WHEY. 153 



A very ricli cheese, as old Stilton, may contain about 

 20 per cent, of water, 44 per cent, of fat, and about 29 

 per cent, of casein. In a good Cheddar or Cheshire 

 cheese we should find about 33 per cent, of water, 33 per 

 cent, of fat, 28 per cent, of casein, and about 3 to 4 per 

 cent, of ash constituents, nearly half of which would be 

 common salt. In skim milk cheeses the percentage of 

 water is greater, and that of fat less. Thus a poor single 

 Gloucester may contain 38 per cent, of water, 22 per cent. 

 of fat, and 31 per cent, of casein. In skim milk cheese 

 made in Denmark, from milk from which the cream has 

 been very completely removed by the ice system, only 4 

 or 5 per cent, of fat are present. 



Whey. The whey which drains from the curd in 

 cheese-making is a perfectly transparent liquid, containing 

 the sugar and albumin originally present in the milk ; it 

 should not contain more than a trace of butter. If, how- 

 ever, the curd has been roughly treated, the milk has 

 been rich, and the temperature high, larger quantities of 

 butter will be present, and the cheese suffer in conse- 

 quence. When whey is rich in butter it is generally 

 allowed to stand till the butter has risen j the butter may 

 then be added to the next churning. The average com- 

 position of whey is about as follows: Water, 93*4; 

 albuminoids, 0*9; fat, 0*3; sugar and lactic acid, 4*8; 

 ash, 0*6. The albuminoid ratio is 1 : 5*6. 



Annatto. This is prepared from the pulpy coating of 

 the seeds of Bixa Orellana. The orange colouring 

 matter is soluble in alkalis, and in oil. Solid annatto 

 contains much alkali carbonate, it is therefore soluble in 



