MILK 257 



cheese in the press for about twenty hours; then take it out and 

 salt it. 



Salting. The cheese may be either dry salted or brine salted. 

 Brine salting is the better way. Make a solution of salt and water 

 as strong as it can possibly be made; put the cheese into this brine 

 and sprinkle some salt on the surface which is exposed as it floats. 

 Leave the cheese in brine for two and a half days, turning it over 

 every twelve hours. For dry salting rub salt onto the cheese, and all 

 over it, twice a day for three or four days. 



Curing. Next, put the cheese on a shelf in the cellar for cur- 

 ing. It must be turned and rubbed with the palm of the hand every 

 day for a week or two; after that twice a week will suffice. While 

 curing, cheese should occasionally be wiped with a cloth dampened 

 in warm water, and if it gets a rough rind smooth it by using a brush 

 and warm water. The temperature best adapted for curing is from 

 55 to 65 F., and the air should be as moist as possible. A cellar 

 with a suitable and even temperature and not too dry is therefore a 

 good place for curing. The cheese will be ready for use in from two 

 to four months. The lighter the cheese is salted the sooner it will be 

 ready for use, and the more the curd is cooked the slower it will be in 

 ripening and the longer it will keep. Cheese made as here described 

 is more like the Dutch Gouda than any other of the standard vari- 

 eties. (From a circular issued from the Minnesota Dairy School; 

 Agr. Dep. F. B. 166.) 



Notes for Home Cheese Making. A good vat one that can be 

 kept clean and sweet and large enough to hold whatever milk is to be 

 used at one time. A press ; for the product from five to eight cows, a 

 simple lever with weights. Accompanying the press must be hoops ; a 

 good size is 10 inches in diameter and 8 inches deep, made of heavy 

 tin, edges strong and no top or bottom. A drainer or vessel with per- 

 forated bottom, in which the curd is drained; a large basket will do, 

 lined with strainer cloth. A dozen cloths a yard square. A ther- 

 mometer. A curd knife or knives. These come in pairs, one to cut 

 horizontally and one vertically; but a long, slim knife will dp, or 

 a strong piece of galvanized wire netting, or even a strong strip of 

 tin. A suitable room for curing, with a few smooth, wide shelves on 

 which to cure the cheese. 



Rennet. Use about one tablespoonful of rennet extract for 3 

 gallons of milk. If the curd is over one-half hour in coming, in- 

 crease the quantity of rennet ; if less, decrease it. Rennet tablets may 

 be used. 



Preparation of the Curd. Warm the milk to 85 F., add the 

 rennet and mix thoroughly, then cover and let stand at this tempera- 

 ture for about one-half hour, or until the curd will break, leaving the 

 whey clear. Then cut each way, leaving it in columns about 1 inch 

 square. Now let it stand until the whey rises an inch on top of the 

 curd, then warm the whole gradually, taking two or three hours to 

 reach 98F., lifting and stirring and breaking it gently with the 

 hand all the time until the pieces are about the size of grains of 

 corn. Be very careful not to crush the curd, as that will cause the 



