4o4 
The Practice of Cheshire Cheese Making. 
milk is heated up to 130° F. by floating the pans ou a boiler of 
hot water as will raise the whole of the milk to 90° F. Where 
vats are in use the night's milk is cooled down, so that it will 
be found at a temperature of 65° to 68° F. in the morning, and 
after the addition of the morning's milk the temperature is 
raised to 90° F. 
The annatto is run in at this stage and well stirred, and the 
rennet added, and another stirring given, sufficient being used 
to produce a curd ready to cut in sixty to seventy minutes. The 
top of the curd is then turned over with the skimmer, and the 
breaking up is proceeded with and carried on until the pieces of 
curd are the size of small peas ; this should take thirty-five to 
forty minutes. The temperature is then raised to 94° or 95° F., the 
mass being kept well stirred until it is thoroughly and uniformly 
heated ; then it is allowed to settle, the curd sinks to the bottom of 
the vat, and is lightly pressed with a board, and it is then gathered 
up to one end and the whey run oif. The development of 
acidity is prevented as much as possible by scattering a few 
handfuls of salt on the curd as the breaking-down proceeds, 
and by drawing the whey as soon as it can be done. Two pieces of 
the racks are then put in the bottom of the vat, covered with cheese 
cloths, and the curd cut into cubes and lifted on them, and 
turned and cut at intervals of twenty minutes. In three-quai-ters 
of an hour it is weighed, broken up by the hands, and salted in the 
proportion of 8 to 9 oz. of salt to 20 lbs. of curd, then allowed 
to stand with a light weight on for about an hour longer, being 
turned over once or twice during that time ; then it is passed 
through the curd mill, filled into vats, lined with cheese cloths, 
carried to the press-house and placed in the cheese oven, and a 
56-lb. weight put upon it. Skewers ai-e inserted through holes 
in the sides of the vat, and every now and then withdrawn and re- 
inserted to facilitate the drainage of the whey. At night the 
cheese is turned into a fresh cloth and put back in the oven ; next 
morning it is again turned, a fresh cloth is used, and it is put 
under press. Each following morning it is turned into a dry 
cloth, and more pressure is applied. In four or five days it should 
cease to drip, and is then taken from under press ; the use of 
skewers continues for the first three days. 
A calico binder is pasted on the cheese, and it is carried to 
the curing-room ; each end is greased twice, as in the medium- 
ripening process, to prevent the rind cracking ; it is turned 
daily for the first week, then every other day for a month, then 
twice a week until the cheese gets firm and set, when once 
weekly suffices until its time comes to be sold. 
The Stilton Cheshire Process. — The practices adopted are to 
