Sant’Anna Organic Farm
Fratelli Sanna
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The dairy: from milk to cheese
Cheese has been produced in the farm since 1986. In 2005 a new dairy production center, showed in the photos, has been built to process all the milk produced in the farm.
The milk is transported to the dairy from sheepfold.
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The milk is transferred into the cheese vat where it is heated up to 36 °C.
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Starters and rennet are added to the milk. After adding rennet, milk is allowed to rest to form curds: liquid milk begins to clot. |
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This is the "birth" of the cheese. This step is extremely fascinating and must be performed carefully: cheesemaker controls proper milk clotting and chooses the time for the next step: curd breaking.
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A successful outcome and the quality of cheese strictly depend on a correct and timely production.
CURD BREAKING
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Once curd is firm enough per product needs, it is broken into pieces and whey is allowed to flow out. For cheese with a soft paste, as Caciotta, the curd is crumbled into grains as big as an almond. In contrast, for hard paste cheese, as aged Pecorino, the size of the curd pieces is that of a rice grain. The optimal size is evaluated by the cheesemaker on the basis of his own experience: no industrial devices can substitute man skill in this phase. This is the step that reveals cheesemaking as an art. |
After this step curd granules settle to bottom of the cheese vat.
The next step is giving cheese a shape.
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To give cheese a shape, curd is poured into pierced moulds allowing whey outflow. |
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Cheese is flipped over repeatedly and then transferred into "stufatura" rooms.
STUFATURA
Stufatura is a process that occurs in a warm and humid room where lactic bacteria can operate at their best.
They ferment lactose into lactic acid. Acidification stops harmful microorganism growth and guarantees a safe cheese storage.
Once acidification has reached its optimum, cheese is transferred into a cooler chamber where it will loose humidity and aging will begin.
Man's work directs fermentation to make safe and healthy foods as tasty as cheese.
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Sanna Antonio, Paolo e Pietro S.S. - Podere Sant’Anna - Strada Radi-Siena, 6149 - 53014 – Monteroni d’Arbia (SI)
tel e fax 0577.378007 - Email: fllisanna@libero.it www.fratellisanna.it