SOFT CHEESES RIPENED BY BACTERIA 145 



factory when they are eight to ten weeks old. They are 

 then placed in cold storage, which checks the action of 

 the ripening agents and so lengthens the commercial life 

 of the cheese. 



163. Marketing and qualities of Limburger. As 

 shipped from the factory, each cheese is wrapped in 

 heavy manila paper and frequently also in tin -foil. The 

 cheeses are packed in boxes which hold forty-eight. 

 Each cheese weighs about two pounds. 



Limburger cheese should be regular in shape. The 

 rind should not be cracked or broken nor the sides bulged, 

 nor should it be lopsided. It should have the pronounced 

 characteristic flavor, without other objectionable flavors 

 due to undesirable fermentations. The body should be 

 uniform throughout. It is common to find cheeses that 

 have not a uniform body, due to lack of curing ; a small 

 part of the interior at the center will be hard and not 

 cured, while the remainder of the cheese will be soft and 

 buttery. The color should be uniform. When not en- 

 tirely cured, the uncured part at the center is usually of 

 a lighter color. 



The cheese should contain the proper amount of 

 salt. The most common defect is in the flavor. If the 

 milk is not free from bad odors and flavors, these are 

 apt to be more pronounced in the cheese than in the milk. 

 .(For care of milk see Chapter II.) Gas-forming fer- 

 mentations are very bad in this variety of cheese as they 

 cannot be controlled and give the cheese a bad flavor 

 and a " gassy body." When a cheese is gassy, the sides 

 are most liable to be bulged and the body is full of gas 

 holes or pockets. Another defect is a sour cheese. This 

 is caused by the development of too much acid in the 

 milk or during the manufacturing process. A sour 



