Excursion to CASEIFICIO VALESTRA di Vittorio e Tullio Valestra

For better understanding of our area is also nice to see how they prepare the local food. We are lucky, because we visited a small family company here, that produre types of cheeses. This company  called CASEIFICIO VALESTRA Vittorio and Tullio Valestra. It started many years ago, with their grandfather Valestra. Now grandchildren are continuing the know-how and process.

Follow this link for online visiting http://www.italiavirtualtour.it/dettaglio_member.php?id=97732.

Then how to do the cheese?

1. At first wake up at 4 in the morning! (all days, even weekends! phew …)

 

 

 

 

2. In large tub it puts hot milk (quality of milk = quality of cheese, this company use milk from Salerno). After this milk is mixed with the steam with great pressure (1). After it puts the rennet (the liquid which does the coagulation of the milk, you take of from gastric juice of calf). It puts in the glass – a bit of rennet with water for better spreading between milk (2). We mix everything together (for last time you do with the stirrer,, the crossing “on milk for luck). Leave for 30 minutes.

 

 

 

 

3. Now we have the second part (3). The liquid part and the fixed part (the basis for the production of cheese). The fixed part gets out and gets very soft, almost tasteless cheese or is used to make the base of great cheese (4) (this type of cheese is used as a basis for making mozzarella, caciocavallo, caciotta, …) .

3. Great cheese is cutting and putting into the water (5). This is put you in a bathtub with warm water and it’s mixed (6). After they are doing the mass with their hands, until it is smooth and shiny. The final form of cheese is done. This module is put in 3 contains with water (mozzarella, here called Fior di Late (7)) even in 1 bath (more cold, to make caciocavalli (8)). Each tank has a different temperature. It is from hot to cold.

 

 

 

 

4. We are in the end. Some cheeses are put into the salty water, some not. They are producing  smoked cheeses too. Also because it depends what you prefer. Some loves cheese very soft and young, but also  there are cheeses left for the week or more, which change the shape, color and smell (9).

So happy we took one type of cheese Fior di Latte (mozzarella). Now we are eating together this good and local piece of paradise!

Thanks to CASEIFICIO VALESTRA from Monticchio! Thanks for explaining, for your patience!

What I really appreciate is, that everything is done with  hands without using extra machine. :-).