PROCESS OF MAKING 369 



For cutting, regular cheese knives are best, one with hori- 

 zontal blades and one with perpendicular blades. In case it is 

 intended to make only a few cheeses a wire bread toaster or a 

 coil of clean hay wire may be used, the wires being about half 

 an inch apart. The cut is first made lengthwise, then crosswise 

 of the vat or boiler until the curd is cut into cubes about the 

 size of small kernels of corn. 



After the cutting is finished the curd is gently stirred by 

 hand for about three minutes, then heated slowly to 98 or 100 

 degrees, constantly stirring gently while the curd is being heated ; 

 the curd is kept at this temperature for about forty minutes. 

 To tell when the curd is sufficiently cooked a handful is squeezed 

 gently, held for a moment, then the hand is opened and if the 

 curd falls apart it is firm enough. As soon as the curd is suffi- 

 ciently cooked the whey is drawn off and the mold is filled by 

 taking a double handful at a time and pressing gently into the 

 mold, continuing until the mold is full and well rounded up. 



Fig. 122. — A simple cheese press for farm dairy cheese making. 



The cheese curd is then taken out of the mold and turned 

 upside down and replaced The cover is put on and the whole is 

 put into the press, which may be a simple, old-fashioned lever 

 press, illustrated in the accompanying cut (Fig. 122). The 

 stick should be about twelve feet long. A broken wagon tongue 

 or fence rail answers the purpose very well. A pail containing 

 a few cobble stones will answer for a weight. Regular Gouda 

 molds are best, but any tin or wooden receptacle will answer 

 if small holes are made in it to permit the whey to escape. The 

 cheese should be from eight to ten inches in diameter and about 

 three or four inches high. The box upon which the mold is to 

 be placed is set about three feet from a wall, post or tree on 



