northern Italy. The name, Parmigiano Reggiano, is certified in Italy and protected under European law. However, you can make your own Parmigiano Reggiano-style cheese at home, with the correct supplies, time and lots of patience.
Instructions
Making the Cheese
1. Combine one part whole raw milk with one part partially skimmed raw milk. Add the whey starter. Use the amount of whey starter recommended by the producer for the amount of milk used.
2. Heat the milk to 95 degrees Fahrenheit in the large pot. Monitor the milk's temperature with the thermometer.
3. Add the calf rennet, and let cook for 10 to 12 minutes. Use the amount of rennet recommended by the manufacturer for the amount of milk used.
4. Use the potato masher to break the curds into small pieces, about the size of a grain of rice.
5. Raise the milk's temperature to 130 degrees Fahrenheit. Leave the curds to settle for another 30 to 60 minutes.
6. Use the wooden spoon to lift the resulting cheese ball from the pot, and wrap it in a piece of muslin. Pat the cheese into a rounded shape.
7. Tie the muslin containing the cheese around the rod and suspend it over the pot, allowing the cheese to drain for about 10 to 12 minutes. Do not turn off the pot, as the heat will help keep the bacilli (a type of bacteria) in the cheese alive.
8. Place the cheese, still wrapped in muslin, in the mold and tighten the buckle. Let sit for one to two days at room temperature. Then reopen the mold, remove the muslin and cover the cheese in the food-safe plastic. Traditionally, this plastic is stenciled with the location and date the cheese was made. Close the mold. Let the cheese sit for another 24 hours.
9. Mix a saltwater bath for the cheese in the plastic bucket. Mix the solution so the water is as salinated as possible. Remove the steel mold and place the cheese wheel in the saltwater bath. Replace the lid and let the cheese soak in the saltwater bath for three weeks.
Aging the Cheese
10. After the brining, pat the cheese dry with muslin and move it to the aging room. The aging room should be kept between 60 degrees Fahrenheit and 70 degrees Fahrenheit, at 90 percent humidity, on a flat shelf or other wooden surface.
11. During the first two weeks of aging, the cheese should be turned (flipped upside-down) twice per week. After that, the cheese should be turned weekly. The aging shelf should also be cleaned during turning.
12. Allow the Parmesan Reggiano to age for 12 months, or up to three years, in this controlled setting.
13. When the cheese has matured to your liking, remove the plastic coating before eating. Enjoy grated over pastas, salads, and soups, or whole with wines, fruits, and breads.
Tags: degrees Fahrenheit, Parmigiano Reggiano, saltwater bath, aging room, amount milk, amount milk used, cheese should
