FANCY CHEESES 359 



centralized factories have been established and much of the milk 

 is collected and there made into cheese. The cheese is then 

 taken to the caves. These are for the most part natural caverns 

 which exist in large numbers in the region of Roquefort. The 

 temperature in these caves is 40 to 45 degrees, and the air cir- 

 culates very freely through them. Recently artificial caves have 

 been constructed and used. When the cheeses reach the caves 

 they are salted, which serves to check the growth of the mold 

 on the surface. One or two days later they are rubbed vigor- 

 ously with cloth and are afterwards subjected to thorough 

 scraping with knives, a process formerly done by hand but now 

 much more satisfactorily and economically by machinery. 

 The salting, scraping, or brushing seems to check the develop- 

 ment of mold on the surface. In order to favor the growth of 

 mold in the interior, the cheese is pierced by machinery with 

 60 to 100 small steel needles, which process permits the free 

 access of air. The cheese may be sold after thirty to forty days 

 or may remain in the caves as long as five months, depending 

 upon the degree of ripening desired. The cheese loses during 

 ripening by scraping and evaporation as much as 25 per cent 

 of the original weight. The weight when ripened is about 4§ 

 to 5 lb. 



THE MANUFACTUKE OF EDAM CHEESE 1 



Edam cheese is a sweet-curd cheese, made from partially 

 skimmed milk. It comes to the market in the form of round, 

 red balls, each weighing from 3 J to 4 lb. when cured. They 

 are largely manufactured in northern Holland and derive 

 their name from a town which is famous as a market for this 

 kind of cheese. 

 Kind of milk used. 



Milk from which one-fourth to one-third of the fat has been 

 removed is used. Too great pains cannot be taken in regard 



1 N. Y . Exp. Sta. Bui. 56. 



