Asiago pressato - the fresh variety

This variety of Asiago is obtained exclusively with whole cow's milk, procured from 1 or 2 milking operations.
The bovine enzyme (rennet) is added to stimulate coagulation of the milk at temperatures generally ranging from 35-40°C.
The curd is cut as soon as it reaches a suitable consistency. This operation is performed with a curd-knife when the granules have grown to the size of a small nut.
The half-cooking process continues until the mass of curd being worked reaches a temperature of 44°C ± 2°C. After the half-cooking process the curd is extracted and placed in the moulds for forming.
The working of the curd which has just been extracted is the important phase in the production of fresh Asiago and includes the operations of repeated cutting of the curd, salting and turning the cheese;
The curd is then placed in the moulds, sometimes after previous portioning, and is compacted by manual or pneumatic presses.

The presalting operation takes place while the cheese is kept at controlled temperature (13-15°C) and relative humidity (85%) for periods varying from 36 to 96 hours.
The salting operation can be carried out in two ways: either with the surface dry-salting technique or with brine (20 ± 2 °B).