CHAPTER XXIV. 



SOFT AND FANCY CHEESE; MAKING. 



There is a rapidly growing demand everywhere for the 

 soft varieties of cheese such as cottage, Neufchatel and 

 cream, and the manufacture of this class of cheese 

 is becoming 1 a very remunerative branch of dairying. 

 The soft varieties of cheese are deservedly becoming pop- 

 ular because of their wholesomeness and palatability. 



COTTAGE CHEESE MAKING. 



Cottage cheese, which is made from skim-milk, may 

 be manufactured in either of two ways, namely, with 

 or without rennet extract. The cheese resulting from 

 the use of rennet extract is finer grained though some- 

 what more acid than that obtained without rennet. 



Rennet Method. When rennet extract is used, the 

 night's separator skim-milk is held at a temperature of 

 about 65 degrees F. until the following morning when 

 it should show about 0.2 per cent acid. The temperature 

 is then raised to 75 degrees F., and rennet extract 

 added to the skim-milk at the rate of one-twentieth of an 

 ounce (about one-half teaspoonful) per hundred pounds 

 'of milk. To insure an even distribution of the rennet, 

 it should be diluted with a cup of water before mixing 

 it with the milk. As soon as the rennet has been thor- 

 oughly mixed with the milk, the latter should be allowed 



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