THE DAIRY. 251 



but it is objectionable for the reason that it contracts the tissues in the membranes of the 

 stomach, and thus prevents the ready escape of its strength. A brine containing about five 

 per cent, of salt or, say, a pint of salt to a pailful of water will soak out the strength 

 quicker and more completely than either a strong brine or pure water. Brine, however 

 strong, does no injury to the active agency in rennet. It may be salted to saturation, and 

 in excess of saturation, without impairing its power in the least. The only objection to 

 making the brine too strong is, that it hinders the separation of the rennet s strength; there 

 fore, soak in a weak brine first a pint of salt to about twelve quarts of water and, after 

 the strength is out, throw away the rennet skins, and put into the liquid all the salt it will 

 dissolve, and a little in excess, in order to secure its keeping. 



When soaking in weak brine in warm weather, the rennets will soon taint and spoil if 

 kept soaking too long. To prevent this, soak in a small amount of weak brine one day, if very 

 warm, or two days, if not very warm, and rub or pound them often. Then turn the liquid 

 into a separate vessel, and salt it to saturation for keeping. This will free the rennets from 

 what would have the strongest tendency to cause tainting. If the rennets are now covered 

 with a new, weak brine, they can be soaked and rubbed twice as long as before without 

 danger of tainting; and by this time their strength will be pretty well exhausted, and they 

 may be well drained and thrown away, or dried for steeping again in cold weather, if desired. 

 Let the second steeping now be turned in with the first, and salted with a little more salt than 

 it will dissolve, and it will be ready for use or for keeping. 



The best time for preparing rennet is in cold weather, when the soaking in weak brine 

 can be carried on as long as desired without danger of spoiling. Only one soaking will then 

 be required. Cold does no injury to them, but, on the contrary, freezing helps very much 

 in liberating their strength. The oftener they are frozen and thawed, the more strength can 

 be got out of them. After the steeping is done, set the liquid in a cool place, and salt to 

 saturation, and stir occasionally, and it will keep almost indefinitely. Rennets enough for a 

 whole season s use may thus be prepared in advance, and save much trouble and waste in 

 preparing them in hot weather. The use of tainted rennets should be carefully guarded 

 against. The practice, quite common, of soaking rennets in whey, either sweet or sour, should 

 be avoided, as the whey invariably tends to the injury of the cheese. Water is the best 

 known agent for preparing rennets, and to it nothing but salt should ever be added. 



Rennets are much more liable to become tainted than salt meats, and should therefore 

 be carefully selected and prepared, as the quality of the rennet affects that of the cheese made 

 from it very materially. The liquid should never be used without first being strained, as 

 small pieces will be liable to be rubbed from the skins and become mixed with the curd. 

 Wooden casks and tubs are objectionable receptacles for soaking rennets, since the wood soon 

 absorbs and holds enough of the liquid to taint the rennets, and no washing or scalding will 

 wholly remove it. Glazed stone ware is the best for this purpose, but care should be used in 

 selecting that the glazing be unbroken, for unless the glazing is perfect on the inside, the 

 slightest break or crack will cause it to absorb the liquid, and soon taint the contents of 

 the jar. 



Quantity and Quality of Cheese. The cheese factories of New York average 

 from the common, ordinary dairy stock, during the entire grazing season, about ten pounds 

 of cheese to one hundred pounds of milk, the cows being fed on grass in the usual way. 

 Although the milk of some cows will produce considerably more than this quantity, and 

 others less, the above mentioned quantity has been found to be about the average standard 

 for cheese in the factories where there is such a large quantity of milk and a mixture of dif 

 ferent qualities from various sources. Cheese that is less firm in texture than that designed 

 for exportation, will contain considerable moisture, and will probably average more than, the 

 abovementioned average. 



