How is it made?

The milk, put in vat, can be heated up to pasteurisation temperature for Provolone Valpadana "Dolce" ("Mild") or "Piccante" (piccante=spicy) too until shapes no more than 6 kg.
While milk can be thermised only for big shapes of more than 6 kg. of spicy type.
Then a natural whey starter culture is added: the starter with the right bacterial amount it is a crucial point in the processing of Provolone Valpadana PDO.

COAGULATION AND CURD: The cheesemakers use two kind of rennet: a liquif calf rennet for Provolone Valpadana "SWEET" (dolce) and a paste lambe or kid rennet for Provolone Valpadana "SPICY" (piccante).
The coagulation occurs around the temperature of 36-39°C and then this transformation produces the curd (italian "cagliata").
FERMENTATION: The cut curd, unlike other cheeses, must sit on tables for some hours to ripen and allow a sort of acidification or fermentation. When the right level is reached the paste is further cut and cooled.
Then the paste goes to the kneaders before of important phase of spinning.

SPINNING ("FILATURA"): This phase takes place in hot water allowing to the paste to change from grainy and uneven to fibrous, continuous and plastic.
The spinning process can be done by hand or with spinning machines.
MOLDING / COOLING : After the spinning the paste, still warm, is manually mold by hand or through special molds, depending on kind of shapes ans sizes.
Then are placed in running ice water to speed up the subsequent cooling and firming of the cheese.
SALTING: Then the "provolone" moves on to the brine salting stage for some hours to thirty days, depending by sizes and weights of each type.
TYING AND RIPENING : After salting, begins the ripening phase, preceded by tying with ropes, according to a typical traditional technique that always takes into account the shape and weight of the cheese.
The cheeses are treated to protect them from mould and mite attack.