An American on Cheese Making.

Southland Times, Issue 9164, 13 March 1886, Page 4

An American on Cheese Making.

♦ Mr U..D. Curtis, writing on cheese-making In the Rural New Yorker, makes the followlug remarks on pressing and curing curd : — ' It is not safe to put a curd to press at a temperature much above 80 degrees. A degree or two might not do much harm in cool weather, or in a cool press room, but in warm weather it is safer to go bslow than above 80 degrees,* If the curd is too warm, there is danger that the cheese will heat and taint in tbe centre, especially if lactic fermentation is not much advanced, or completed, before tbe curd is put to press. As a rule, I think it better to give plenty of time for acid fermentation to take place in the curd before pressing. But much depends on circumstances and the character of the caring room. With curing rooms whose tempsrature ranges up and down with the thermometer outside. it is absolutely necessary that the acid fermentation should be completed, or far advanced, before the curd is put to press, But with a curing room in which the temperature can be kept steady where wanted, one can do About as he please;, and put the curd to press almost any tima after it ia firm enough, regardless of the stage of lactic fermentation. I have seen a cheese of excellent quality and eufflcieat firmness made from a curd that was put to press perfectly aweeb and cured in a steady temperature of 64 or 65 degrees. Had this chaete been put into an ordinary curing jfoom, it would hava swelled badly, from the rapid gestrstioa of gas by fermentation, end gone all oat of shape, besides soon going of! Savour. But es It was, shape and flavour were retained perfectly &t the end of three months, and there was ao siga of buffing at anytime. / "where the temperature or the curing room is high and changeable, the curd thould be &Uowed to stand until pin-holes sppear in the lumps when cut with a sharp knife. It has foimerly btea snpposed that this p^n-hole appearance was found only in floating curds, or these made from tainted mi k and closely approaching this condition ; bat I have good authority for saying that any curd, however sweet the milk from which it is made, will have the pin-holes in tbe lump?, if sliowed to stand ions? enough for the lacac fermentation to get sufficiently advanced; but I do not give this of my own knowledge, although I believe it will be found to be true. It is safe, however, to let the lactic acid develop before putting the curd to press ; but this develop, ment of acid must take place after the whey is drawfy and neier in the whey, if the best results are aimed at. This will guard against some of the evils cf improper curing rooms, which are the rule throughont the country, More attention should be paid to constructing curing roomaso that the temperature will be perfectly under cnn'sol. The range ought tot to bs more Ihaa five degree?, and lea de« grees is the cstrcme limit that should be tolerated.. Tbe temperature for curing whole jnllk cheeae bbould bs 65 to 70 degrees. Tbe curing for the fiiafc tea days should be at 85 decrees J after thst the temperature may Ganges Httla cipher, up to fo degrees, and, finally, perbspp, 76 ckgrsre. ekimmed milk Cheese works slower aod requires a higher tempera' us s \ from 75 to 80 degrees will do teiyxWell j bnt, ali the same, the temperature ihould^s con hoi! able and kept even and .Steady. Tbe importance of good rennet and proper curirg is underrated by the cheese ; makers of the country. They are too careless &bout thess things, and in too much of a hurry, both ia the operations of making and •marketing iheir cheese. A great reform lies in. this direction.