So, you’ve slowly whittled down a block of Parmigiano-Reggiano, showering it over bowls of pasta and salads, and now you’re left with the hard, dry outer rind. Don’t throw away this golden, letter-stamped nugget. Parmesan rinds, an often discarded scrap, are a chefs and savvy home cook’s best friend, lending a savory and nutty depth to broths, beans or soups. (And yes, you should be splurging for real deal Parm, easily identified by the pin-dot “Parmigiano-Reggiano” lettering on the rind.)
Just like the cheese itself, Parmesan rinds are loaded with rich, umami flavor. Unlocking the goodness trapped in these hard and chewy shells is easier than you think. Plus, it gets you more bang for your buck. Real Parmesan cheese isn’t cheap, and it’s typically sold by the pound. (You’re paying for the rind, too, so don’t waste it!) Here are our tips for making the most of your Parmesan rinds.
Let’s get this out of the way. Yes, Parmesan rinds are perfectly fine to eat. Unlike many other hard cheeses, Parmesan rinds don’t contain wax or other sealants. They’re formed naturally during the cheesemaking process. In fact, the rind is just dried cheese that slowly hardens on the exterior of the wheel as it ages in temperature- and humidity-controlled rooms. To meet the legal requirements set by the Italian government, Parmigiano-Reggiano must mature for at least 12 months. Most blocks that you find in stores in the US have been aged for 24 to 36 months, which gives them that characteristic nutty flavor and crystalline texture.
This is the easy part. Simply drop a Parmesan rind or two into a pot of simmering soup, Bolognese, tomato sauce, risotto, or beans. You can also make Parmesan broth, a satisfying vegetarian alternative to use in place of chicken or vegetable broth in recipes. You’ll need about one pound of rinds (roughly five or six pieces) to eight cups of water plus aromatics such as onion, garlic, and bay leaves. Once the rind is in the pot, your work is done. The gentle heat will slowly soften the rind, coaxing out all the earthy, salty, nutty, funky and slightly sweet notes we love about the cheese. Let it simmer for at least 30 minutes or up to a few hours. The rind will become malleable in the heat, but won’t completely disintegrate, so be sure to remove it from the pot before serving. For an added bonus, cut the softened cheesy bits into smaller morsels and stir them back into the pot to enjoy as tiny Parmesan rind dumplings. In addition to imparting delicious flavor, the rind will also help to thicken and add body, giving thin and brothy soups a silky consistency.
How to store Parmesan rinds
You can keep a stash of Parmesan rinds in a ziplock bag in your freezer for up to 1 year. The rinds can be used straight from the freezer, no need to thaw before dropping in a pot of simmering soup or tomato sauce.
This is the easy part. Simply drop a Parmesan rind or two into a pot of simmering soup, Bolognese, tomato sauce, risotto, or beans. You can also make Parmesan broth, a satisfying vegetarian alternative to use in place of chicken or vegetable broth in recipes.
Plop the rinds into your next tomato sauce, ragù, or soup and let it simmer. Remove whatever is left of the rind just before serving. It will add a salty flavor and thicken everything up.
Risotto: Add a rind halfway through cooking the rice and let it melt into the rice as you ladle in the liquid. It'll make your risotto even more luxurious. Soups & Stews: Minestrone, pasta e fa*giole, Italian wedding soup, chicken cacciatore…all of them will benefit from the little oomph a parmesan rind adds.
The most classic way to reuse parmesan rinds is to cut them into cubes and add them to soups, broths, and soups. With the heat, the cheese will start to soften and release its flavor, making the taste even more intense than if simply grated.
Parmesan rinds will last for a few months in a zipper-lock bag in the fridge, but my preference is to keep them in the freezer (in a zipper-lock freezer bag) where they will last practically indefinitely. Don't worry about thawing them before use, just toss them right into the pot!
For starters, when I get down to the rind of my wedge of Parm, I take the time to dip a paper towel in a mild white vinegar solution and give it a good wipe down on the exterior. It's been manhandled by this point, and I want it to be clean. Then I dry it well and stash it in a ziptop bag in the freezer.
Some people use a micro planer and grate the rind itself and use it like grated parmesan, but I save the rinds for other dishes. If you've been throwing away your rinds, you've been missing out on putting them to a delicious second use.
While an Asiago rind made the soup taste unappealingly gamey, tasters agreed that rinds from both Pecorino Romano and Gruyère added a savory flavor comparable to that of the Parmesan rind. If you don't have a rind, any one of these cheeses is also an acceptable substitute.
To maintain that much-desired creaminess of your reheated risotto, add a small amount of broth or water to it before reheating. This will help revive the moisture and bring back the desired texture.
Stocks and Soups- Parmigiano broth is like liquid gold. For a few hours, you can simmer a few rinds with herbs, garlic, onions, and black peppercorns in water to create some of the most delicious broth you've ever tasted. Or, just toss a rind or two into whatever soup you make to add an extra layer of flavor.
Short answer: NO Did you know that you can eat every part of Parmigiano Reggiano cheese including its rind and what's more.. it has almost NO LACTOSE! 0.01gr of lactose /100g of parmigiano reggiano cheese. This IS GOLD - just like you are 🧀 #parmigianoreggiano #italiancooking #cheese #learnontiktok.
No need to worry - these tiny white specks are actually a good thing. They're most likely calcium lactate crystals, also known as “cheese crystals.” They are completely safe to eat, and usually signify that a cheese is flavorful and well-aged.
Mold generally can't penetrate far into hard and semisoft cheeses, such as cheddar, colby, Parmesan and Swiss. So you can cut away the moldy part and eat the rest of the cheese. Cut off at least 1 inch (2.5 centimeters) around and below the moldy spot.
Simply drop a Parmesan rind or two into a pot of simmering soup, Bolognese, tomato sauce, risotto, or beans. You can also make Parmesan broth, a satisfying vegetarian alternative to use in place of chicken or vegetable broth in recipes.
For a cheese to be classified as Parmigiano-Reggiano, it must come from particular regions of Italy and contain only certain approved ingredients. Parmigiano-Reggiano is also aged at least one year and up to three years.Parmesan, on the other hand, is not regulated, and may be aged as little as 10 months.
You can throw it into simmering soups, stews, beans, and pasta dishes for an extra kick of salty, cheesy, funky flavor. Your dried beans, brothy, vegetal soups, chicken noodle soup, and bolognese will thank you. Throw it into broths and stocks for a subtle burst of rich cheesiness.
Add a few cheese rinds to a pot of boiling water, then toss in your pasta and salt. Cook until it's perfectly al dente, remove the rinds (we've got plans for them), and scoop out the pasta with a spider or slotted spoon.
Introduction: My name is Pres. Lawanda Wiegand, I am a inquisitive, helpful, glamorous, cheerful, open, clever, innocent person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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