CHEDDAR CHEESE 313 



tact into a form which will be convenient for handling. The 

 pressing process also removes any free whey which may be 

 left in the curd. If the temperature of the curd is correct and 

 the pressing properly done, a cheese of close, even texture will 

 result. 



Before putting the curd in the hoops, they should be lined 

 with specially prepared cheesecloth for the purpose of holding 

 the finished cheese in shape and giving an even surface. A defi- 

 nite amount of curd should be weighed into the hoop in order 



Fig. 57. — Sprague cheese press fitted with automatic pressure block. 



to insure the finished cheese being of uniform size, since cheese 

 of uniform size sell better than those which are not. The 

 cheese is now placed in the press and a moderate amount of 

 pressure applied, the amount needed depending on the nature 

 of the curd and the ease with which the pieces may be pressed 

 and cemented together (see Fig. 57). After the cheese has 

 been in the press for three-quarters to one hour, the pieces will 

 be firmly cemented together, and it should then be removed 

 from the hoop and dressed, which consists of removing all 

 wrinkles from the cheesecloth bandage, trimming it so that it 

 will extend about one inch over each end of the cheese and 



