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Cheese from Italy, Lombardy, the whole province of Sondrio

Valtellina Casera PDOValtellina Casera

Milk of traditional cow breeds from two or more milkings is partly skimmed and set with calf rennet, using the spontaneous development of cheese microflora. The curd is broken to maize-grain size and cooked at 40–45 °C for about 30 minutes, then lightly pressed 8–12 hours and salted dry or in brine. It matures at least 70 days at 6–13 °C and at least 80 % humidity.

Fully documentedCheese2.3 monthsPDO (EU, 1996), Regulation (EC) No 1263/96; national decree DM 19 April 1995Family: Cooked hard alpine cheese family (Comté, Gruyère and Emmentaler as templates)

Recipe

No fixed amounts recordedThe decree gives temperatures and times but no doses. Wheels weigh 7–12 kg.
Cow milk of traditional breeds from two or more milkings, partly skimmedCows fed mainly on wild grasses and forage crops of the area, fresh or as hay[casera-dm1995][casera-eu1996]
Calf rennet[casera-dm1995][casera-eu1996]
Salt, dry or as brine[casera-dm1995]
Starterthe spontaneous development of cheese microflora, according to the decree

Total time across the recorded steps: 2.3 months

Start
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What changes: Cream is taken off the pooled milk before it is set

Step 1 of 6
Part-skim the milk
Time
Not documented
Temperature
Not documented
Salt
None given
Acidity
Not documented

Milk from two or more milkings is partly skimmed before coagulation.

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 traditional cow breeds from two or more milkings is partly skimmed and set with calf rennet, using the spontaneous development of cheese microflora. The curd is broken to maize-grain size and cooked at 40–45 °C for about 30 minutes, then lightly pressed 8–12 hours and salted dry or in brine. It matures at least 70 days at 6–13 °C and at least 80 % humidity. Made in 6 steps over 2.3 months. The longest step, mature, takes at least 2.3 months (Disciplinare di produzione della denominazion…) and runs at 6–13 °C (Disciplinare di produzione della denominazion…).

Key numbers
Main stepat least 2.3 monthsSet[casera-dm1995][casera-eu1996]Mature
Temperature6–13 °CSet[casera-dm1995]Mature

What makes this one different

A part-skimmed, semi-cooked mountain cheese, cooked only to 40–45 °C and lightly pressed, and matured for at least 70 days; the name comes from 'casera', the Valtellina cellar where cheese ages.

Milk
Partly skimmed cow milk of traditional breeds
Ripening
At least 70 days; well-aged cheese can be grated
Size and fat
30–45 cm across, 8–10 cm high, 7–12 kg; at least 34 % fat in dry matter

Related ferments

Safety

ONAF lists the milk as raw (not heat-treated). The curd is cooked at 40–45 °C, the whole make must not run longer than 130 minutes, and the wheels mature at least 70 days at 6–13 °C and at least 80 % humidity. The decree sets average moisture at 41 % at 70 days. The US FDA says ageing raw-milk cheese for 60 days may not eliminate or adequately reduce E. coli O157:H7 and Salmonella, and Listeria may grow in some cheeses during ageing. The CDC says people at higher risk, including pregnant women, people 65 or older and people with weak immunity, should avoid raw-milk cheese unless it is heated to 165 °F (74 °C) or until steaming hot.

History and sources

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

The cheese is tied to the social and turn dairies of the province of Sondrio, and the first dairies on record date from 1500. Traditionally it was a part-skimmed winter dairy cheese, made to complement Bitto, which was made on the alps in summer, and the part-skimming came from the need to make butter. ONAF now lists production all year. 'Casera' is the local name for the cellar where the wheels age. The EU application describes a seasonal herd migration from high pastures to mid-slopes in autumn. The decree of 19 April 1995 set the specification, and the EU registered the name in 1996.

Microbes
No study we found names its microbes.
  1. [casera-dm1995] Disciplinare di produzione della denominazione di origine del formaggio 'Valtellina Casera', DM 19 aprile 1995, GURI n. 103 del 5 maggio 1995 (copy hosted by ONAF)spec
  2. [casera-eu1996] Application for registration, 'Valtellina Casera', Council Regulation (EEC) No 2081/92 (EU register summary sheet, English)spec
  3. [onaf-casera] ONAF (Organizzazione Nazionale Assaggiatori Formaggio), scheda 'Valtellina Casera', ONAF tasting sheet 11880web
  4. [fda-rawcheese2016] US Food and Drug Administration 2016, FY 2014–2016 Microbiological Sampling Assignment Summary Report, Raw Milk Cheese Aged 60 Daysgov
  5. [cdc-listeria] US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Preventing Listeria Infectiongov