Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1922-06-28
How Good Cheese Can be Made
on the Farm.

x1OW NOOO SNSSSS NakA DS AsASASAS
on the Farm.
have request from an Alabama
subscriber for directions for making
cheese on the farm. The method is as
follows:
Measure the sweet milk and place
in a good-sized bucket, can or tub.
Warm to a temperature Of sc de-
erees. Next add cheese color. When
cows are on grass. little or no color
is needed. Next add rennet extract,
one ounce of extract to about 30O
pounds of milk. For small amounts of
milk, rennet tablets may be purchas-
ed at drug store. Directions as to
the amount of rennet to be used
come with the tablets. Before using,
dissolve the tablets in cold water and
pour into the milk, mixing thorough
lv. Allow the milk to remain unstlr-
red until the rennet has completed
its action. This usually requires about
80 minutes. The temperature can be
regulated by submerging in the milk
a clean jug filed with water of the
proper temperature. The curd is
ready to cut when the foretinger IN
serted in the mass breaks it, leaving
the whey clear. If the whey is milky,
the curdling process is not complete.
large butcher knife or regular
curd knife may be used for cutting
the cheese into cubes which should be
about an inch square. The whey
then rises and the curd shrnlks and
settles to the bottom. The mixture is
stirred with the hands so as to sep
arate the particles of curd. Stirring
is continued for about 10 minutes
and the temperature is then raised to
blood heat. Stirring continues at IN
tervals of 10 minutes. The curd
shrinks until the particles are about
the size of peas.
When a handful of curd squeezed
together falls apart when released
the whey is ready to draw off. The
curd should then be emptied into a
cheesecloth bag and pressed as dry as
possible with the hands. 1t is then
emptied into dry tub and stirred un-
til the particles fall apart. Salt is
then added to suit the taste. Stirring
is continued for about 80 minutes.
The cheese is then ready for the
hop.
A gallon and half tin bucket
punched full of holes may be used
for moulding the cheese. A cheese
cloth binder is fitted smoothly inside
the bucket; the curd is then put in
and packed with the hands, the bind
er being drawn smoothly over the
top. A wooden follower one and one
half inches thick and of size to lit
inside the bucket is placed on top. A
cider press may be used for pressing
the cheese. Another practical plan is
to Law several small strips of wood on
a shelf in cool, dark room and set
the bucket on these to drain. A cleat
is then nailed to the wall about level
with the top of the bucket. The end OF
a scantling is placed under the cleat
which is allowed to rest on top Of a
block of wood resting on top of the
follower. Weights are suspended from
the end of the scantling. A bucket
in which rocks are placed will serve
the purpose, and the pressure is in
creased by adding weights as need
ed. After this the curd cake is re-
moved from the bucket, the binder
Strengthened and the cake returned
to the bucket and replaced under the
weight, which is then increased until
small particles of cream ooze from
the holes. The cake then remains for
"a hours, after which it is removed
from the bucket and placed in a cool
dry atmosphere until the binder is
dry.
The cheese is now ready for curing
An underground cellar, dry well or
cistern is best for the purpose. A
ripening temperature Of between So
and IS degrees gives best results. In
about six weeks if the cheese is firm
and dry thick coat Of paraffine wax
is supplied and the cheese is wrapped
in heavy cloth or thick wrapping pa
per, then returned to the ripening
cellar, where is remains until cool
weather. Cheese thus treated is equal
mr. snnerior to the best factory raade