CHEESE. 321 



when a handful is squeezed. It is then ready to salt. It is 

 cooled to 80° F. betore salting. It a fast-curing cheese is wanted 

 use 2 lbs. per 100 lbs. of curd, 2j lbs. are used for a medium 

 cheese, 3 lbs. for a slow-curing cheese. The curd should be spread 

 out. at an even thickness and the salt applied evenly. It should 

 then be thoroughly stirred several times. 



As soon as the harsh feeling has left the curd it is ready to go 

 to press. The screw should be turned slowly, but fast enough so 

 that a stream of brine is kept flowing. The full pressure should 

 not be applied for ten minutes. In an hour the bandages can 

 tc turned down, and full pressure is then applied. The Helmer 

 continuous-pressure gang-press is the most satisfactory, as the 

 cheese will not loosen during the night. The next day the 

 cheese are placed on the shelves and the rinds greased. They 

 should be turned and rubbed every day. The temperature 

 of the curing-room should be 60° to 65° F., and moisture should 

 be supplied in dry weather. The cheese are boxed and shipped 

 in about a month. 



B. Cheese Made on the Farm. 



For a farm dairy it will be much easier to make up sweet-curd 

 cheese than sour-curd cheese, described in the preceding. For 

 this purpose it is necessary to have a curd-knife, a cheese-vat, 

 and a cheese-press; the method of procedure is as follows: 



The milk, which must be clean and sweet, is heated to 90° F., 

 and if any artificial color is required it is added at this time. 

 Set the milk with enough rennet extract to coagulate in 20 to 30 

 minutes. About four ounces of Hansen's rennet extract per 

 1000 lbs. of milk will prove a sufficient amount. 



As soon as the curd will break over the finger cut it fairly 

 fine; then raise the temperature one degree in 3 minutes until 

 108°' F. is reached, at the same time stirring carefully to keep 

 the curd particles apart. Hold at 108° F. till the curd is firm, that 

 is, till the pieces do not feel mushy. Then draw the whey and 

 stir till the whey is well drained out. Salt at the rate of 2I lbs. 

 of s dt to 100 lbs. of curd, and when the salt is well worked in 

 it may be put to press. It will, however, improve the quality if 

 kept warm and allowed to stand a number of hours before salting 

 and pressing. Ths cheese should be cured in a room (preferably 



