Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1898-02-02
SWISS CHEESE.
The Genuine Article Is Made In Huts High
Up In the Alps.

Up In the Alps,
The American-made Swiss cheese re-
sembles very closely indeed the gsnu-
inc article, but there Is a peculiar fa-
vor to the real article, readily distin-
guishable by good judges Of cheese,
which the American makers never
have been able to produce This ha-
vor, it is said, Is due to an herb which
grows in great quantities in Switzer-
land, on which the milk giving ami
mails feed. Efforts have been made by
dairymen to cultivate the herb In this
country, but they have failed. a few
years ago when A. L. Reynolds was
studying the cheese industries of Eu-
rope he was being shown over his farm
by an old Swiss who had spent a life.
time in the manufacture Of cheese.
With them was son Of the old man,
who spoke little English. AS the
group was passing through a pasture
where sheep, goats and COWS were
grazing, turning to his son and point
ing to the herb growing with the
grass, the old man said: "Tell Herr
Reynolds that is the secret Of the
success of our cheese and the reason
his good countrymen cannot equal it."
An opinion prevails that Swiss
cheese is made altogether of goats
milk. This Is not wholly true. While
much goats milk is used, sheep and
cows milk also are used. 1t is the
custom of the Swiss farmers who have
different milk giving animals to mix
their milk in the manufacture OF
cheese.
The genuine Swiss cheese Is made
mostly in huts, called chalets, high up
among the Alps. 1t Is made between
the melting of the snow in May and
early in September when the pastures
on the mountain sides are green and
accessible to the milk-giving animals
and their herders. In the winter the
goats, sheep and cows. are taken. for
shelter down into the valleys, thou
sands of feet below. The chalets IN
which the cheese makers live are To-
Gated in the midst of the mountain
pastures in spots protected from avail
anches.
In making the cheese the milk, part
ly SKINNED or not, according to the
quality of cheese desired, is put into
a large kettle hung over fire. 1t IS
heated to temperature of n degrees,
and the kettle is then swung from
over the fire and rennet is added to the
milk. AS the milk coagulatss the curd
is cut into very fine pieces. The ket-
tie is swung over the fire again, for
each particle must be fully exposed to
the action of the heat. The heat un-
der the kettle is increased until the
curd attains temperature Of 90 de-
grees. The kettle is then swung on
the fire Immediately, and the curd and
whey stirred thoroughly. 1t the cook
ing has been properly done the par
ticies of curd have the appearance OF
burst grains of rice swimming IN the
whey.
The curd is then collected in cloth,
and all the whey is carefully drained
off. Next comes the sailing process.
The salt is rubbed from time to time
on the outside of the cheese, great care
being taken to discern when enough
has been absorbed. This sailing pro-
cess. is continued, by the most careful
of the cheese makers, from one to two
years, at intervals Of week. The
Gruyere cheeses, which are among the
best known Of the Swiss make, are
commonly three feet in diameter and
weigh more than one hundred pounds.
A properly made. cheese of this sort
is like soft yellow paste which melts
in the mouth. 1t is filled with cavi-
ties about the size of a pea, or larger,
one or two in each square inch OF
cheese.-New York Advertiser.