Description
PROVOLONE DEL MONACO PDO
It is a semi-hard cheese seasoned and produced exclusively with raw cow’s milk, of which at least 20 % is obtained from Agerolese cattle and 80 % from different breeds (Frisona, Bruna Alpina, Pezzata Rossa, Jersey, Podolica) bred exclusively in the production area.
The milk is curdled for 40-60 minutes, then the kid’s rennet paste or natural liquid calf rennet is added. Once the curd has reached the desired consistency, it is broken into grains the size of a corn grain and left to rest for 20 minutes. The curd is then heated to 48-52 ° C and left to rest for 30 minutes, after which it is removed from the whey and replaced in hemp cloths or perforated baskets.
When the cheese is elastic enough, it is cut into strips of various sizes and spun. The cheese is shaped by hand with the addition of water, at a temperature of 85-95 ° C. The shapes are hardened in cold water and salted in brine, before being tied in pairs and hung to dry by special scaffolding for 10-20 days.
The cheese is then left to mature for at least six months in environments with a temperature between 8 ° C and 15 ° C. During this period, the cheeses are only washed and the mold is removed; it is also possible to brush the forms with PDO Peninsola Sorrentina extra virgin olive oil.
