458 



DOilESTIC ECOXO^^TY. 



[Chap. IV. 



A first-rate clieesc-makcr of Ilerkimer County, jST. Y., gives tlie follow- 

 ing as licr practice : 



"I set the milk at 90 degrees, in -spring and fall, and 80 degrees in hot 

 weather. Heat np three times — first 90 degrees, then 05 degrees, and last 

 100 degrees. I put about one teacupful of salt to sixteen pounds of curd, 

 and use much care in breaking it up and working; cutting at first with a 

 dairy -knife of four blades, and using the knife with one hand during the 

 whole operation, taking particular care not to squeeze the curd in any way, 

 but pass one hand under, and lifting gently, and letting it fall off the hand 

 and between the fingers, and with tlie other keep the knife in motion in the 

 curd, cutting it as fine as possible by the time it is ready for salting. 



" Thought and care are essential in all the various operations. Intense 

 interest and anxiety are necessary in order to do all these things well, for 

 they influence the texture, flavor, and quality of the cheese. 



" Kknket. — ^The stomach of the? calf should be taken when empty (no 

 curd in it) — care taken not to get dirt on it — and, without rinsing or wash- 

 ing, salted inside and out with one teacupfal of salt to a rennet, and placed 

 in an earthen dish. It should lie in the salt two days, then be stretched 

 and dried upon a stick in the form of a hoop. "When dried, take it off the 

 stick, and place it in a tight sack for use. Those prepared one season are 

 not ( o be used till the next. 



""When rennets arc to be used, put thi'ce in an earthen vessel; then take 

 two gallons of water, piit one quart of salt in it, boil and skim, and cool till 

 milk-warm. Then pour it upon them, and in one week the liquor will be 

 fit for use. One teacupful of it will curdle the milk of two milkings from 

 fifteen cows, fit to break up in forty minutes." 



An experienced cheese-maker of Warner, N. H., gives her method as 

 follows: 



"I first scald the tub, then strain the milk into it as soon as brought from 

 milking. Next put in' sufficient rennet, the quantity depending upon the 

 quality to fetch the milk to a curd in from forty to sixty minutes. The curd 

 is then dipped carefull}- into the basket for draining until the next morning. 

 The morning's milk is prepared in the same manner (after the thorough 

 scalding of the tub). The curd, when formed, is dipped in with that of the 

 ju'evious evening ; then left to drain, with an occasional stirring with a knife 

 or slice. I prefer a knife, as it is not so likely to injure the curd. When 

 sufficiently drained, which it will be by nine or ten o'clock if properly at- 

 tended to, I tie together the ends of the cloth, and hang in the cellar until 

 the succeeding day, when the curd of that day is prepared in the manner of 

 the previous day's curd. It is now ready for scalding. I' pour boiling hot 

 water, at the rate of one gallon for ten pounds of curd, into the tub ; next 

 slice in the curd from the basket, handling it carefull}', so as not to disturb 

 the white whey. The curd is next brought from the cellar and sliced in the 

 same manner. It is put in lastly, for being older it does not require as much 

 scalding as the newer curd. I now let it stand from five to ten minutes, 



