CHEESE being so valuable an article in the products of a Farm, too much care cannot be taken that it be made in the best and most pro­fitable manner.

TO assist those who are already Cheese-makers, in making more and better than they do at present, as well as to inform the learner and buyer, is the design of the following rules: Rules selected from the ap­proved practice of distinguished dairy women—of dealers in Cheese—and writers on the subject, both in England and America.

THOSE who wish to be benefited by a knowledge of the art of Cheese-making, [Page 4] must attend to these main concerns: 1st. That the milk be of proper warmth. 2dly. That the maw-skin or runnet-bag be good. 3dly. That due time be given to the earning or gathering of the curd in the tub or pan. 4thly. That the Cheese be kept warm when young, and cool when old.—By strict attention to these four points, they can scarcely fail of mak­ing good Cheese.

IN the first place, they must see to it that the milk be of proper warmth. The standard for this is what is well known by the term of milk-warm. If in summer it should come from the Cow in a hotter state than this, cool spring-water in the proportion of three or four quarts to the milk of twenty Cows, must be put into it; and if it is cooler than milk-warm, a proper quantity of milk must be warmed for the purpose of making the whole so; [Page 5] taking proper care that it does not boil, as boiling injures the quality of milk for making either good Butter or Cheese.

THE milk being at this proper degree of warmth, (called milk-warm) three or four hands full, or rather a quart, of gook fine salt, is to be put into the milk before the runnet is put in. A late English writer directs the above quantity of three or four hands full for the milk of twenty Cows, and in proportion for a greater or less number; but has not prescribed suffi­cient, unless he means to have double hands full, which will amount to nearly a quart.— However, the dairy-woman must use her best judgment if she finds this quantity not sufficient, and use more. Secondly, in this stage, about a tea cup full of runnet, made as hereafter described, must be put in­to this salted milk, and all be well [Page 6] stirred together. After this, the whole must, in the third place, re­main in a state of rest one hour and an half at least; two hours will be better▪ and more Cheese will be formed: Three, four and five hours have been sometimes taken, and profitably, for the time of rest or earning. Instead of breaking the curd in the tub or pan, cut it from top to bottom with a long wooden knife, in about ten divisions, crossing them in the same manner with the wooden knife in about six divisions; by this means the wind will evaporate, and the whey will separate.—Then press the curd down with the hand and a large sieve, or a very coarse cloth which covers the whole curd, lading out part of the whey. When all the Curd is got at the bottom of the tub, (by pressure of the hand) let all the whey be tak­en from it; then let it stand one quarter [Page 7] of an hour, for the curd to settle, drain, and get solid, before you break it in­to the vat: If any bits of slip curd happen to be swimming in the whey, which do not sink with the rest, it had better be put away with the whey, than put to the Cheese, as it will not cement or join with the solid curd. — All slip-curd dissolves or melts, and if left in, it is detrimental.

AFTER it has, as above directed, drained at the bottom of the tub one quarter of an hour, let it be cut in slices, and put into a cloth in the vat or hoop, laying it even and squeezing it down to make it firm and close; then put it into the press, and no more is needful, except turning it several times in the first 48 hours, while it is pressing. The finest, fattest and best Cheese is made in this way. The more time is bestowed in earning or forming the curd in the tub, the [Page 8] more solid will the Cheese be—and shortening the time makes it less so. 4thly. When Cheese goes from the press, let it be kept in as warm a state as you can, till it has had a sweat, or ‘has become pretty dry, and stiffish; it is warmth that makes Cheese ripe, improves the colour, and causes Cheese to cut flakey, the surest sign of excellent quality.’ If possible, let not hard Cheese be kept in the same room with soft: A dampness arises from new, moist Cheese, which is detrimental to the improving state the hard is getting into, making it very apt to chill, and get thick coated, and often spotted.

CHEESE never tastes agreeably until it has had a sweat; such as has always been kept in a cold state, eats chill, flat-tasted, and insipid: A south aspect, or a room over a kitchen-fire, is much best, till Cheese has got [Page 9] tolerably hard, and has had a sweat; a cool shady room, or even a plaster floor, is best after it has had a sweat, 'till such time as the weather gets too cool. Cheese very seldom heaves, or gets puffy, after it has had a sweat and got cool again: The fat that melts with heat, closes the pores of Cheese made open by harsh air, and keeps it mellow afterwards. The sweat of Cheese should not be rubbed or scrap­ed off, unless it has sweat to a violent degree, as it keeps the Cheese mellow, and always improves the flavor. Frost is very detrimental to Cheese.

THE above are the most necessary directions, and without due attention to them a good Cheese cannot be made. What follows are some ge­neral observations, that will further assist the young dairy-mistress to be­come perfect in this profitable art.

1. IT is very common to scald Cheese [Page 10] in the curd. This is needless, pro­vided time has been before given to sink the curd solid in the tub—in bring­ing the curd, and having the milk of proper warmth.

2 NEVER leave your bowl or dipper in the tub after you have put the run­net in; it gathers a curd called slip curd, being of a smooth, slippery nature, and however fine you may make it, yet, if it remains in the Cheese, it dissolves into water, and forms holes or eyes in the Cheese, and makes the Cheese appear loose—taking a long time before it becomes hard.

3. THE greatest mischief in Cheese-making lies here, the milk is often disturbed before its proper time, and sometimes when the whole is in a state of slip-curd, or slippery curd, which is a state all curd is in before it be­comes solid curd, or curd fit to make Cheese with. The state in which you [Page 11] stir or disturb it, in that state the curd will remain; it never improves as curd, or becomes better after it is dis­turbed or removed from its state of rest.

4. THERE are many ways of making or preparing the maw skin or runnet-skin. The best and most approved, is, as soon as the maw is cold, (when taken from the calf) let it be a little rinced or swilled in water; rub the maw well with salt, then fill it, and afterwards cover it with salt; do not let it, in drying, be too near a fire; if heated too much, it hurts the quality, and gives a rancid taste.

5. TO prepare the runnet for use, take pure spring water, in proportion to the runnet you intend to use, about two skins to a gallon of water; boil the water, (which makes it softer or more pure) make it with salt into brine that will swim an egg—then let it stand [Page 12] till the heat is gone off, to about the heat of blood-warm; then put your maw-skin in, either cut in pieces or whole, letting it steep for twenty four hours, and it will be fit for use—put such a quantity into the milk as you judge necessary for rendering your quantity of milk into curd; observing, that too much runnet makes the Cheese strong, and liable to heave; too little runnet makes it very mild, and must have more time to stand, before it is broke or sunk—about a tea-cup full is the rule, to ten cows milk. If a quantity of runnet is made for use, let it be put into bottles, until you want it.

6. Annatto is used in colouring Cheese. "It is, often in its pure state, of a very fattening nature, and im­proves Cheese to a great degree, in quality as well as colour. The meth­od in which it is used in colouring [Page 13] Cheese, is, take a piece of Spanish an­natto, which appears in form of a stone, then take a bowl of milk, dip the an­natto a little into it, then take a pebble, or hard rag-stone, on which rub the wet annatto, washing off the annatto into the bowl, till it becomes of a deep colour; then put that into the tub, or pan of milk you make Cheese of, (be­fore you put in the runnet or salt) in such quantity as will make the whole of a pale orange colour, which will get deeper, or increase in colour after the Cheese is made." One good property the annatto partakes of, it neither af­fects the Cheese in taste or smell. Cheese is often impregnated with sage, by bruising the leaves and mixing the juice with milk, which gives it a green colour, and an agreeable taste. Mar­igold flowers are bruised and used in the same way.

7. Much of the quality of Cheese [Page 14] depends upon the milk, where the cow is in health, has a rich pasture— cool stream or spring at which she may constantly drink—enjoy cool shades— is never heated in driving—is tho­roughly milked—feeds in the night— is pastured near home, eats no bitter weeds, but has access to herbs which are medicinal to her and enrich her milk; she will give such as makes ex­cellent Cheese. "Some cows in Eng­land afford three hundred weight of Cheese annually, others four and five hundred."

8. Let not Cheese be exposed to the immediate heat of the sun—or lie near a hot wall, or in a harsh cold air▪ especially when in a moist state.

9. Saltpetre is apt to give Cheese a sourish taste—and if too much is put in, and the Cheese exposed to too great heat, will cause a fermentation.

10. If Cheese swells on taking from [Page 15] the press, it must be pierced with an iron or wooden needle, in several pla­ces, and returned again to the press. But the most powerful preventative to the having of Cheese, is by carefully observing the rules laid down in this book—by seeing that the runnet is not too strong—nor too much put in­to the Cheese; that it is well pressed and salted.

11. If the whey is green (when no colouring material has been put into the milk) you may be certain your Cheese is properly come.

12. Cheese is very apt to split, and become hard, when salted in the curd, and if the slip curd is in the Cheese, both mixing together become water, and cause holes, putrefaction, and swelling.

13. Sour milk injures Cheese as well as that which is too cold.

14. Rich Cheese will not dry so [Page 16] fast as lean, nor [...] as thin. Cheese [...] turned.

THE above are the principal rules to be observed in Cheese making and if carefully followed, cannot fail to reform a country in its ge­neral practice, so as to make more and better Cheese, especially for market. They are the result of the long ex­perience of many. A good dairy-woman will soon discover, [...] her present [...] of Cheese [...] best—and time and observation will render her mistress of this important [...] to any agricultural country.