6 CHEESE AND CHEESE-MAKING 



ripening the cheese. In the manufacture of 

 pressed cheese the whey is expelled by cutting 

 the curd and the finer it is cut the larger the 

 surface exposed for its removal, by heating to 

 a high temperature, by the development of 

 acidity which causes the curd to contract 

 and by pressing. In the manufacture of soft 

 cheese, however, the curd is not cut, except in 

 such large slices as are essential for its removal 

 into the moulds ; but the whey drains off slowly 

 by gravitation, and subsequently more is lost 

 by evaporation. The cheese is soft because it 

 retains more water than pressed cheese, while 

 its flavour is largely influenced by the fact 

 that it retains more sugar the sugar being 

 in solution in the whey and because, in con- 

 sequence, more acid (which is produced from 

 the sugar) Is developed. A tender curd, then, 

 such as is generally used in soft cheese-making, 

 is obtained by setting the milk at a low tem- 

 perature and by the employment of a small 

 quantity of rennet. In this way coagulation 

 will be delayed. It is also essential that the 

 milk used should be sweet, for if, as in pressed 

 cheese-making, a portion of the milk used has 



