164 CANADIAN DAIRYING. 



CUTTING AND COOKING CURD. 



Curd is cut in order to expel the moisture and to 

 ensure proper and even cooking. The test used to 

 know when the curd is ready to cut is that known as 

 the finger test, by which the forefinger is inserted 

 carefully into the curd and then raised, when, if the 

 curd break clean, it is ready for the knife. The cubes 

 should be even and not over three-eighths of an inch 

 in size. The horizontal knife should be used first 

 lengthwise of the vat; then cut once crosswise and once 

 lengthwise with the perpendicular knife. If the blades 

 are not more than three-eighths of an inch apart, and 

 the cutting is done carefully, it is not necessary to cut 

 any curd more than three times once with the hori- 

 zontal and twice with the perpendicular knife. The 

 blades should be sharp and the knives kept in good 

 repair. The horizontal knife should be allowed to cut 

 its way into and out of the curd that there may be as 

 little bruising of the curd as possible. Careless, rough 

 handling at this stage causes an extra loss of fat and 

 casein equal to about ten pounds of cheese on a vat of 

 6,000 pounds of milk. 



Unless the curd be agitated after the cutting it will 

 mat together, hence the curd should be gently stirred 

 with the hand or by means of agitators soon after 

 cutting. The curd on the sides and bottom of the vat 

 should be in motion before heat is applied or before 

 " cooking " begins. In large factories agitators run by a 

 steam-engine are used. In small factories the hands 

 or some form of curd rake are adopted for agitating the 

 curd. A membrane soon forms on the outside of each 



