272 Milk and Its Products 



In order to obviate the difficulties that arise from 

 leaving too much whey in the curd and still make a 

 cheese of soft texture, the practice of "washing" or 

 "soaking" curds has come into use. ' An ordinary 

 cheddar or stirred-curd is made, making it dry and firm. 

 When ready for the press the curd is immersed in cold 

 water (60 F.) for fifteen to forty minutes. The water 

 acts to remove bad flavors that may have been pres- 

 ent in the milk and the curd swells and absorbs a 

 considerable amount of water. The resulting cheese 

 has a soft melting texture but the flavor is usually 

 deficient or no better than would have resulted from 

 leaving too much whey in the curd. 



Because of the larger amount of water it contains, 

 this kind of cheese is profitable to the producer of 

 the milk and to the manufacturer, and when properly 

 made and carefully cured, it may be of excellent 

 quality, being mild, creamy and soft; but largely, 

 too, because of the large amount of water contained 

 in it, it is easily subject to decomposition changes, goes 

 off flavor rapidly, and does not bear transportation well. 



Sage cheese. In many parts of the United States this 

 cheese is very popular for local consumption. Its 

 manufacture is not different from the ordinary type of 

 cheese, either cheddar or stirred-curd, but an infusion 

 of sage leaves, or sage extract (in which latter case the 

 green color is secured by an infusion of fresh leaves of 

 any inert plant, as clover, green corn, etc.), is added to 

 the milk before the rennet coagulation, and imparts a 

 light greenish color and characteristic flavor to the curd . 

 Ordinarily, where sage cheese is made, the sage is 



