An Inside Look at Parmesan Cheese
Part 4

Last month we saw the parmesan rounds being turned so that the aging and density of the cheese is consistant throughout. In this section we will see the final testing and prepartation of the cheese before it ends up on your table!!
 
The rounds go through two cleaning steps before they are shipped to you. The first is, a brushing process, to remove large particles from the outside coating of the cheese. Below is a photograph of a basket filled with debris that comes off during this process.
 

 
Prior to shipping each rind is tested to ensure it has the proper density to be designated Reggiano. If it is not to the Reggiano Consortiums high standards, the round is rejected, rebranded and assigned a lower designation of Parmesan.
 

 
One of the final steps before the rounds are shipped is to scorch the outside of each round. As you can see by the attached photo it is a labour intensive process. This both acts to seal the cheese and to remove any unwanted particles from the outside of the round.
 

 
 
We hope you have enjoyed learning about the process of making Parmesan as much as we have enjoyed telling you of our adventures!