The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1881-06-28
Important t'aotors In Curing Che CSC.

When II IS desired to have cheese fit for
use In thirty to sixty days, aud have keep
ing quality to last from four to six months,
rcnnct enough should be used to cause
coagulation to begin in nights and morn
ing's milk in fifteen minutes at ninety de-
grces, provided ii is to bc cured at seventy
degrees III air Of average moisture. The
amount OF Aloisture in curd affects the length
OF time required for curing, since whey con-
talns four or five per cent Of milk sugar.
which Is liable to be changed into Tactic acid,
Which, as has been stated. hinders curing.
II there Is too little water III the curd the ac-
tion of rcnnct will he retarded and the cur
ing 60 slowly, Notwithstanding there is less
acid formed to hinder its progress. The &C
tion OF rcnnet has been explained to be tho
action OF digestion; to goon well itmust have
plenty Of moisture. The drcr the curd.
all other conditions being the same, the
slower the curing AMI the longer the life
time TO the cheese. The life of Il cheese
may be prolonged almost Indefinitely SIM
ply by reducing It's moisture, with but little
variation in other respects. ~ cheese which
Is very long time in curing seldom cures
us evenly and rs perfectly, and is eonse-
quently not 80 easily and perfectly dissolved
and dlgcstcd, as when cured more rapidly.
Lack of water seems 10 be tho principal
reason why skim cheese is generally 80 I'M
perfectly cured and much poorer in quality
than they need be. 1t would be a safe
rule to leave in water enough to equal the
weight Of cuscin, no matter whether 1t was
large or small. When pound of cheese
Is made from ten pounds Of average milk
the per cent. of water and of cascin will
be very nearly equal.
Another important factor III curing chcese
IS Temperature. a variation to tcmperu-
turc in -, the curing room may be
made TO iitfrry or rctard the progress or
alter the character Of tic curing. There
Is always some particular temperature at
which cheese, according to it's make,
cures best. A cheese with tight rubber
like rind must be cured slowly, or more
gas will be pressed in it than can escape
through It's lind, and it will puff. A cheese
full OF fat must also cure slowly TO pre-
veat overwhelming on account of the heat
developed within it. The inside of a cheese
cures faster than the outside, for the reason
that the outside is dricr than the inside
from the easier of escape moisture, and also
lecause the heat developed in the oxidation
gong on all through the cheese is givcn
OH, like the moisture, more rapidly from
the exterior than the interior. a cheese
with but little fat in it oxldizes slowly and
of course dcvelopcs but little warmth. Skim
cheese requires little warmer room than
one from whole milk.
Salt enters into tho question of curing,
because it affects the amount of water in
curd. IL gives trnlness and flavor to
cheese, but 1t nbsorbs three times lis own
weight IN dissolving. A green cheese, then,
placed in curing room, Is affected by tue
amount of rennct and moisture it co ntains,
oy temperature, air, acid, fermentation
and salt, and A. the same time, it may bc
added, 1t has power of absorbing odors
from It's surroundings,