328 CREAMERY BUTTER MAKING 



Continue the stirring until the curd is firm enough to 

 prevent the particles sticking together, which usually 

 requires about five minutes. As soon as the curd has 

 been stirred dry enough it is wrapped in the cloth strainer 

 and squeezed with the hands until most of the free whey 

 has been removed, that is, until it is dry enough to per- 

 mit granulating it to fine particles by rubbing with the 

 hands. 



When the curd has been squeezed dry enough and thor- 

 oughly granulated by rubbing and stirring with the hands, 

 it should be salted at the rate of about one and one-half 

 ounces of salt per ten pounds of curd. After salting the 

 curd is soaked with skim-milk or milk ; or where a high 

 quality of cheese is desired a thin cream should be used. 



The amount of milk used for soaking varies somewhat 

 from day to day, depending upon the amount of moisture 

 left in it at the time of salting. The rule to follow is to 

 leave the curd fairly moist, but not so moist as to have 

 the milk drip from it. 



If the cheese is intended for bakers, it need not be 

 squeezed and soaked as above described. It is simply al- 

 lowed to drain until enough moisture has been removed 

 to permit packing it. 



Marketing Cottage Cheese. Where cottage cheese is 

 made on a fairly extensive scale most of it is packed in 

 sixty-pound tubs in the same manner as butter. Dealers 

 buying the cheese either retail it from the tubs or sell it 

 to bakers. In some cases it is packed in small paste- 

 board boxes holding from one to two pounds. Others 

 mold the cheese into prints with a butter printer and 

 wrap it in parchment paper. The prints are often cut in 

 two before wrapping, thus making half-pound packages. 



