Pecorino cheese: Characteristics and its industrial production

 Pecorino cheese, whose origin takes place in southern Italy, is made with raw sheep's milk to which lamb or kid rennet is added.

There are up to 37 different varieties and formats, although the most commonly known are 5, each with its own designation of origin protected by the EU. The following table shows the differences between them:

The Romana variety stands out for being the best known but also for being the oldest of all. Neither more nor less than 2,000 years ago, Pliny the Elder, renowned writer and researcher of the time, already mentioned it in his texts. All Roman citizens, regardless of class, as well as the soldiers of the Roman Empire, ate this cheese at every meal. It was also a common food at parties and banquets of the nobles of that time.

Currently, it is a highly valued cheese that is consumed in a thousand different ways and that, in its cured versions, often rivals Parmesan. The retail price of a Kilo of Pecorino cheese is between €28 and €42, depending mainly on its degree of ripening.

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To obtain 1Kg of Pecorino cheese, approximately 5.5 liters of sheep's milk are needed. Its preparation begins by heating the milk to a temperature of between 36 and 38º depending on the desired Pecorino variety. For example, for the Roman they must be 38º while for the Sardo, they are 36º.

Next, the rennet is added and it is waited between 12 and 20 minutes for the milk to curdle. The time varies depending on the equipment used for it. In a cheese factory with instruments and traditional methods, the waiting time will be longer than if an industrial vat is used.

The same happens with the breakage of the curd, which will vary from 15 minutes in the artisanal cheese factory to 5 minutes with the industrial method. The grain must be the size of the grain of corn.

Next, it will be cooked, with a temperature that varies between 36º to 44º depending on the variety and the time.

It is time to pour the curd into the molds. In the traditional way, the curd is poured into the molds using a draining table. At Tecnical we have the MULTIFORMAT 2/4 TPICR-GL Moulder specially designed for the production of PECORINO CHEESES .

Its versatility stands out, since it allows the production of 2 different sizes of pecorino cheese by simply changing the pre-pressing columns and the formers .

The production process continues with the typical self-pressing of this type of cheese and the necessary turning to obtain a uniform appearance.

Once the pressing is finished, we proceed to the salting. This is carried out in 2 different ways, depending on the variety, the area and the process (handmade or industrial). The salt can be applied directly to the cheese or it can be soaked in brine for a few hours.

As a general rule, the cheeses obtained are stored between 2 months and 2-3 years at a temperature of 8 to 10 degrees, with an average curing time of about 8 months .

Due to the maturation process, most cheeses require a surface treatment.

Depending on the variety, some cheeses are slathered in oil, others dyed, and others require brushing.