368 FARM DAIRY CHEESE (GOUDA) 



air can pass through the milk aud carry off the animal odor. 

 The m-ilk is then poured into the vat, or if no vat is available a 

 large wash boiler may be used. It is not necessary to use cheese 

 color, but if it is desired that the cheese look rich about a tea- 

 spoonful of cheese color to sixteen gallons of milk may be used. 

 The color is best mixed by means of a large dipper, filling it 

 half full of milk, mixing the color thoroughly in it and stirring 

 it into the milk. 



At this point the milk is heated, if necessary, to make certain 

 it has a temperature of 86 to 89 degrees. It may be heated 

 by setting it on the stove for a short time, stirring continually. 

 Hot water must not be added to warm milk, it retards greatly 

 the rennet action. The rennet extract at the rate of one ounce 

 to a hundred pounds or twelve gallons of milk is now added. 

 It should first have been diluted in about ten times its bulk of 

 cold water before adding. It must be well stirred into the milk. 

 The milk should begin to curdle in from ten to twelve minutes. 



If rennet tablets are used to curdle the milk it is best to 

 use one small tablet for every five gallons of milk, or one large 

 tablet to twenty-five gallons of milk. Small tablets are about 

 the size of a dime; large tablets are about the size of a silver 

 quarter of a dollar. The rennet may be procured from any 

 creamery supply house. 



To add the rennet, if tablets are used, the required amount 

 is first dissolved in a small quantity of cold water and then 

 poured into the milk. Great care should be taken not to have 

 the milk at a temperature below 86 degrees when the rennet is 

 put in, and it should not be above 90 degrees afterward. The 

 milk must now be stirred gently for two or three minutes, then 

 let stand until the curd is firm enough to cut. To ascertain when 

 the curd is ready for cutting the index finger is inserted into the 

 milk at an angle of forty-five degrees until the thumb nail 

 touches the milk, a slight notch is then made in the curd with 

 the thumb, then the finger is gently raised ; if the curd breaks 

 clean across it without many flakes remaining on the finger it 

 is ready for cutting. With a little practice one will soon know 

 when the curd mass is ready to cut. 



