How is Parmesan Cheese Made? (2024)

FAQs

How is Parmesan Cheese Made? ›

Parmesan cheese is traditionally made from cow's milk and is aged at least 12 months. Whole milk and naturally skimmed milk are combined and then distributed into copper vats for heating. During the two-step heating process, additional ingredients like whey and rennet are added to form the curd.

Nearly the same as it's been made since day one. Parmesan starts off as skimmed cow's milk to which bacteria is added -- thermophilic lactic acid bacteria, to be exact. After heating the mixture, rennet is added to curdle the milk. The curd is broken up into rice-sized pieces and left to settle for about an hour.

If you look carefully at your food label, you might see just “enzymes” on the back of the package with little to no further explanation. This refers to either animal, plant, or microbial enzymes. Parmesan is always made with animal enzymes, also called animal rennet, meaning it's not vegetarian.

So Why Isn't Parmesan Cheese Vegetarian? This answer is encapsulated in one word: rennet. Specifically animal rennet, collected from slaughtered cows, goats or other young, milk-fed ruminant animals.

Hard, aged cheeses frequently contain less lactose because the lactose in the curd changes to lactic acid during aging. That's why, due to our extensive aging process, Cello's Parmesan, Asiago, and Romano cheeses are naturally lactose free — so you can cheese confidently and safely when you choose Cello.

Fortunately, once you know the truth about Parmesan, it's exceptionally easy to shop for the real thing. True Parmigiano Reggiano will be labeled "made in" or "from" Italy, and often sport a PDO seal. Since the Italian name is protected here in the US, those words should be an adequate guarantee on their own.

Historically, rennet was harvested from the stomach lining of young cows, sheep, and goats, and many cheeses are still made with animal rennet.

Parmesan cheese is made with animal rennet which is an enzyme that comes from the fourth lining of the stomach of animals, typically calves, goats, and lambs. The animal is usually killed in the process. The rennet is then taken and dried so it becomes solid.

BelGioioso Vegetarian Parmesan is made with fresh milk gathered daily from our local farmers, and without any animal rennet. Each wheel is aged in special caves for over 10 months. BelGioioso's Master Cheesemakers carefully inspect and hand-turn each wheel to ensure a consistent aging process.

Cheeses That Don't Use Rennet

"Many softer styles of cheese like mozzarella, paneer, ricotta, and cream cheese use whey or another type of acid as their coagulant instead of rennet, so they will be safe for vegetarians," says Birnbaum.

What cheese is made without rennet? ›

Younger, soft cheeses like mozzarella, cottage cheese, cream cheese, ricotta, goat, and provolone often are not made with rennet. However, this isn't an exhaustive list, so be sure to read your labels carefully!.

Most pesto is not considered vegan for the sole reason that basic recipes call for some kind of hard cheese like Parmesan or pecorino, which is not suitable for vegans. Some authentic Parmesan is even made using rennet, an enzyme found in the lining of a goat or calf's stomach.

Most hard cheeses, including Parmesan, Cheddar, Manchego, Pecorino Romano, and Swiss, are traditionally made with rennet, while some soft cheeses aren't (scroll down for five you can try).

Since rennet is a restricted, or haram, ingredient in a Muslim's diet, traditionally made Parmesan is not halal. However, a lot of cheese producers are re-thinking the process of cheese making to keep up with the changing times.

Some believe that it was created in Parma, hence the name. Others believe it comes from a Sicilian word that means slabs on a roof, referring to the thin slices of chicken covered in the sauce.

The answer is straightforward: store that cheese in the fridge. With that said, harder cheeses will hold up against bacteria longer than softer cheeses due to their drier texture. If you notice any discoloration, foul odors or moisture on that grated Parm, as much as it hurts, throw it out!

The wheels that pass the test are fire-branded with the DOP oval certification mark and stamped with pin-dot marks on the rind that reads 'Parmigiano-Reggiano,' repeated all along the rind. When you buy a block of cheese, look for the pin-dot wording on the rind.

For a cheese to be classified as Parmigiano-Reggiano, it must come from particular regions of Italy and contain only certain approved ingredients. Parmigiano-Reggiano is also aged at least one year and up to three years. Parmesan, on the other hand, is not regulated, and may be aged as little as 10 months.

Popular types of natural cheeses include unripened (e. g., cottage cheese, cream cheese), soft (e. g., Brie, Camembert), semi-hard (e. g., Brick, Muenster, Roquefort, Stilton), hard (e. g., Colby, Cheddar), blue veined (e. g., Blue, Gorgonzola), cooked hard cheeses (e. g., Swiss, Parmesan), and pasta filata (stretched ...

The entire wheel of Parmigiano Reggiano is edible, including the rind. Although many people think the rind is made from wax, Parmigiano Reggiano PDO (Protected Denomination of Origin) cheeses have a natural rind that forms on the cheese during the salting process.