Canestrato di Moliterno IGP

PRODUCTION METHOD

Canestrato di Moliterno IGP is produced all year round using milk from flocks fed mainly on pasture, with fresh forage and hay. The sheep belong to the Gentile di Puglia, Gentile di Lucania, Leccese, Sarda, Comisana and their crossbreeds, while the goats are of the Garganica, Maltese, Jonica, Camosciata and their crossbreeds. The milk from one or more milkings must be transformed within 48 hours of the first milking and can be used raw or thermised. Coagulation is obtained by adding lamb or kid rennet and bringing everything to a temperature of 36-40°C for 25-35 minutes. The curd is broken up to obtain granules the size of a grain of rice and then extracted from the whey and placed in baskets, which give the rind the typical streaks. The forms are then subjected to salting, carried out dry or in brine, and then left to dry for 30-40 days before being transported to the maturing rooms. The maturation phase must take place exclusively within the so-called warehouses, cold, dry and well-ventilated environments present only in the territory of the municipality of Moliterno and located at an altitude of over 700 meters above sea level. The warehouse is characterized by having walls 40 cm thick or more, with at least two underground sides and two openings for air circulation. On the basis of the length of maturation, Canestrato di Moliterno PGI is divided into Primitivo, aged for up to six months; Seasoned and Extra, when the seasoning lasts up to one year and more than one year respectively.