Fresco
- Maturation
- 7–44 days
Pecorino delle Balze Volterrane
Pecorino delle Balze Volterrane is a raw sheep’s milk cheese coagulated with a plant extract from cardoon flowers.
- Milk
- Whole raw sheep’s milk
- Protection
- DOP
- Maturation
- Four forms, from 7 days to more than 12 months
Choose the form
Semistagionato
- Maturation
- 45 days to 6 months
Stagionato
- Maturation
- 6–12 months
Da asserbo
- Maturation
- More than 12 months
Thistle rennet and salting by hand
Raw milk is warmed in a copper or stainless-steel vat, then set with vegetable rennet made from thistle or wild artichoke flowers. The curd is broken into grains, with a finer cut for the long-aged da asserbo form. It may be held warm before being pressed by hand into cylindrical molds and left to drain.
The wheels are salted by hand on the surface and turned. Excess salt is washed away, then the cheese dries on wooden boards in cool rooms. During maturation, the wheels are turned, brushed and washed to remove any mold that develops.
Where Pecorino delle Balze Volterrane is made
Sheep rearing, cheesemaking, and aging are confined to Volterra, Pomarance, Montecatini Val di Cecina, Castelnuovo Val di Cecina, and Monteverdi in Pisa province, Tuscany.
Tuscany
Choosing Pecorino delle Balze Volterrane
Look for the full protected name, Pecorino delle Balze Volterrane DOP. Its four forms range from 7 days of maturation to more than 12 months.
Questions worth asking
Which milk is used?
It is made with whole raw sheep’s milk.
Where is the protected area?
Sheep rearing, cheesemaking, and aging are confined to Volterra, Pomarance, Montecatini Val di Cecina, Castelnuovo Val di Cecina, and Monteverdi in Pisa province, Tuscany.
How long does it mature?
Its four forms range from 7 days of maturation to more than 12 months.
Sources and citations (2)
- European CommissionCommission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2015/271Article 1Read source
- European CommissionPecorino delle Balze Volterrane PDO single documentSection 3.2Read source
