The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1893-04-11
FARM And ORCHARD.
Manufacture of Fancy Cheese in
the United States.

Caution in Spring Pasturing-Keep the
Stock IN the Barnyard Until There
is Good Grazing-Chiclzen Farming
Plant Apples-The English Horti-
cultural College-Creameriesi In New
South Wales Miscellaneous Items.
The fancy cheese manufacture is rapidly
increasing in the United States, and
promises to still more largely increase as
the public taste becomes educated in this
line. 1t may be said that this is wholly
AN acquired taste. This is true, but there
are now many valuable articles of food or
luxury that depend on the acquisition of
6 taste for them, and it may be said that
more money is spent for articles that are
wholly repugnant to the natural taste
than would supply any one of the most
necessary articles of food. 1t may be
only necessary TO mention alcoholic
spirits of the various kinds, and tobacco,
to show to what an extent tastes may be
acquired. And it is a fact proved by the
enormous consumption of fancy cheeses,
the taste for which must be acquired by
gradual use before they become popular
that once acquired these tastes become
permanent. There can be no question OF
the usefulness of this acquisition. for it is
very certain that these varieties of cheese
are essentially nutritious and exceedingly
dlgestble, as well as conducive to the dl-
gestion of other food eaten at the same
meal. And as an instance of the in
stinctive choice of foods 1t may be noted
that these cheeses especially cured or
partly digested, as they are in fact by the
process of curing, are generally eaten
with pastry which is commonly conSid-
cred the most indigestible part of our
food.
Nearly all the most desirable cheeses,
such as the Brie, Neufchatel, Camembert,
Limburger, Swiss lgruyere), Edam and
Gouda, are now made in the United
States, and American Roqueford and
Parmesan are being tried. We are max
ing the English dairy the Gloucester and
Wlltshire), and beginning to attempt the
finest of all cheese made, the Stilton. No
doubt we shall succeed i'll time, as we
have done i'll every attempt in this and
other industries. And as our scientific
knowledge increases aud we find out pre-
cisely the various bacteria upon whose
dcllOl Ine curing uepeuuS, anu use lIbIr
special cultures, as we now ripen cream
for the churn, we shall doubtless improve
upon the work of foreigners who have
learned by many years of slowly gained
experience just how the desired results
are to be secured. We shall have cold
and warm curing rooms, properly reg
uIated temperature, a skillfully bred ba-
cillus to start the fermentation, and the
other means to carry on the action and
stop it Just at the right moment, when
entire exclusion of the air will preserve
the cheese for any desired period, and
thus prevent loss by premature decompo-
sitiOn.
One of the best of the imported cheese
not yet attempted here IS the Gerardmer,
or, as it has been corrupted by long use,
the Gerome. This cheese is made in tw o
kinds, the soft and the hard; the latter
may be found in our markets and fancy
stores, but the former on account of its
inability to withstand transportation, has
never been imported, and consequently,
as 1t has an enormous consumption in
Europe and sells for high price it will
doubtless find as many consumers here.
1t sells for 20 cents per pound in the
European markets. This cheese is made
In the mountains of the Nosges, in last
ern France, part Of the territory which
was taken with Alsace from the French
by the GermanS twenty-five years ago.
This is a Noted grass district, the pastures
being watered by the mountain streams
flowing down the valleys and ladened
with the spoils of the rich soil from the
upper slopes. The COWS are the best in
Europe, giving rich milk and being fed
on clean pastures watered by the purest
streams and breathing the pure mount
ain air. The vessels used are OF copper,
and this, OF course, adds to the purity OF
the milk, apt TO be tainted by wooden
pals and watts. AS soon as the milk
is drawn from the COW it is drained
into the copper vessel through u fine
linen cloth, but frequently handful OF
the club moss common i'll moist places
is used as the strainer. The milk is at
once curdled.
The rennet of Gerome cheese is made
by stepping in warm water the calf IS
stomach, preferably in such Il condition
of maturity as TO stick TO the fingers in
damp weather, showing that it is covered
literally with fungus growth, adding a
little salt, less pepper, and little saffron
for coloring. Two tablespoonfuls of this
liquid, after digesting four hours, is used
for fifty quarts of milk. The milk is kept
closely covered all the time, until half an
hour after the rennet is added, when II is
ready for the cutting of the curd, to sepa-
rate the whey. The vat Is again covered,
and the curd left until the whey is COM
pletely separated. This is then dipped
out from the curd, with care not to dis
turb the curd, or lose any cream. When
the whey is separated as much rs possible
in this way, ii is dipped out into Il wooden
mold, cylindrical in form, fifteen inches
deep and seven in diameter. The mold is
made IN two parts, one fitting into the
other so that it may be removed as the
curd settles down into the lower half.
This has bottom with many holes in it
TO permit the whey to drain away. In
twelve hours the curd had shrunk into
the lower half. The upper one is re-
moved and new mold put in its place
when the whole is reversed, and this is
repeated daily, four changes being made
each day until the whey has drained OF
the curd completely. The cheese is then
formed; the temperature maintained dur
ing the process being 60 +. 1t is now
sailed. The cheeses are laid on table
sprinkled with line salt, in which they
are rolled until the entire surface is
covered. This is done every fourth day,
or, in dry weather, every third day. They
are turned once or twice day and wiped
with clean cloth dipped in warm water.
During this part of the curing they
sweat considerably from tho ferinenta-
ton, and when this Is concluded they
are removed to the dry room. One ounce
of salt is used for each cheese. In this
room the Gerome cheeSes are covered
with a cloth as protection from the sun
and the flies, and are fully exposed to the
currents OF air. The Summer-made
oheeses are dried in the open air in boxes
having shelves for them to rest upon, the
long sides OF the box being OF cloth and
the ends of wood, the upper side being
sloping to shed rain. AS soon as they
are dry they are taken to the curing eel
lars, where they are submitted to "a cur
rent of air passing from north 10 south ].
and to 4 temperature that will effect the
full curing in three or four months Ii
the temperature Is too low the quality
cutters, and much c~e is exercised by
washing with warm Water to avoid too