CHEMICAL CHANGES IX RIPENING 343 



cally means' difference in rapidity of loss of mois- 

 ture, the larger cheese retaining its moisture con- 

 tent longer. We should expect, then, to find es- 

 sentially the same differences of ripening in cheeses 

 of different size that we find in cheeses having a dif- 

 ferent moisture content. To make a study of this 

 point, we present on page 342 some data showing, at 

 different stages of ripening, the amounts of derived 

 protein compounds found in cheeses weighing respec- 

 tivety 30 and 10 pounds, approximately. The data 

 represent averages of 4 different lots of cheeses 

 ripened at 55° F. 



An examination of the table shows, in brief, that 

 the larger cheeses contained more moisture after the 

 early stages of ripening and that there was a more 

 rapid increase in the formation of total water-soluble 

 derived proteins, especially of amino acids and am- 

 monia, than in the smaller cheeses. 



Amount of salt and cheese-ripening. — It is a fact 

 that has long been observed by cheese-makers that 

 increase of salt in cheese delays the rapidity with 

 which the cheese becomes marketable, but, until 

 about five years ago, no detailed chemical results 

 were published in relation to the subject. In order 

 to study the influence of salt upon the ripening 

 process in cheese properly made and kept, there 

 were made, as nearly alike as possible, four different 

 lots of cheese under normal conditions. In each 

 lot there were 4 cheeses weighing 30 pounds each, 

 and salt was added to these in proportions varying 

 as follows: No salt, 1.5, 2.5, and 5 pounds of salt 

 for 1,000 pounds of milk. During the ripening, one 

 lot was kept at 32° F., one at 55° F., one at 60° F. 

 and one at 70° F, On page 345 we give the aver- 



