CHAP. vi. STILTON CHEESE. 331 



till last must not be raised higher than 98. Add the whole of the 

 morning's milk after it has been drawn from the cows half an hour, 

 care being taken that the cream does not rise on the new milk this 

 can be prevented by an occasional slight stirring. 



The milk in the setting-pan should be 84 or 86, according as the 

 outside temperature is high or low at the time the rennet is added. 

 Care must be taken to mix thoroughly, and the pan is covered with a 

 light cloth to prevent the heat escaping. Home-made rennet is 

 usually employed, but Hansen's rennet tablets answer equally as well, 

 though they are more costly./ 



The milk will be coagulated in from ten to fifteen minutes. In two 

 and a half hours from setting, the curd will be ready to put in the 

 draining-trough ; this is done by gently ladling, with a shallow tin 

 bowl holding about half a gallon, the whole contents of the setting- 

 pan into the draining-trough (rods of iron or wood must be placed 

 across the top of the draining-trough to carry the edges of the 

 strainering), in which a piece of ivet strainering about 48 inches square 

 has been previously placed to receive it. One piece of strainer will 

 hold the curd of about seven gallons of milk. 



When the curd is all in the draining-trough, the four corners of the 

 strainer are tied loosely together : the whey remains in the trough half 

 or three-quarters of an hour before drawing off. The curd must then 

 be tied more tightly, which is done by placing the four corners of the 

 strainer together. Very great care must be taken not to crush the 

 curd at any time, or the whey will run white, whereas the main object 

 is to keep the whey as green as possible. 



The tying will need repeating three or four times during the day, 

 until the curd is sufficiently firm to cut into blocks of the size of half 

 a brick, which will be from six to seven hours from ladling. The 

 pieces must be laid over the bottom of the trough, and in two hours 

 each piece must be carefully turned over, and the whole covered with 

 a light cotton cloth until the following morning. It is now ready 

 to put in the mould (or hoop), but, before doing so, the pieces 

 must be broken to the size of a walnut, mixing salt in the proportion 

 of 8 oz. of salt to 30 Ib. of curd. When the hoop is being filled, the 

 curd in the hoop should be occasionally lightly pressed with the hand, 

 and when full it must at once be taken to the draining-room and put 

 in the drainer. Before commencing to fill the hoop it will be 

 necessary to place the latter upon a piece of board, on which to carry 

 it to the drainer ; a sinker made of wood, and just sufficiently large to 

 pass easil} r inside the mould, being placed on the top of the curd. 

 As a rule, no other weight should be used, though sometimes it is 

 necessary to do so. No directions as to weights can safely be given, 

 the knowledge must be gained by experience and observation. 



After standing three hours, the mould containing the cheese must 

 be turned over on its opposite end, the sinker again being placed on 

 the top. This must be repeated at regular intervals three times 

 a day. At each time of turning on the second and two or three 

 succeeding days the cheese must be skewered through the perforations 



