176 MARKET DAIRYING 
to stand quietly at a temperature of about 70 to 75 de- 
grees F. for 24 hours, when a firm curd will have formed. 
The curd is now carefully dumped into a cotton bag or 
strainer and allowed to drain until all free moisture 
has escaped. Salt is next added at the rate of one and 
one-half ounces per ten pounds of cheese. The palat- 
ability of the cheese is much improved by adding a small 
amount of rich cream to it. 
Fairly good results may be obtained by omitting the 
rennet. 
Starter Method. This method yields the highest 
quality of cheese when fine flavored starter is used. Put 
the skim-milk into a vat and sour it with a good starter 
at a temperature of between 90 and 95 degrees F. The 
more starter used, up to 25 per cent, the better the qual- 
ity of the cheese. Thoroughly mix the starter with the 
skim-milk and allow to remain undisturbed until firmly 
curdled. When this stage is reached, cut the curd, the 
same as in cheddar cheese making, and at once begin 
stirring by hand. Raise the temperature to 104 degrees 
F., keeping the curd constantly stirred during the heat- 
ing process. After this the curd should be stirred occa- 
sionally for about 40 minutes, when the whey may b 
drained off. 
The draining is best accomplished in a tin strainer 
covered with a piece of cheesecloth. The curd must be 
hand-stirred as soon as it has been dumped into the 
strainer, but the stirring should be done very gently at 
the start to prevent loss by mashing the curd particles. 
Continue the stirring until the curd is firm enough to pre- 
vent the particles sticking together, which usually re- 
quires about five minutes. As soon as the curd has been 
