420 MANUAL OF MILK PRODUCTS 



If the milk from a whole day is made into cheese, then it is 

 sufficiently ripe to "set" as soon as the proper temperature has 

 been obtained. On the other hand, if the milk is made into 

 cheese shortly after milking, then the milk should stand not 

 less than an hour at the 86° F. temperature to ripen before the 

 rennet is added. In case this cannot be done, a small amount 

 of good sour milk, buttermilk, or whey may be mixed with the 

 milk from which the cheese is to be made. Do not add more 

 than 2 per cent or more than 2 lb. of the good sour milk to 

 each 100 lb. of cheese-milk. 



The next step is to add the color. Butter color will not do 

 for this. It must be cheese color. The amount to add will 

 vary with the strength of the color and with the demands of 

 the market. The cheese should not be red, nor should it be 

 white. A medium yellow color is liked by most cheese con- 

 sumers. Add from one-half to one teaspoonful (^g- to ^ 

 ounce) to each 100 lb. of milk, and mix thoroughly. 



The amount of rennet to add also varies with many condi- 

 tions, the chief ones of which are the acidity of the milk, the 

 strength of the rennet, and the temperature of the milk. The 

 amount of rennet added should be such that the milk curdles 

 in twenty to thirty minutes. This amount will be about one 

 ounce to 250 lb. of milk. 



When the rennet has been measured out, it should be mixed 

 with about 40 times the amount of cold water. When ready 

 to add the diluted rennet, stir the milk. This is done so that 

 the rennet will be completely mixed before it has a chance to 

 act on any one part of the milk. Continue to stir the milk for 

 about two minutes. Do not disturb the milk while coagulating. 

 Cutting the curd. 



The curd should not be cut till it is reasonably solid. To 

 test when it is ready, insert the forefinger into the curdled milk 

 at an angle of 45 degrees, then slowly lift the finger straight up. 

 If the curd splits smoothly over the finger, then it is ready to 



