31 G CATTLE AND DAIRY FARMING. 



telmatt. The most important of these cheeses is considered the Em- 

 inenthaler, which is generally made of whole milk (Fettkase), that is, 

 milk which lias not been skimmed. These are of the largest-sized 

 cheese made in Switzerland, and weigh from 75 to 125 pounds; the 

 diameter is from 3 to 4J feet. In some of the very large factories cheese 

 is made in the morning and in the evening from fresh milk. The 

 usual custom, however, is to make but once a day, in the morning, and 

 for this purpose the evening's milk which has been set is skimmed in the 

 morning and poured into the large kettles. To this cream is sometimes 

 added the fresh morning milk, and the whole heated up to about 107 

 to 112 F., during which time it is well stirred until no more flakes of 

 cream can be seen on the surface. At the highest temperature the 

 evening skim-milk should be added and the heating stopped at a tem- 

 perature of 8G to 980. 



The rennet used is sometimes milk- vinegar, and sometimes pieces of 

 calve's stomachs, steeped for twenty-four hours in whey, which is thor- 

 oughly mixed with the milk. In thirty- five or forty minutes the milk gets 

 thick and is coagulated, when it is cut up into squares with a wooden knife, 

 after which a shallow wooden bowl with a handle is used to break the 

 curd evenly into pieces about the size of small apples. At this stage a 

 curd-breaker is used to break the curd into small pieces about the size 

 of peas, when the breaking is stopped and the curd allowed to settle for 

 ten or fifteen minutes, after which a fire is again started under the ket- 

 tles and the whole stirred until a temperature of about 140 is reached, 

 when the kettle is taken from the fire and the stirring continued until 

 the curd is ripe. The mode of testing differs among the cheese-makers. 

 Some squeeze between their fingers and others bite the curd. Curd to 

 be properly " ripened" should be stirred from an hour to an hour and a 

 quarter, and a minute or two before the stirring ceases it should be 

 stirred so rapidly that a sort of funnel to the bottom of the kettle is formed , 

 which makes the curd settle more compactly and be more easily taken 

 out with a cloth. The cake is formed by the curd being placed in a cloth, 

 incased with a hoop the width it is desired that the cheese to have 

 depth. 



Sometimes regular cheese presses somewhat like the American press 

 is used, and sometimes a weight or derrick press ; about 17 or 18 pounds 

 of pressure to 1 pound of cheese for twenty-four hours is employed, when 

 the cheese is taken out and put in the cemented cellar to cure. During 

 the process of curing the cheese is rubbed daily with salt for two or 

 three weeks, when the cheese is taken from the cellar to the cheese room 

 above ground, where the salt rubbing is resumed every other day fora 

 few months, when the salting is less frequent. For large cheese often a 

 year and sometimes a longer period is required before it is ripe or may 

 be used. From 4 to 5J per cent, of salt is required. 



Good Emmenthaler cheese, when ripe, should be a compact mass with- 

 out cracks, but when tested on the inside should contain round small 

 holes about the size of peas, which must contain a little liquid. These 

 holes should be evenly distributed all through the cheese. The cheese 

 ought to melt on the tongue without leaving any small crumbs and 

 have an agreeable, sweet taste. 



Nagerlcase, or skim-milk cheese, is generally made in the winter when 

 little milk is at disposal, and the process is similar to the Emmenthaler, 

 except the milk is skimmed and more rapidly cooked without the but- 

 ter substance, which makes it harder and tougher. 



Gruydre cheese is also made very like the Emmenthaler except the 

 rennet is added at a lower temperature, say 86 F. 



