A point in favor of cheese as an economical food is that it does
not require cooking before being served. It may, however, be
grated and served in a variety of ways with cooked foods.
Considering its high nourishing qualities cheese is a more
economical food than meats of any kind. This is especially true
in times of meat shortage when prices soar. Consequently, a
wider use of cheese will not only relieve meat shortages, but
will effect a considerable saving for the consumer. Larger
quantities of this valuable food should be produced and used. It
can be made on most farms at comparatively low cost.
APPARATUS FOR CHEESEMAKING
The apparatus and equipment needed for farm cheese making can be
supplied largely from the average farm house utensils. Following
is the list: Milk vessel - A metal wash tub, a wash boiler, or
any large vessel in which the milk may be heated and which can
be set on the stove, will do. Thermometer - A thermometer must
be used so that the temperature may be regulated. Dipper - A
dipper is necessary to stir the milk and curd. Knife - A long
knife with which to cut the curd is desirable. Mold -Lard
presses or fruit presses may be used for cheese molds. A sheet
of galvanized iron or heavy tin, 22 by 10 inches, can be cut and
soldered or riveted into the shape of a cylinder 7 inches in
diameter and 10 inches high, which can be used as a cheese mold.
Cheese cloth -The cheese should be protected with a bandage.
This bandage should be made of cheese cloth or flour sacking or
unbleached linen beforehand so that it will be ready to use. It
must be made to fit the inside of the mold. Rennet tablets -
Rennet tablets are used to coagulate the milk. They may be
purchased from any dairy supply house. Check the Yellow Pages.
Cheese press - Fruit presses or lard presses will serve for
cheese presses. A home made press can be made by thrusting one
end of a long plank under a cleat or support so that the free
end may serve as a weight to press down against the cheese which
is placed under the plank near its stationary end.
METHOD OF MAKING CHEESE
For five pounds of cheese, about 50 pounds of milk will be
required. Fresh, sweet, morning milk should be used. It should
be put in a wash boiler or similar vessel, set on the stove and
heated to 90 degrees Fahrenheit. A thermometer should be used so
that the temperature may be read and regulated exactly. While
the milk is warming up to 90 degrees, dissolve one No. 2
Hansen's rennet tablet in half a glass of cold water. When the
milk is exactly 90 degrees, add the rennet solution. Stir gently
for two or three minutes. Regulate the heat to keep the milk at
90 degrees until the curd is cut. Record the exact minute of
adding the rennet solution. By dipping into the milk with a
teaspoon at intervals of every half minute, determine when the
milk first begins to coagulate. Record the exact minute that
coagulation first appears. Setting usually takes 30 -45 minutes.
The curd should be cut into half-inch cubes. To make these cubes
it will be necessary to cut the curd lengthwise and crosswise
into strips, half an inch thick, and into half-inch layers from
top to bottom. A knife long enough to reach the bottom of the
vessel may be used for making the lengthwise and crosswise cuts.
Raise the temperature at the rate of about two degrees every
four or five minutes until it reaches 114 degrees F. The curd
should be stirred gently with a dipper during the heating. It
should be held at 114 degrees for an hour. The curd should then
be run into a strainer cloth to drain off the whey. After about
ten minutes of draining, it should be put into a dish pan and
broken into small pieces with the hands. Four ounces of salt
should then be thoroughly mixed through the curd. The salt
should be put on in three applications, each two or three
minutes apart. When the salt is dissolved the curd is ready to
press. A mold such as that described under the list of apparatus
must be used for pressing the cheese. The grooved board,
previously prepared, should be covered with a cloth and the mold
placed on it. Line the mold with the cheese bandage. It is now
ready to receive the curd. Place a circular piece of cloth and
then the board disk on top of the curd and apply pressure with a
fruit or lard press, or with a home-made press. The pressure
should be applied gradually or the cheese will not mold into a
solid cake. If a press is not at hand, one can be made by
thrusting one end of a 12-foot plank under a support which
should be about 16 to 20 inches above the ground. The support
can be made by nailing to the wall a short piece of 2 by 4. The
mold should then be placed about 2 feet from the wall and the
plank placed in position across its top. The free end of the
plank will cause a downward pressure on the cheese. It will be
necessary to place a block of wood about 4 inches square on top
of the cheese and to regulate the height of the mold so that the
plank will be level when pressing on the cheese. Increased
pressure should be applied by attaching a weight to the extreme
end of the plank. As the pressure should be gradually increased,
about 10 pounds should be added to the weight each two or three
minutes until at the end of 15 minutes 75 pounds of pressure has
been applied. Let the cheese remain in the press for three or
four hours, then remove it, straighten out the cloth bandage and
smooth down with hot water. Replace the cheese in the mold and
press over night. Take the cheese out of the mold, apply
paraffin or grease to the outside and place it in the cellar or
suspend it in the well where it will ripen. It should be ripened
at a temperature of about 60 degrees F. and should be rubbed
with the hands every day or two to prevent the growth of mold.
Sometimes, because the salt has not properly penetrated the
curd, the finished cheese may puff or bloat when a few days old.
Salt rubbed on the surface with the finger tips will correct
this tendency. Application should be repeated the following day.
The cheese will be ready to eat in about four weeks.
About the author:
Leon the Milkman is the owner of www.LeontheMilkman.com and www.dairy-info.org from where he gives a dairy dictionary and cheese tasting terms guide to new members.