FARM DAIRYING 



RENNETING 



For every 25 pounds of milk use one teaspoon- 

 ful of rennet. Try to get the rennet at a cheese 

 factory; junket or rennet tablets, such as druggists 

 sell, are often not satisfactory. Dilute the rennet 

 in a pint of cold water and pour it in a stream up 

 and down the milk, stirring well all the time and 

 continue stirring two or three minutes. Cover 

 the vat to keep the milk warm. 



Try the milk occasionally to see when it has 

 sufficiently coagulated, by inserting the index finger 

 into the curd and with the thumb making a dent 

 or slight cut in the curd just at the base of the 

 finger; then slowly moving the finger forward, if 

 the curd breaks clean like a firm but tender custard, 

 it Is ready to cut. The time from setting or 

 adding the rennet to cutting is usually about twenty 

 minutes. The older or riper the milk, the more 

 quickly the rennet will act upon it. Over-ripe milk 

 will give a dry, acidulous cheese. 



CUTTING THE CURD 



If you expect to make much cheese I would 

 advise getting a set of curd knives. Use the hori- 

 zontal knife first, cutting slowly lengthwise of the 

 vat. Then with the perpendicular knife cut cross- 

 wise and afterwards lengthwise of the vat. This 



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