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Fermentation Atlas

Cheese from Italy, Abruzzo

Incanestrato di Castel del Monte

Made in 5 steps over 28 days – 10 months. The longest step, ripen, takes 25 days – 10 months (ONAF) and runs at 10–15 °C (ONAF).

Key numbers
Main step25 days – 10 monthsReported[onaf][onaf-sheet][pat-sheet]Ripen
Temperature10–15 °CReported[onaf][onaf-sheet][pat-sheet]Ripen

Recipe

No fixed amounts recordedWhat goes in. No source gives amounts for this ferment.
sheep milk, raw, whole (Gentile di Puglia, Sopravissana, Comisana, Pagliarola, Sarda and crosses); best May–June pasture milk; refrigerated ~4 °C for max 12–24 h if not used at once
Starter: whey or milk starter (thermophilic)

Total time across the recorded steps: 28 days – 10 months

Start
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4 °C

What changes: Raw whole sheep milk goes into the vat

Step 1 of 5
Prepare the milk
Time
up to 24 h
Reported
Temperature
4 °C
Reported
Salt
None given
Acidity
Not documented

S, raw, whole (Gentile di Puglia, Sopravissana, Comisana, Pagliarola, Sarda and crosses); best May–June pasture milk; refrigerated ~4 °C for max 12–24 h if not used at once

Flavour
Not documented
Texture
Not documented
Colour
Not documented

Microbes at work in this step

Not documented for this step.

Method

Measured measured in a studySet fixed by a specification or tested recipeReported one source reports itTypical a general value, not sourced for this fermentUnconfirmed not yet checked against a source

What makes this one different

Gran Sasso basket pecorino, piquant when well aged.

Rind
Straw-yellow, hard, rush-basket marks; thicker with age
Size
1.5–7 kg; cylinder

Variants

  • fresco: softer paste and rind
  • stagionato: hard, piquant

History and sources

Every number is labelled with how it is known. How this atlas is made

  1. [onaf] ONAF, scheda formaggio 'Incanestrato di Castel del monte' (id 325)web
  2. [onaf-sheet] ONAF technical sheet PDFweb
  3. [pat-sheet] Regione Abruzzo PAT sheetgov