260 STATE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



An examination of the cheese showed that the cheddar or curd mill process 

 has a tendency to produce a somewhat closer texture than the stirred method, 

 though a Cheddar properly firmed with a small amount of acid (i/4 to Va inch) 

 before salting, will produce a porous cheese, especially if ripened at a temperature 

 of 60° or above. 



In the stirred and cheddar cheese, with a fairly normal per cent of water and 

 where the differences in water content were minimum, no difference was noted 

 in the flavor. In several cases however where the water content was high and 

 the differences a maximum, the cheese with a higher water content had the poorer 

 flavor, as might naturally be expected. 



The curd mill is therefore to be recommended if it is desired to maKe a moist, 

 quick ripening cheese, because it is absolutely necessary in combating gassy 

 curds and securing uniformity in the product from day to day. 



The question of the amount of moisture that may be incorporated without in- 

 juring quality is an important one. With this question arises another as to the 

 relation of curing temperatures to the water content. 



In the conduct of the experiment just described, a double set of cheese was made 

 to permit their use in this test. As soon as taken from the press, one stirred and 

 one Cheddar w'ere placed in cold storage at a temperature of 38° while duplicates 

 were ripened in the ordinary curing room with temperature at 60°. The water 

 content of the cheese was set forth in a previous table. Repeated examination 

 showed that all containing over 38 per cent of water whether ripened in an ordinary 

 curing room or in cold storage, developed a very undesirable pasty texture. More- 

 over the cheese ripened at 60° developed a very strong flavor which increased 

 "With age. This strong flavor was absent in the cheese ripened at 38°. 



For the manufacture of a rather quick ripening cheese, one suitable for home 

 consumption, a water content of from 30 to 38 per cent seems best, when the 

 ripening goes forward at ordinary temperatures while 36 per cent appears to be 

 most favorable for ripening at the low temperatures. It was quite clear that 

 cheese ripened at ordinary temperatures would stand at least two per cent more 

 water than those ripened at low temperatures. 



So far as flavor is concerned, cheese with an abnormally high water content, 

 or made from bad flavored milk will develop a better flavor at low temperatures 

 than at higher ones. On the other hand a cheese with an abnormally high water 

 content will develop a better texture at high temperature than lower. Owing to 

 the excessively mild flavor produced at low temperature, the highest as well as 

 the lowest scoring cheese were those ripened at ordinary temperatures. 



v. MANUTACTURE OF SAGE CHEESE. 



The manufacture of sage cheese is now carried on in a limited way only and is 

 restricted to certain localities, yet a great many people are exceedingly fond of it, 

 and will pay from one to two cents per pound more for it than for ordinary cheese. 



Sage cheese is made exactly the same as cheddar differing from It only in 

 possessing a sage flavor which Is imparted in one of three ways: (1) By adding 

 the sage extract or tea to the milk; (2) by adding the extract to the curd before 

 salting; (3) by adding the sage leaves to the curd before salting. 



The addition of sage tea or extract to the milk is objectionable, requiring too 

 much sage, 10 to 12 ounces for one thousand pounds of milk. 



The addition of extract to the curd gave entirely satisfactory results when the 

 extract v/as not too dilute and when added very cautiously to prevent waste. 

 The amount of sage required was six or seven ounces for the curd from a thousand 

 pounds of milk. 



The most satisfactory method was the addition of the sage leaves to the curd 

 requiring the least amount of sage, three ounces beln-^- sufficient f o • the curd from 

 a thousand pounds of milk. By this method the sage is weighed, the st ms all 

 picked out and the leaves finely powdered. The powdered leaves are added just 

 before salting. 



VI. GASSY MILK. 



No trouble is more frequent in a cheese factory and none more difficult to 

 handle than gassy milk and consequent floating curds. Observation shows that 

 a great share of the cheese made during the summer months Is of inferior quality 

 because the action of the gas germs has not been prevented. In the educational 



