The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1869-08-13
CHEESE MAKING IN A SNAIL WAY.

Sometimes the farmer who keeps only
q few cows to supply his farm with
milk and butter, would like to make
also few cheeses for his family use.
He does not care to make cheese TO sell,
and therefore hardly feels able TO pur-
chase cheese apparatus and fit up a
dairy house after the most approved
models.
Let us see how cheaply we can ar
range a primitive dairy. If nothing
better is at hand, a common wash-tub,
clean and sweet, will answer the pur-
pose for setting the milk and working
the curds.
A hoop must be had from the cooper
Let it be ten inches in diameter, top
and bottom, by twelve inches high and
fitted by a follower. A very good press
may be made in a few hours from a
twelvc-foot plank and some pieces of
scantling. About a foot from each end
of the plank, set up two short pieces of
scantIing four aud half inches apart.
Fasten them firmly to the plank with
bolts or pins. The lever may be a joist
four by four, or four by six, and some
six feet long. One end is to be secured
by pin passing through the upright at
one end of the plank, and it j. to move
freely up and down between the two
uprights at the other end. A weight
hung at the end of the lever, and you
have press that win do you good SER
vice.
The hoop is placed near the station
put upon the follower and the press
beam let down upon them, and in this
way the cheese is pressed.
A long, thin, wooden knife, will do
for cutting the curds. Now a gallon of
good milk (wine measure) will make
nearly pound of cheese.
Your milk having been placed in the
tub and the number of gallons known,
a portion may be taken out and heated
in pans over common stove. The pan
holding the milk should be set in anoth-
er pan holding water, or over kettle
with water in it, so as not to scorch or
burn the milk in the pan. Heat the
milk and pour into the tub until the
mass indicates a temperature by the
thermometer, fS5o. Then add guam
tity of rennet (Which has been previous
ly prepared by stepping the dry skins or
rennet in water), sufficient to coagulate
the milk, say in forty to fifty minutes.
Now put your finger into the curd,
raise it slowly, and if it readily splits
apart, the mass is ready to cut into
blocks with curd knife. After cutting
into checks two inches square, let it re-
main at rest ten or fifteen minutes for
the whey to form. Then carefully
break with the hands by lifting up the
curds very gently, and when the4nass
has been gone over let it rest for ten
minutes for the curd to subside. Now
dip off portion of the whey into the
pans, and heat on the stove in the same
manner that the milk was warmed. In
the meantime continue breaking the
curd by gently lifting, until the parti-
cles of curd are about the size of small
| chestnuts or large beans. Then pour in
| the warming whey, and continue heat
| ing and adding the warm whey until
the mass indicates temperature of 90
/ degrees.
Do not be in hurry, but take things
| leisurely, continuing the breaking or
| stirring the curds while heat is being
applied. 1t may now be left at rest for
half an hour and then stirred so the par
| ticies will not adhere, and this treatment
continued until the curd has a firm con-
sistency. Take up handful and press
it together in the hand, and if on OPEN
ing the hand it. readily falls to pieces, it
is about ready for draining. Throw a
cloth strainer over the tnb and dip of
the whey down to the curd. Then put
the strainer on willow clothes basket
and dip the curd into it 10 drain. 1t
may now be broken up with the hands,
and when pretty dry returned tothe tub
for salting. Salt at the rate of four and
Eone-haIf ounces of salt to ten pounds oil
curd; mix it thoroughly and put to
press. After remaining from two to
four hours in press, turn and put to
press again, leaving it under pressure
until next morning. when it may be re-
moved to the shell. Small cheeses need
not be bandaged; they should be rub
bed over with little fresh butter melt
ed and applied warm, or with oil
made from the cream that rises from
the whey.-X. Il. Witlord, in HeStey7
Rural.