Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1871-07-15
:2;05;;
markets of Great Britain.

was little understood and less prhctced
The fear of having sour cheese had deferred
cheese-makcrs from vcnturing into this un-
explored and forbidding field Of inquiry
The cheese generally produced mt that time
was full of holes, and if not used when about
thirty days old, it speedily took on n sharp
pungent, acrid flavor, very Objectionable to
those whose tastes in cheese arc educated to
appreciate II really fine article.
Thoughtful cheese makers noticed that
sour cheescs We're invariably solid-vcry
nearly or quite free from these pores or holes
and this observation led them ut length
gradually to experiment and see whether
this same acidity, which in the form of sour
cheese was very Objectionable and damaging,
might not be used to advantage if carried to
II certain limit and kept well under control.
The result was successful beyond the high
est expectations of the few hecse-makers
who here and there had been investigating
the matter and eventually there was wrought
II revolutions quiet and transformations, and
yet real and widespread, in the system of
cllresc-mahing in the best DAIRY regions, and
in the principles governing that system At
first the idea met with opposition, sometimes
with rdicule, but it has won its way into al-
most universal practice.
\ proper degree of acidity or sourn9 or
"changng" in the curd before removing il
from the whey, or ut least before sailing, re-
suits in II cheese close and solid IN texture,
purer and cleaner in flavor. and of a charac-
ter to retain that purity of flavor in our warm
climate. Il much longer time than it other
wise would. With such cheese, too, there is
far less trouble from hufling or bulging and
from getting out of shape, than with softer
descriptions of cheese. OF course it is fine
point TO he able to tell precisely the condi-
ton of the curd at this stage, and to know
Just how far it is safe to allow the acidity to
advance. And it is lIst here that bungling
and incompetent makers fail, and it is here
that the arguments of those who consider
cheese making merely II mechanical opera
ton, are retuted.
To the second question advanced by this
cheese maker. | will give moments atten-
ton. Ordinarily the hardening of the curd
takes place ut the same time that the acidity
or change" mildly puts in an appearance.
Indeed the former is an indication of the
presence of the latter. And yet the harden
ing may occur without the souring, ut least
to II good degree, O0r the term hardening is
too general and indefinite II term when up
piled to curd to enable one cheesemakcr to
determine Just what is the condition of II
curd which another maker calls ''hard." I'M
less he can see and handle it, If | was
troubled with curds hardening prcmaturey
would use less heat, and would apply it
very slowly and gradually. Many good
cheese makers believe that II temperature OF
800 to 90 gives better results in cheesenlak-
ing than to warm the curd to $50 or 1000, III
ways provided the milk is in II condition to
give full and ample time in celebrating it in
to cheese.
The third question proposed has been par
tally answered in the remarks that have
preceded. CWds taken out when perfectly
sweet, cure faster than those which are nj
lowed to sour little; indeed. such chccses
are generally fully ripe and ready for the
knife when thirty days old. If not promptly
used then, they deteriorate in quality and as
sumo sharp ilavor-go into IL species of de-
cay, in fact. Checses thus made are quite
unfit for export, but frequently are better
| liked by retailers in our home market than
the closer made and more tasteless ones
which suit the foreign market so well.
Where such chccscs are preferred, and
meet with ready sale and full prices, it is
more profitable to manufacture them, be-
cause Il slightly larger yield of cheese is OBJ
tanned from the milk than by the other pro-
cess. Such is rarely the case, however, and
it is far wiser and more polite for the great
mass of our cheese-makers to seek to raise
the standard of quality rather than to do
| A. II IA.