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Cheese from Italy, Sardegna

Ricotta di colostro ovino

Colostrum ricotta is a boundary entry, set by heat, not by microbes. Sheep colostrum, available only for 4–5 days after lambing, is first made into a cheese set with rennet at 35 °C; fresh colostrum is added to the whey left over and the mix is boiled until ricotta flakes rise. The flakes drain in baskets and the ricotta is eaten fresh, sometimes salted or smoked.

Fully documentedCheese4 days – 5 daysPAT (traditional agri-food product, Sardegna)Family: Whey cheese (heat-precipitated whey protein) family

Recipe

No fixed amounts recordedThe sheets give the method, not a batch recipe; the weight varies by maker.
Whey from making colostrum cheese[laore-sheet][onaf-sheet]
Fresh sheep colostrumFrom the first days after lambing[laore-sheet][onaf-sheet]
Salt (optional, before sale)[onaf-sheet]
StarterHeat sets the ricotta curd; ONAF classes the coagulation as acid-thermal.

Total time across the recorded steps: 4 days – 5 days

Start
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What changes: Starting material: sheep colostrum, gathered in the first days after lambing

Step 1 of 6
Collect the colostrum
Time
4–5 days
Reported
Temperature
Not documented
Salt
None given
Acidity
Not documented

The shepherds hurry to gather it in those few days.

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

At a glance

Colostrum ricotta is a boundary entry, set by heat, not by microbes. Sheep colostrum, available only for 4–5 days after lambing, is first made into a cheese set with rennet at 35 °C; fresh colostrum is added to the whey left over and the mix is boiled until ricotta flakes rise. The flakes drain in baskets and the ricotta is eaten fresh, sometimes salted or smoked. Made in 6 steps over 4 days – 5 days. The longest step, collect the colostrum, takes 4–5 days (Laore Sardegna (regional agricultural develop…).

Key numbers
Main step4–5 daysReported[laore-sheet]Collect the colostrum
Temperature35 °CReported[laore-sheet]Make the colostrum cheese first

What makes this one different

Both its milk sources are sheep colostrum, so it can be made only in the few days after lambing. The regional sheet notes most is kept for the shepherd's family because sale is restricted.

Colostrum season
Colostrum can be collected only for 4–5 days after a lamb is born
Size
Truncated cone 15–20 cm across; weight varies by maker (ONAF)
Rind
None; white, rough surface

Related ferments

Variants

  • AffumicataSmoked

Safety

The regional sheet says hygiene rules have limited sale, so most is eaten privately; small dairies that meet the rules make it for sale. ONAF gives cold storage at 4–6 °C.

History and sources

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

The regional sheet says colostrum was prized as rich food for children and the old, and that shepherds stirred colostrum and ricotta with wooden tools called "sa muriga" and "sa muriga 'e su regottu".

  1. [laore-sheet] Laore Sardegna (regional agricultural development agency), Prodotto tradizionale della Sardegna, sheet «Ricotta di colostro ovino» (copy hosted by ONAF)gov
  2. [onaf-sheet] ONAF (Organizzazione Nazionale Assaggiatori Formaggi), technical sheet «Ricotta di colostro ovino»web
  3. [onaf] ONAF, cheese page «Ricotta di colostro ovino» (id 378)web