Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1912-02-01

Customers in town are usually glad
to get buttermiIk, fresh from the farm
churn, as well as butter, eggs. cot
tage cheese, and other produce. But
because buttermilk is liquid, and not
20 convenient to carry to town, it is
often neglected and left at hCme.
1t has recently been found at the
Wisconsin agricultural experiment
station that buttermilk can be easily
'~-cde up into buttermilk cheese, eth
er at the creamery or the farm
dairy. The rev product resemb lcs
skim milk cottage cheese in appear
aEce, but it has a rich butteTmilk
flavor which most consumers prefer,
after they. have tasted it.
The process Of making buttermiIk
cheese C1 the farm is very simple,
and requires only ordinary household
utensils, and an ordinary dairy Their
mOmeter. Any thermometer which
can be easily cleaned will serve. A
floating dairy thermometer made en-
ttreIy of glass can be obtained from
any dealer in dairy supplies for rs
cents or less. The thermometer is
also useful in churning. since by prop
erly regulating the temperature Of
the cream. much time can be saved IN
churning, and less fat wasted in the
buttermilk
Uses of Dairy Thermometer
Only clean favored. sour cream
should be used in churning, in order
to get butter and cheese of the best
flavor. The fresh 0uttermilk, just as
it comes from the churn, is put into
a large, clean tin pan, or granite iron
kettle in which il can be heated on
the stove. clean new tin wash
boiler is also suitable. where so large
a vessel is needed to hold the butter
milk. The buttermilk may be left sew
eraI hours. or the cheesemaking may
begin at once.
The First Heating-The buttermilk
is set over the fire and warmed, with
occasional stirring, until it is all at
about so degrees, Fahrenheit, by the
thermometer. At this temperature the
curd will begin to separate from the
whey, and the pan fs at once lifted
from the fire, and left to stand undis-
turbed for about an hour, or it may
be left for a longer time If more con-
venient.
The Second Heating-The entire
quantity of curd and whey is then
heated with occasional stirring to
about 1870 or 40 degrees by the Their
and again set off Of the fire.
and covered to prevent cooling. After
undisturbed for at least half
an hour the curd separates completely
from the whey, and either floats in
a mass or cake at the top or the liquid
or sometimes the cake Of Curd may
settle to the bottom, which does not
affect the quality of the cheese in any
way.
Draining the Curd.-The curd is put
on a cloth to drain, while still hot,
as It drains more rapidly hot than
cold. The cloth may be a cotton -four
CT sugar sack, into which the curd
and whey is poured, or a square yard
Of cheese cloth may be laid loosely
over the top of barrel or jar and
fastened in place with the top hoop or
a piece of string, Or, a very couve-
nieut square draining rack may be
made with wooden sides, six inches
deep, and a bottom of A-inch gal
vanized iron wire netting, u or II
~. ch ~,
with the cloth in place. Such a
drainer is useful for many. purposes
about the house, beside buttermi1k
cheese making.
The floating curd may be trans
ferred to the draining cloth with
dtpper, or the entire quantity of ma
terial may be poured carefully on the
cloth. the clear whey coming first, and
through the cloth, and the
curd coming last. being collected
without loss.
The draining rack is loosely COW
cred, and the curd is left to drain for
several hours or overnight, until it is
sufficiently firm and dry, so that it
will not leak whey, when put on a
plate, or packed in a jar for sale
When properly drained the cheese can
be piled up as shown in the figure,
page 7, bulletin 211, and the pile will
retain it's shape for a time, and will
not stick to the fingers.
Sailing and Packing 6uttermiIk
Cheese-After draining, and Just be-
fore packing, the curd is saited by
thoroughly mixing in about one ounce
of common table or butter salt to FIVE
pounds of curd. It is then packed i'm
mediately in jars, or may be nodded
with the hands into balls, or made
into prints, using dry butter printer,