The Rutland weekly globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1876-09-29
FARM AND GARDEN.
The Cheddar Method.

The Cheddar Method
Mr.. John Oliver, of Derbyshire, Eng
land, who has been visiting Herkimer and
Oneida counties, says he thinks as good
cheddar cheese can be made in this coun-
try as in England. He managed a factory
in Derbyshire, England, last year, making
his cheese on the oheddar plan, and selling
1t at greatly advanced price over that
made on the American plan, and he has
proposed TO test his views by making
few cheddar cheese at our factories in Her
kimer county, and thus by forwarding the
goods 10 England in come elton with the
best cheese made on the American plan, at
the same factory, allow the difference, if
any, to be determined in the English mar
kets He kindly furnished us with notes
upon cheddar cheese making at factories,
from which we make up the following
points:
The nights milk is delivered and put in
vats-about half the quantity in each that
will be required for it when set for cOagu-
lation. Then set the agitator at work and
turn on cold water around the milk, cool
ing 1t down during the night to between GO
and 20 deg. Fahrenheit, according to the
state of the atmosphere. The aim of the
maker should be to regulate the cooling
by the indications of the thermometer used |
for giving the heat of the air in the man
ulacturing room. II the latter shows a |
| high temperature, cool the milk TO a lower |
temperature; if low, cool the milk less, |
using less water, or using it a shorter time. |
| In the morning delivery the rakes (agita- |
| tori should not be removed from any vat |
until the whole quantity of milk for that
| vat il in It. The mixture of mornings and
nights milk may be left-if time is not
&c e. NtR
ring with the agtator, exposing II to the
air. 1t is clear that to rob the milk of an
imal heat and odor by exposure to the air
is necessary or accessory to the production
of a fine flavor in cheese Ii 1t be practi-
cable, let the milk both Of morning and
evening be carried from a weighing-can on
an elevation of 8 to 10 feet and allowed to
fall distance OF or 5 feet into the vat
through strainer. If this latter be done,
th fO%s h eeea 9 be sn eir GeS
the whole mass to from 7S TO 80 deg. F.
this also being regulated by temperature of
manufacturing room. stirring the milk all
the time with breaker, not violently, but
sufficiently to expose it TO air ard prevent
cream rising.
Rtnnet is now added, and in the use of
rennet the golden mean should be obtained
-neihe too much heat and not enough
reunet, nor too much Iennet and not sui
fct mt heat, the action of each being totally
different in character. Sour whey is al'o
added-this depending upon the state OF
, the atmosphere and season of the year, less
being used in summer than in spring and
! autumn, as acidity originated by using sour
I whey is Developed more rapidly by hest
than in cold weather, though more applied
p heat will not produce in the milk the same
| OH haNr a
] ranges from one quart to two or three gal
( Ions for every five hundred gallons of milk
under different circumstances. No gener-
: | al rule can be given, In cold weather il is
/ | well to cover the watts at this point with
: | cloths, to assist the cOsgulsIiJn, though the
. cloths should not be thick or very close in
: texture, IN order that the air may have fair
4 access to the milk, the cloth acting like a
resplrator. The windows should be closed
e if near the milk and no heavy draft of air
/ be admitted at this stage, nor, unless in
;, summer, should they be opened again until
= the commencement of the cooling proCe SO.
O.? The room should be ventilated by small
A louvres near the ceiling and as far removed
+ from the milk as possible, the aim being to
y preserve the air fresh and cool without per.
n hitting it to influence by retarding the de.
a velopipg process in the manufacture. Al
20 the expiration of from 45 to GO minutes the
= curd should be formed and fit to operate
a upOn The cheddar knife is now used. L
!. differs from the American knife, there be
" ing but two blades set six inches apart
II The curd is cut across in square checks O
a. six inches each way, and no hOIizonta
ts knife used. The skimming dish, which re
g. sembles somewhat common SKINNER
&c now comes into use. With it the block
of curd are turned over very slowly, caus
-, ing them to split into small pieces and cut
~ ting as little as possible. The use of thi
re- instrument and the breaker must he learne
nd by practice and oral instruction. Ate
rs going over the whole vat two or three times
oh gradually increasing in speed, the skin
nm ming dish is laid aside and the chedda
in breaker is brought into use. This is
.e shovel-shaped implement, with long han
/ ? die, the part corresponding with the blad
,rs of the shovel being of wire, passing throug
OF a light frame OF steel with sharp edges
IN The breaker is held at first in a slautin
ny position and worked slowly about, beln
RI careful to keep it under the surface TO
some time after starting and gradually in
ed creasing the speed according to the state 0
III the curd. If the curd is getting too hard
10 the motion of the breakers should be quick
Nv er, but if there should appear DANCE
~ | of white whey, its action should be slow
th er.
a. The old rule-a reliable one for the pre-
venlion of white whey-is that the cheese
49, maker should be able to see the ref -clio
nd of his figure in the whey ;-as long as sue
A. is the case there need be no fear of whit
r. whey. After breaking the curd down t
a. the size of large peas, the steam is apple,
n. and scalding commences, the breaker nov
be being turned over to scour the bottom o
II the vat and prevent the curd from sinking
nj The heat should be gradually applied, an
q at the close of the process be of from 8
Ie deg. to 100 deg. F., this being regulated b.
the state of the curd and atmosphere i
summer. The scaldng need not be so hg
as in the colder season, as the after stirring
beng prolonged, completely separates III
whey, and if a greater heat was given I
the mass, the acidity would develop to
lie rapidly when the curd is piled. The dfte
:, stirring is for the complete separation o
Il i A....... L 4 L.. -.