SOFT CHEESE.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 13, 23 December 1911, Page 10

SOFT CHEESE.

THE ESSENTIALS I'OK SVCCESR. A further article 011 cheese-making appears in th" December uuniljer of ttic Agricultural Department's Journal miller the iia>iic of .Ui.-s 0. West' Davies. (lie recently, appointed lady expert. Jlii-s Da vies savs that the making of soft cheese presents 110 insuperable difficulties. ■Fundamental essentials arc cleanliness andclose attention to details. The following are the main principles "to be observed :— 1. A making-room, the air of which may be regulated to a. temperature of from 62 decrees to 111 decrees J-'alir. In summer a_ tempei'ature of about 02 degrees I'nhr. is snilicient, but in winter it must be maintained-at 05 decrees Eahr. Toe high a temperature produces rapid drainage, illu'rias too low a temperature results wrongly fermented cheeses._ When artificial heating is re<iuired it is best brought about by the use of }iol-v:ater pi po~, as Uiix; can Ijo evenly regulated and the temperature kept even. Stoves are commonly used, but give a creator variation in temperature, and it is necessary to guard 'against their making the air too dry.- The admission of a certain amount of steam into n making-room is sometimes,resorted to, to produce a moist, warm air and accelerate drainage. • t 2. Wooden tubs fitted witli lids, in which to coagulate the milk. These are not absolutely essential, but are advised, 011 account of wood being a non-conductor of heat, and consf(|iiently milk set in them will lie maintained at-an even temperature during coagulation. A fall in temperature during coagulation is- very detrimental, as it causes the cream to rise to the surface, and if this occurs much of it is lost 011 slicing the curd. :i.. Sweet new milk, preferably that which has not lost its animal heat. It is impossible to produce first-class cheeses from milk that is ot all stale or acid, as the curd drains too rapidly, and the chooses turn out undersized and of secondrate quality. 1 A pure brand of concentrated rennetextract. It is .necessary, to produce the required consistency of curd-and to ensure tin,' best rate of drainage, that exact quantities of rennet and correct temperatures be employed. ,"). Pure finely-ground salt. (i. Great care in obtaining the requisite conditions for . proper ripening. ■ The c-heescs which are to fully ripen must lie of such a condition that the moulds (fungi) and bacteria responsible for this work find a favourable .. medium for growth. They must be evenly salted, and not too dry or too moist, too sweet, nor yet too acid. On the completion of drainage they should bo placed in a .dry atmosphere to start the growth of mould before removing them to the cooler ripening cellars. . „ ... 7. Perfect cleanliness in all operations. All ' utensils—setting-tubs, cloths, straw mats, etc.—must be kept.in a perfectly sweet and cleivi condition. Tile wooden tubs if neglected will very soon give rise to trouble, and it has been found tint ■the best ivav to keep them sweet is to scrub them out with freshly-ground lime,: and occasionally to. leave 111 them some lime-water. . . .. ; • _ ' CULTIVATION, OF GRASSES. XEC'ESSITT I'OK I!UItE • SlvEb. ' •According to. Mr. Primrose. M'Connoll," one of the greatest tiul.s in the cultivation of grasses is tho use of pure, sound, seed! Tho adulteration of grass s?eds, ut 0110 time very, common, and tile presence of much-weed-seed, has of lato years bccomc less prevalent, and with certain precautions a good, clean, sample of seed may be imv obtained. In buying seed the -purchaser should insist on'a guarantee of the percentage of purity and germination, and laako a te.st of the germination on his ovrn account. This can lie effectually done by placing a few seeds between damp folds of blot-ting-paper, or of flannel. As an instance of the value' of this test 111-. ll'Connell says that a quantity of silver-beet seed recently offered to the Ruakura experiment station, on being tested, yielded a germination of only 5 per cent."