, it is washed and soaked in a little
water. When the milk is ready, being put into a large tub, warm a part
of it to the degree of new milk; but if made too hot, the cheese will be
tough. Pour in as much rennet as will curdle the milk, and then cover it
over. Let it stand till completely turned; then strike the curd down
several times with the skimming dish, and let it separate, still keeping
it covered. There are two modes of breaking the curd, and there will be
a difference in the taste of the cheese, according as either is
observed. One is to gather it with the hands very gently towards the
side of the tub, letting the whey pass through the fingers till it is
cleared; and lading it off as it collects. The other is, to get the
whey from it by early breaking the curd. The last method deprives it of
many of its oily particles, and is therefore less proper. In pursuing
the process, put the vat on a ladder over the tub, and fill it with curd
by means of the skimmer. Press the curd close with the hand, add more as
it sinks, and finally leave it two inches above the edge. Before the vat
is filled, the cheesecloth must be laid at the bottom; and when full,
drawn smooth over on all sides. In salting the cheese, two modes may be
adopted; either by mixing it in the curd while in the tub, after the
whey is out, or by putting it in the vat, and crumbling the curd all to
pieces with it, after the first squeezing with the hand has dried it.
These different methods prevail in the different parts of the country.
Put a board under and over the vat, and place it in the press: in two
hours turn it out, and put in a fresh cheesecloth. Press it again for
eight or nine hours, salt it all over, and turn it again in the vat. Let
it stand in the press fourteen or sixteen hours, observing to put the
cheeses last made undermost. Before putting them the last time into the
vat, pare the edges if they do not look smooth. The vat should have
holes at the sides, and at the bottom, to let all the whey pass through.
Put on clean boards, and change and scald them. When cheese is made,
care must be taken to preserve it sound and good. For this purpose wash
it occasionally in warm whey, wipe it once a month, and keep it on a
rack. If wanted to ripen soon, a damp cellar will bring it forward. When
a whole cheese is cut, the inside of the larger quantity should be
spread with butter, and the outside wiped, to preserve it. To keep those
in daily use moist, l