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Cheese from Italy, Toscana

Pecorino del Parco di Migliarino-San Rossore

Milk of park sheep, fed mainly on pasture, is warmed to 35 °C, spun in a centrifuge at 7,000 rpm to remove fine dirt and pasteurised. Cultures and calf rennet set it at 35 °C, and the rice-size curd is steam-warmed back to 35 °C. The cheeses drain 48 hours in warm rooms, are dry-salted and ripen about 60 days on wooden boards.

Fully documentedCheese2 monthsPAT (traditional food product, Toscana)Family: Hard pressed ewe cheese family (Manchego and Pecorino Romano as templates)

Recipe

No fixed amounts recordedThe sheets give no amounts. A cheese weighs about 2 kg on average.
Whole ewe milk, mainly from Massese sheep in the parkFlocks fed mainly on pasture, with other feed at most 20 %[pat-sheet][onaf-sheet][vetrina]
Lactic cultures or farm milk starter (latto-innesto)[onaf-sheet][pat-sheet][vetrina]
Liquid calf rennet[onaf-sheet][pat-sheet][vetrina]
SaltDry salt[onaf-sheet]
Starterlactic cultures or farm latto-innesto

Total time across the recorded steps: 2 months

Start
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35 °C

What changes: The milk is warmed to 35 °C, spun clean and pasteurised

Step 1 of 6
Warm, clean and pasteurise the milk
Time
Not documented
Temperature
35 °C
Reported
Salt
None given
Acidity
Not documented
Flavour
Not documented
Texture
Not documented
Colour
Not documented

Microbes at work in this step

Not documented for this step.

Method

Measured measured in a studySet fixed by a specification or tested recipeReported one source reports itTypical a general value, not sourced for this fermentUnconfirmed not yet checked against a source

At a glance

Milk of park sheep, fed mainly on pasture, is warmed to 35 °C, spun in a centrifuge at 7,000 rpm to remove fine dirt and pasteurised. Cultures and calf rennet set it at 35 °C, and the rice-size curd is steam-warmed back to 35 °C. The cheeses drain 48 hours in warm rooms, are dry-salted and ripen about 60 days on wooden boards. Made in 6 steps over 2 months. The longest step, ripen on wooden boards, takes 2 months (ONAF (Organizzazione Nazionale Assaggiatori F…). Added lactic cultures or the farm milk starter does most of the fermenting.

Key numbers
Main step2 monthsReported[onaf-sheet]Ripen on wooden boards
Temperature35 °CReported[pat-sheet][onaf-sheet][vetrina]Warm, clean and pasteurise the milk

What makes this one different

The milk comes only from flocks raised inside the park, mostly native Massese sheep, with other feed at most 20 %. The milk is centrifuged and pasteurised, and the cheese is sweeter than most pecorini.

Rind
Fairly thin, fairly hard, slightly wrinkled, white to light brown
Size
About 2.0 kg on average
Season
Made February to October

Related ferments

Safety

The milk is pasteurised. ONAF notes the flocks are checked for hygiene and health.

History and sources

Every number is labelled with how it is known. How this atlas is made

The regional sheet says the production method has stayed unchanged for several years, and the ONAF sheet adds that it is handed down from generation to generation. ONAF also notes that, unlike other Tuscan sheep cheeses, this one is made over a wide area and in notable quantity, about 3,000 cheeses a year, sold locally and in the rest of Tuscany and Italy.

  1. [pat-sheet] Regione Toscana / ARSIA, Prodotti agroalimentari tradizionali, sheet 'Pecorino del Parco di Migliarino-San Rossore' (copy hosted by ONAF)gov
  2. [onaf-sheet] ONAF (Organizzazione Nazionale Assaggiatori Formaggi), technical sheet 'Pecorino del Parco di Migliarino-San Rossore'web
  3. [vetrina] Regione Toscana, Vetrina Toscana product page 'Pecorino del Parco di Migliarino-San Rossore' (carries the regional PAT sheet)gov