1910.] Camembert and Other Soft Cheeses. 



375 



skim milk are required for each dozen cheeses. Camemberts 

 are usually sold retail at jd. or 8d. each, and the maker 

 realises a really good price for the milk used in their manu- 

 facture. 



The milk is received uncooled direct from the cow. Milk 

 that has been cooled does not make good Camembert 

 cheeses. If separated milk is added, it should be perfectly 

 sweet and fresh and free from froth. The milk is strained 

 into wooden tubs provided with close-fitting lids; tubs of a 

 correct size hold six gallons each. Metal vessels should not 

 be used, or the outside portion of the curd will get chilled, and 

 this chilled and soft curd causes irregularity in the cheeses 

 afterwards. A six-gallon setting tub will hold sufficient 

 milk to make two dozen cheeses if the two-curd system, 

 which is the best, be employed. The cheeses are sometimes 

 finished at one operation, but the two-curd system is prefer- 

 able — half of the curd being filled into the moulds in the 

 evening, and the other half the following morning.* 



The milk is usually renneted at a temperature of from 

 8o° to 82 0 F., and J c.c. of rennet of a standard brand per 

 gallon of milk is added so as to produce perfect coagulation 

 in from 2 to 2J hours. The rennet should be mixed with 

 six times its volume of water and be thoroughly stirred into 

 the milk. 



The milk is stirred gently and carefully at first to prevent 

 the rising of the cream. If the cream be allowed to 

 rise during coagulation it will show in streaks in the body 



* The two-curd system is considered preferable for the following reasons : — If 

 made of two curds the cheeses drain better, and there is less loss through oozing of 

 the curd from the forms or hoops. There is also no need to wait for the curd 

 to settle and chill before the hoop is completely filled. If the moulds are altogether 

 filled at one operation the lower portion of the curd is subject to too much pressure, 

 and irregularity in the moisture content of the cheese will ensue. Another most 

 important point in favour of the two-curd system lies in the application of salt. 

 It is necessary to salt these cheeses twice with an interval of six or eight hours 

 between each salting. If the cheeses are made in two operations the lower 'or 

 older portion is turned up and salted first, and by the time the salt has dissolved the 

 newer surface will be ready to be salted and it will then be almost identical as regards 

 age, acidity, etc., with the first-made curd, whereas if the cheese has been made 

 of one curd only and an interval allowed between the salting of the two surfaces — 

 which, if the salting is to be properly accomplished, is absolutely necessary — then 

 it follows that the top and bottom will differ in acidity and one side of the cheese 

 will ripen differently from the other. In cheeses made of one curd only it is 

 often found that the last salted side fails to mould and ripen at all, because it has 

 been too sour and draining has proceeded too far. 



