METHODS OF MANUFACTURING CHEDDAR 75 



curd, compressing it tightly in the hand, drying 

 it on a cloth, and then applying it firmly to a 

 bar of iron heated to black heat, and gently 

 drawing it away. If acid enough, the curd 

 attenuates to fine threads of |-inch length. 

 If not acid enough, it will not so attenuate ; if 

 too acid it attenuates to a greater length. The 

 sufficiently scalded curd is allowed to pitch for 

 a quarter of an hour, and then a rack is put on 

 and weighted with a 56-lb. weight. Thus the 

 curd remains until it is consolidated or begins 

 to mat. It is then cut up the centre with a long 

 knife, rolled to the upper end of the vat, and the 

 racks and weights placed on as before. Draw 

 off the whey, remove the weights from the 

 curd, cut it up and spread it on the bottom of 

 the vat. 



PACKING AND " CHEDDARING." Replace the 

 curd in a square block in the bottom of the vat, 

 sweep up all the crumbs, re-weight and allow 

 to remain ten minutes. Cut into bricks and 

 remove to the curd-sink ; cover with dry cloths 

 and put on the weights. Open and turn every 

 twenty minutes, turning the outside of the curd 

 within. When the curd is firm and tough, cut it 



