s, 5 



much old milk, less rennet will he required, if there is much new 

 milk, more will he needed. If it is desired to have the ch< 

 rapidly m.iture, ahout double the quantity is used, hut, when this is 

 done, the cheese must he sold and consumed quickly, as otherv. 

 it will get hard and dry. 



When the prepared rennet is used, from six to eight ounces to 

 the 100 gallons is an average amount, but when home made rennet 

 is used only practice will tell how much is needed. Before adding the 

 rennet to the milk mix it with about double the quantity of warm 

 water, then add it to the milk and mix thoroughly and rapidly. 

 Allow the milk to sett e and then keep the surface gently 

 in motion until it begins to thicken. By doing so it will keep the 

 cream from rising to the surface and afterwards being lost in the 

 whey. The vat should then be covered with the cheese cloth and 

 allowed to remain for about forty minutes, when it should be ready 

 for cutting. 



To tell if the curd is properly set, put a piece of wood into it 

 about as thick as a linger and push it along ; if the curd threads in 

 long lines before it, it is quite ready for cutting ; if it gives, and is 

 soft, it is not long enough set. 



The horizontal curd knife is first used trom end to end of the 

 vat, and then the vertical knife, both across and lengthwise. The 

 curd is now allowed to settle, and the whey to rise, for about live 

 minutes. Heat is then added, and the whole slowly heated up to 

 100 degrees Fahr., stirring it almost constantly all the time to keep 

 it from sticking together. This process is called cooking the curd. 



In the early stage the curd is soft, and requires careful handling, 

 but, as the cooking goes on, the curd grows hrmer and begins to 

 contract in si/e as the ,vhey is being gradually expelled. The time 

 that is required to cook the curd will vary from half an hour to 

 several h urs, and until the cooking is complete the temperature 

 must be kept up to 100 degrees Fahr. To tell when the curd 

 is properly cooked and when it has reached the proper stage of 

 acidity is one of the most important things in cheese making. 

 When the curd is first cut the whey is sweet and sugary, but, as the 

 cooking process goes on, this sweet taste is gradually lost, and the 

 whey becomes slightly acid. It is just at this stage that the cooking 

 in the vat is stopped, and the whey allowed to run off. This is 

 generally done by means of a tap with a strainer, or with a syphon. 

 A cheese cloth is then put over the strainer and the curd is put on 

 it and all the whey allowed to drain off. In order to do this freely, 

 the curd is kept constantly turned and not allowed to cake. When 

 it has cooled to about 68 degrees Fahr., it is salted at the rate of 

 about 2?, pounds of salt to 100 gallons of milk. The curd is now 

 ready for the press, and is put into hoops, and slight pressure 

 applied, which will force the whey gradually out. As the whey 

 escapes the pressure can be increased until the whey stops coming. 

 After this the curd is taken out of the hoop and a muslin bandage 



