Every day 8000 litres of our milk is transformed into 15 wheels of organic Parmigiano Reggiano. In our farm shop you can also taste an exclusive selection of some of the other dairy products we make, e.g. butter and ricotta.
Parmigiano Reggiano is not manufactured, it is made according to a nine-century-old tradition with only four simple, natural ingredients: high-quality local milk coming from the designated production area, our own precious starter whey, rennet, and salt. Such ingredients are combined by the expertise of our cheesemakers using modern technologies.
How milk turns into Parmigiano Reggiano
Raw milk is processed in our dairy within two hours after the milking process. Whole milk from the morning milking gets mixed in copper-lined vats together with the naturally skimmed milk of the previous evening’s milking.
Then starter whey from the previous day is added to the milk in order to support the natural fermentation process. After adding calf rennet, the mixture is left to curdle. Neither additives nor extra cultures are used during the cheesemaking process. In fact, Parmigiano Reggiano is one of the few PDO cheese types which is entirely natural.
The compacted curd is then broken up by hand into smaller pieces using a traditional rod (“spino”). The temperature is then raised to 55°C (131°F) under the supervision of the cheesemakers. After about an hour the compacted curd is collected in a piece of cheesecloth, then it gets halved and placed in two molds (“fascere”). We produce 15 wheels of organic Parmigiano Reggiano every day.
At about 11 AM the cheesemakers put a belt around the cheese with the Parmigiano Reggiano stamp and producer's marks of origin to enable product tracking. The imprints take hold on the rind of the cheese in about two days and the wheels are then put into a brine bath to absorb salt for 20 days.
Then starter whey from the previous day is added to the milk in order to support the natural fermentation process. After adding calf rennet, the mixture is left to curdle. Neither additives nor extra cultures are used during the cheesemaking process. In fact, Parmigiano Reggiano is one of the few PDO cheese types which is entirely natural.
The compacted curd is then broken up by hand into smaller pieces using a traditional rod (“spino”). The temperature is then raised to 55°C (131°F) under the supervision of the cheesemakers. After about an hour the compacted curd is collected in a piece of cheesecloth, then it gets halved and placed in two molds (“fascere”). We produce 15 wheels of organic Parmigiano Reggiano every day.
At about 11 AM the cheesemakers put a belt around the cheese with the Parmigiano Reggiano stamp and producer's marks of origin to enable product tracking. The imprints take hold on the rind of the cheese in about two days and the wheels are then put into a brine bath to absorb salt for 20 days.
The ageing process or why age matters
After 21 days the wheels of cheese are put into aging rooms for at least 12 months. Expert master graders of the Consorzio del Parmigiano Reggiano carry out a quality check of every wheel at 12 months to make sure its compliance with product specifications. A hammer test is also part of the quality check: The sound of every wheel is tested by tapping on it with a small hammer in order to assess the quality of the cheese. This is a crucial moment in the ageing process since the wheels get graded.
There are three possible results of the test: The wheels which don’t pass the test are stripped of all markings on the rind to erase the Consorzio’s logo and get sold separately. The ones with some minor defects (“second-grade”) get heat-branded with the Consorzio's certification mark, but also get some parallel grooves the whole way around the rind - such wheels age for a maximum of 18 months. The defect-free wheels are also heat-branded with the certification mark of the Consorzio, however, they continue the ageing process for up to 24, 36, or 48 months.
There are three possible results of the test: The wheels which don’t pass the test are stripped of all markings on the rind to erase the Consorzio’s logo and get sold separately. The ones with some minor defects (“second-grade”) get heat-branded with the Consorzio's certification mark, but also get some parallel grooves the whole way around the rind - such wheels age for a maximum of 18 months. The defect-free wheels are also heat-branded with the certification mark of the Consorzio, however, they continue the ageing process for up to 24, 36, or 48 months.
