Swiss and Edam. 201 
as nearly uniform in size as possible, and then heated, 
with careful stirring and attention, up to 135° or 
140° F. After heating, the curd is allowed to sink 
to the bottom of the vessel in a solid mass, and 
while in this condition the bandage is slipped around 
it and the whole mass of curd conveyed to the 
hoops, where it is pressed. In the subsequent curing 
the curd is usually salted from the outside of the 
cheese as it is curing, and during the curing pro- 
cess certain fermentations go on which produce large 
holes in the cheese. These holes in perfect cheese 
should be uniform in size and at equal distances from 
one another. The casein itself breaks down into a 
cheese of solid, uniform texture and characteristic fla- 
vor. It has been asserted that the characteristic fla- 
vors of the Swiss cheese are due to the character of 
the Alpine pastures upon which the cows feed, but it 
is altogether likely that the curing fermentations have 
as much or more to do with developing these flavors. 
Edam.—This cheese is made in Holland, and is 
pressed in round balls of four to six pounds weight, 
which, when ready for shipment, are colored red with 
annatto or beet root and wrapped in tin foil. Edam 
cheese is made from milk not very rich in fat. Often- 
times partially skimmed milk is used, and in other 
cases a considerable amount of fat escapes in the 
whey during the process of manufacture. The curd 
is made very dry and the curing process is rather 
slow, so that the resulting cheese is very hard, and 
will keep unchanged almost indefinitely ; but while 
it is hard, the curd is thoroughly broken down by 
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