The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-06-29
FARM AND
GARDEN ~
INTERESTS

A bulletin by Henry E Alvord. chief of
United States dairy division. says:
The best time to make farm dairy cheese
is Immediately after milking. First pour
the milk from one vessel to another in some
locality where the air is pure and fresh,
raising the vessel we'll so that the air can
pass through the milk as it is poured out
and carry off the animal heat and odor.
Then pour the milk into the vat, or, If no
regular vat is at hand. use a large wash
boiler.
For coloring it is urged that a teaspoon
full of coloring to sixteen gallons of milk
be used. This must be stirred in thor
oughly. Rennet is then added at the rate
of one ounce to 100 pounds or twelve gal
Ions of milk. Mix the extract with half
dipper of cold water and then pour into the
milk. Rennet tablets may be used instead
of the extract, one small tablet for every
five gallons of milk, or one large tablet for
twenty-five gallons. Small tablets are
about the size of dime; large tablets are
about the size of silver quarter of a dol
lar. Dissolve the tablets required in a
small quantity of cold water. then pour
into the milk. The rennet extract or the
tablets may be procured from any dairy
supply house and at many drug stores.
Great care should be taken not to have
the milk at a temperature below Sc degrees
or above 80 degrees when the rennet is put
in. 1t should be stirred two or three min
utes and then let stand until the curd is
firm enough to cut. The milk should be-
gin to curdle in from ten to twelve minutes.
To ascertain when the curd is ready for
cutting push the forefinger into the milk
at an angle of As degrees until the thumb
touches the milk; make a slight notch in
the curd with the thumb, then gently raise
the finger; IL the curd breaks clean across
the finger without any flakes remaining on
it the curd Is ready for cutting. A little
practice will soon enable the operator to
tell the best time to cut.
For cutting, regular cheese knives are
best, one with horizontal blades and one
with perpendicular blades. In case 1t is in
tended to make only a few cheeSes, wire
toaster may be used. the wires only about
half an inch apart. First cut lengthwfse,
then crOsSwise of the vat or boiler, until
the curd is cut into cubes about the size of
small kernels of corn.
After cutting stir the curd gently for
aobut three minutes, then heat slowly TO
9S degrees or 100 degrees F., con-
stantly stirring gently while the curd is
being heated. Keep the curd at this tenn
perature for about forty-five minutes. To
tell when the curd is sufficiently cooked,
take a handful and press II gently, hold
for moment, then open the hand and If
the curd falls apart it is firm enough. AS
soon as the curd is sufficiently cooked
draw off the whey. Then the curd Is
ready to put into the cheese mold. or hoop.
Fill the mold by taking double hand
full of curd at time and pressing 1t gently
until the mold is full and well rounded up.
Regular Gouda molds are best, but any
tin or wooden receptacle Will answer II
small holes are made in it to allow the
whey to escape. The cheese should be from
eight to ten inches in diameter and about
three inches thick. Then take the cheese
out of the mold and turn it upside down
and replace it. Put on the cover and put
the cheese to press.
The press may be a simple lever and
| weight. The lever should be about twelve
feet long and the box set about three feet
from the wall. A pail containing few
cobplestones will answer for the weight. Do
not apply full pressure at first, but let the
weight hang about half way between the
mold and the outer end of the stick. Let
| the cheese remain few hours in the press;
| then take out and dress.
To dress cheese, first put 1t in warm
| water for few moments and then wipe
dry and rub smooth. Take a piece of linen
| cloth about six inches wide and long enough
| to go around the cheese and lap over a few
| inches. Wrap the cloth smoothly around
| the cheese, folding the edges down careful
| ly over the sides; then put circular cap
| of cloth of suitable size on each side. Re-
place the cheese in the mold, with the band
| age or dress all smooth, and put 1t under
the press. moving the pail to the end of the
| stick. Leave the cheese in the press for
| about twenty-four hours; then take 1t out
| and salt It.
The cheese may be either dry Salted OF
| brine sailed. Brine sailed is the better way
| Make solution of salt and water as strong
as it possibly be made; put the cheese
| into this brine and sprinkle some salt on the
| surface which is exposed as it floats. Leave
| the cheese in the brine for two and a hall
| days, turning it over every twelve hours
| For dry sailing rub salt into the cheese
| and all over it, twice a day for three OF
| four days.
! For curing, put the cheese on shelf in q
cellar. 1t must be turned and rubbed with
| the palm of the hand every day for a week
| or two. After that once week will suffice
While curing, cheese should occasionally
be wiped with cloth dampened in warm
| water. The temperature best adapted fol
| curing is from IS degrees to IS degrees F.
| and the air should be as moist as possible
| cellar with a suitable and even tempera'
| ture and not too dry is therefore a goo6
| place for curing. The cheese will be ready
| for use in from two to four months. The
| lighter the cheese is sailed the sooner II
| will be ready for use, and the more the
! curd is cooked the slower it will be in ripen
| ing and the longer it will keep.
Great care should be taken to keep out
all flies. Currents of air in the curing room
| should also be avoided. If the cheese should
| crack, paste the strips of cheesecloth Of
stout paper over the openings.