EXPERIMENTS IN CURING CHEESE AT 

 DIFFERENT TEMPERATURES/== 



L. L. VAN SLYKE, G. A. SMITH and E. B. HART. 



SUMMARY. 



(i) Object of Experiment. — The investigation was undertaken 

 by the Dairy Division of the U. S. Department of Agriculture v\^ith 

 the cooperation of this Station, its object being to study on a com- 

 mercial scale, under commercial conditions, the influence of different 

 temperatures upon cheese during the curing process. 



(2) Plan of Experiment. — Cheese was secured, representing the 

 product of the States of New York, Pennsylvania and Ohio, and 

 placed in cold storage at the temperatures of 40° F., 50° F, and 

 60° F. These were examined commercially by a committee of ex- 

 perts when first placed in cold storage and later after being in cold 

 storage 10, 20, 28 and 35 weeks. Cheeses of different size were 

 used, weighing 70, 65, 45, 35 and 12.5 pounds. Also, in one case, 

 cheeses were covered with coating of paraffin. Chemical analyses 

 were made at intervals. 



(3) Loss of Weight. — The loss of weight increased with increase 

 of temperature, being on an average in 20 weeks 3.8 pounds per 100 

 pounds of cheese at 40° F., 4.8 pounds at 50° F. and 7.8 pounds at 

 60° F. The large-sized cheeses lost less weight per 100 pounds than 

 the smaller-sized ones. 



(4) Results of Scoring Cheese. — Cheese cured at 40° F. was 

 superior in quality to the same kind cured at higher temperatures. 

 That cured at 50° F. was superior in quality to that cured at 60° F. 

 The general averages of the scores at the end of 20 weeks were as 

 follows : 95.7 at 40° F., 94.2 at 50° F. and 91.7 at 60° F. The differ- 



*A reprint of Bulletin No. 234. 



