Andy Montoya
Asiago is a firm, pressed cow's milk cheese from Northern Italy. It is available in fresh and aged varieties, with the former being good for melting and the latter for grating, similar to Parmesan. The cheese gets its name from the Italian town of Asiago, where it has been produced for over a thousand years. The process of making Asiago involves heating milk, adding rennet to form curds, cooking the curds, draining the whey, moulding and salting the cheese, and finally, ageing it. The length of the ageing process depends on the desired variety of Asiago, with fresh Asiago being aged for about a month, and aged Asiago being aged for anywhere from a few months to two years.
How is Asiago Cheese Made?
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Milk | Pasteurized whole milk or rich fresh farm milk |
| Fat % | 5% |
| Culture | Thermophilic culture (C201 or TA061) and Helveticus culture (LH100) |
| Temperature | 95-97°F |
| Rennet | 5ml of single-strength calf rennet |
| Curd size | Half-inch pieces |
| Temperature | Increased to 104°F, then 118°F |
| Stirring | Continuous for 15 minutes |
| Draining | Whey is removed to curd level |
| Mold | Diameter of about 7.5 inches |
| Aging temperature | 54-58°F |
| Humidity | 85-87% |
| Aging time | 3 weeks to a year |
| Storage | Tightly wrapped in parchment, waxed, or butcher paper |
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What You'll Learn
Fresh Asiago
The curd is cooked in two phases: the first at 40°C (104°F) and the second at about 44°C (118°F). During the second phase, the curd should be dry but will need to produce more acid before draining. This can be done by allowing the curd to settle to the bottom of the pot for another 20 minutes, stirring lightly every 3-5 minutes to prevent matting.
Once the curds are cooked to their final moisture, they are transferred to a cloth-lined cheese mold. The whey is removed to the curd level and the curds are pressed into the mold. The cheese is then salted and pressed before drying for two days. It then soaks in a brine for an additional two days before dry-aging for about a month.
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Aged Asiago
The curds are then placed in molds and turned several times, which helps to drain off the whey. The cheese is then either soaked in brine or rubbed with salt, and aged for anywhere from two months to two years. The aging temperature should be maintained at 54-58°F (12-14°C) and the humidity at 85-87%. Any surface mold should be wiped away with a saturated brine solution.
- Mezzano: Aged for three to eight months, Mezzano has a compact texture and a lightly sweet, vegetal taste.
- Vecchio: Aged for nine to 18 months, Vecchio has a slightly bitter flavour and a hard texture.
- Stravecchio: Aged for at least 18 months, and up to two years, Stravecchio is hard and crumbly, with an amber colour and a spicy flavour.
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Heating milk
The first step in making Asiago cheese is to heat the milk. The milk used can be either pasteurized whole milk or rich fresh farm milk. The milk should be heated slowly over low heat to a temperature of 92°F (35°C). It is important to note that the temperature may need to be adjusted depending on the weather and the fat percentage of the milk; for colder weather or milk with a higher fat percentage, the temperature can be increased to 95-97°F.
Once the milk has reached the desired temperature, the next step is to add the cultures. The specific cultures used will depend on the desired characteristics of the final cheese. For example, a Thermophilic culture can be added to acidify the cheese by converting lactose to lactic acid. This culture is also responsible for the slow acid development that occurs during the second day while the cheese rests in the mold before salting. Additionally, a Helveticus culture can be added to convert only a portion of the milk sugar, leaving a sweet note in the final cheese.
After adding the cultures, the milk should be allowed to ripen for a short period, typically around 30 minutes. This ripening period is crucial for the development of the cheese's flavor and texture. Once the ripening period is complete, rennet can be added to the milk. Rennet is a digestive enzyme that can be extracted from the stomach of calves, goats, or young pigs. It plays a vital role in the coagulation of the milk and the formation of curds.
The amount of rennet added should be sufficient to form a good curd within about 25 minutes. At this point, the curds should be cut into small pieces, typically about 1/2-inch in size, and allowed to rest for a few minutes. This cutting and resting process helps to create the desired texture in the final cheese. After resting, the curds are ready to be cooked and further transformed into Asiago cheese.
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Curdling
Once the curd is formed, it is cut into small pieces, about the size of walnuts or rice grains, and left to rest for a few minutes. The curds are then cooked in two phases at different temperatures, with the second phase being higher than the first. The temperatures vary depending on the source but generally range from 104-105°F to 115-118°F. During this cooking process, the curds are stirred frequently to prevent matting and to reduce their size.
After cooking, the curds are allowed to settle, and the whey, the liquid in which the curd is immersed, is drained until only the tops of the curds are visible. The warm cheese curds are then transferred into sanitized cheesecloth-lined draining pans or moulds. The curds are gently compacted into the moulds by pressing them a few times with the back of the hand. This pressing step gives fresh Asiago its characteristic "pressed" texture and is where the name "Asiago Pressato" comes from.
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Aging
Asiago cheese can be eaten after only three weeks of aging, but some people prefer to age it for longer. Fresh Asiago, or Asiago Pressato, is typically aged for about a month, resulting in a milder flavour and softer, smoother texture than aged Asiago.
Aged Asiago, or Asiago d'Allevo, can be aged anywhere from two months to two years. Mezzano is aged for three to eight months and has a lightly sweet, vegetal taste. Vecchio is aged for nine to 18 months and has a slightly bitter, granular texture. Stravecchio is aged for 18 months to two years and has a hard, crumbly, amber-coloured, and spicy flavour.
To age Asiago cheese, it should be placed in a ripening box, cave, or cellar and loosely covered. The ideal temperature is 54-58°F, and the humidity should be maintained at about 85-87%. To prevent mould and encourage rind development, the cheese should be brushed with brine about twice a week for three weeks. After three weeks, the Asiago will be ready to eat, but it can be aged for longer by continuing to brush it twice a week for up to a year.
Aged Asiago can be stored in the refrigerator for up to six weeks. If mould appears, trim at least an inch below the mould, being careful not to touch it with the knife, then rewrap the cheese in new paper. If the cheese turns dark and smells unpleasant, it should be discarded. Aged Asiago can also be grated and frozen in an airtight container for up to a year.
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Frequently asked questions
Asiago cheese is made from cow's milk. Fresh Asiago is made using whole milk, while aged Asiago is made from a mixture of whole and skimmed milk.
The milk is heated to a temperature of 35°C or 95°F. Bovine rennet is added to the heated milk to form curds. The curds are then kneaded and cooked at a higher temperature of about 105 to 115°F. For fresh Asiago, salt is added, and the cheese is pressed before drying for two days, soaking in a brine solution for two days, and then dry-aged for about a month. For aged Asiago, the curds are placed in molds and turned several times to drain off the whey. The cheese is then either soaked in brine or rubbed with salt and aged for a few months to two years.
The ideal temperature for aging Asiago cheese is 54-58°F, and the humidity should be maintained at 85-87%.
