New York AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION. 211 
High temperatures cause excessive loss of moisture and result 
in the production of crumbly texture. This condition injures 
the commercial quality of cheese and results in lower prices for 
such cheese. The following figures represent averages taken 
from data given on page 202, Bulletin 184, showing the general 
relation between texture and loss of moisture. 
TABLE VIII.—EFFECT OF TEMPERATURE OF CURING ON TEXTURE AND MOIS- 
TURE OF CHEESE. 
Texture of cheese. Mc isture lost by 160 lbs. 
TEMPERATURE OF CURING-ROOM. (Perfect texture is 25.) of cheese. 
Lbs. 
55 degrees FF, 24.6 8.5 
60 degrees I’. 24.4 9.0 
65 degrees EF, 23.6 9.2 
70 degrees If, 22.0 1052 
75 degrees FP’, 21.4 10.7 
SO degrees F, 20.6 aia 
WHAT PERCENTAGE OF MOISTURE SHOULD CHEESE HAVE? 
Much of the cheese made in New York State contains, in the 
fresh state, from 36 to 37.5 per ct. of water. The home-trade 
cheese, much of which is made in the fall, contains 88 to 40 
per ct. of water. For the average consumer, it is safe to say, 
the amount of moisture in cheese should be not less than 
between 33 and 35 per ct. at the time of consumption. Taking 
everything into consideration, it is reasonable to expect better 
results in reference to quality by holding a moderate amount 
of moisture in the green cheese and so curing as to lose only a 
small amount of water, than by holding an excessive amount 
of moisture in the green cheese and so curing as to lose a 
larger amount of moisture. Some cheese-makers expect that 
they must lose ten pounds of weight per hundred pounds of 
cheese in curing, and they attempt to meet this loss by retain- 
ing 40 per ct. or more of moisture in the cheese. Such a prac- 
tice can not lead to good results from any point of view. 
A fact that should not be lost sight of in this connection is 
this: Cheese cured at such low temperatures as are favorable 
to diminishing the loss of moisture can carry larger amounts of 
moisture from the start without impairing the quality. 
