Parmesan cheese is one of the most famous cheeses in the world. Its history dates back to the 11th-12th century. It comes from northern Italy, near Parma and Reggio Emillia. It is made from skimmed cow's milk, making it hard and suitable for friction. In Italy, traditionally eaten to this day with pasta and ravioli. This cheese matures for a minimum of a year, although you can find rings ripening for up to 10 years.

At home, it is one of the easiest to produce. It is pressed under relatively small pressures (about 10 kg of pressure per 1 kg of cheese), the curd is not rinsed, it is not kneaded, etc. The only and most important task of the cheese maker is slow heating of the grain and continuous mixing to obtain a characteristic granular and brittle texture.

Homemade Parmesan cheese can be made from full-fat milk straight from the cow. Then it will be slightly more flexible, ideal for cutting, for sandwiches, for snacks and as an addition to wine or beer. Over time, it will get harder and become a hard cheese after a year of maturing in a basement or other cool place.

The addition of natural lipase to milk or the production of a mixture of cow's and goat's milk makes the cheese taste sharper, spicier. Just a few months of aging to bring out the great taste.

Production of Parmesan cheese at home is as follows:

1. The "PG" starter culture should be added to milk at a temperature of about 32-33 ° C. If it is pasteurized milk from the store, you should also add a special salt - calcium chloride. Mix thoroughly and add the right amount of rennet, mix again and set aside for half an hour to an hour - observe the curd.


our 1.5-year-old daughter stirs the curd

2. Cut the curd with a knife or a special harp into cubes about 0.5-1 cm.

3. Stirring constantly, slowly (by 2 degrees Celsius for 5 minutes) raise the milk temperature to 37-38 degrees C.

4. Increase the heating power slightly and continue stirring. Raise the temperature by 3 degrees Celsius for 5 minutes to reach 51 degrees C. At this point, the grain should be the size of rice and creak slightly when you bite it. Let stand for 5-10 minutes.

5. Transfer the curd into a mold (it must be a mold with an ironing lid) lined with cheese cloth. If you use a micro-perforated mold, you do not need to use a cheese cloth. The first pressing step should be carried out with a pressure of 2.5 kg per kilogram of cheese for 15 minutes.

6. The next stage is turning the cheese over and pressing for 30 minutes under a pressure of 5 kg per kilogram of cheese.

 

 

7. The cheese should be turned over again and pressed under a pressure of 7.5 kg per kilogram of cheese for about 2 hours.

8. The last stage is long pressing at room temperature for 12 hours under a pressure of 10 kg per kilogram of cheese. During this time, the bacteria will give the right acidity, the curd will get firm, the remaining whey will be squeezed out and a protective crust will form. This is a very important stage, thanks to which the cheese is prepared for months of ripening.

9. The next stage is salting out the cheese in 18-20% brine. It should last about one day for 1 kilo cheese at room temperature. Larger cheeses are subjected to brine for longer.

 

10. The last stage is maturing. The optimal temperature is around 12 degrees Celsius, but at home, each of the 8-15 range will be fine. Remember to turn the cheese frequently so that it dries evenly and does not rot. After a few weeks, it's a good idea to rub the cheese with olive oil so that it doesn't dry out too much. Occasional mildew on the surface of the cheese is normal. It should be removed with a brush or a cloth soaked in brine, or in extreme cases where the mold has grown - with vinegar.

After 2-3 months of maturing cheese has quite a nice taste, it is suitable for cutting.

Over time, the taste will get sharper and the cheese harder.

Tasty!