CHEDDAR CHEESE 315 



sized cheeses lost less weight to 100 Ib. than the smaller-sized 

 ones. 



" Cheese cured at 40 F. was superior in quality to the same 

 kind cured at higher temperatures. That cured at 50 F. was 

 superior in quality to that cured at 60 F. The general aver- 

 ages of the scores at the end of 20 weeks were as follows : 95.7 

 at 40 F., 94.2 at 50 F., and 91.7 at 60 F. The difference in 

 quality was confined in most cases to flavor and texture, the 

 color and finish being little or not at all affected in cheese that 

 was in good condition at the beginning. 



"Of the cheeses made in 1899 those cured at 60 F. and 

 below scored, on the average, almost 5 points higher on flavor, 

 and 2.5 points higher on texture, than those cured at 65 F. 

 and above. In 1900, the average difference in flavor of the 

 lower temperatures was 5.1 points on flavor and 2.7 points on 

 texture. 



"The commercial qualities of the cheese were favorably 

 influenced after six months in the case of those covered with 

 paraffin, especially flavor. The loss of moisture was greatly 

 lessened, amounting only to a fraction of a pound for 100 Ib. 

 of cheese at 40 F. and 50 F., and being only about one-fifth 

 the average loss found at 60 F. with cheese not so treated. 

 The cheeses were also perfectly clean and free from mold, while 

 all the cheeses not treated with paraffin were covered with 

 mold. 



"Curing cheese at low temperatures increases the amount 

 of cheese to sell, by preventing loss of moisture, and covering 

 cheese with paraffin increases still more the yield of marketable 

 cheese. This saving amounts to several dollars a ton. Also, 

 the improved quality of cheese cured at low temperatures 

 enables such cheese to bring a higher market price." 



The rapidity of ripening is influenced by the temperature 

 of the curing rooms. At temperatures between 60 and 70 

 degrees the casein breaks down rapidly and the cheese may be 



