FARMERS’ COLUMN.

Taihape Daily Times, Volume 7, Issue 93, 19 December 1914, Page 2

FARMERS’ COLUMN.

SKIM MILK CHEESE

(Mark Lane Express.) This cheese, when properly made, is both a nutritive and wholesome article of diet. As its name implies, it 3s made with milk from which the fat has been previously abstracted. It naturally lacks the full flavour of the wholemilk cheeses and is poor in fat, but, for all that, it is very popular, and its make is largely practised. In America, too, this cheese is greatly in demand, but there the process of manufacture is somewhat different. In this country the method of making it resembles very closely the manufacture of the Scotch Cheddar. There arc, however, several important and essential points of difference, which must be carefully studied in order to obtain cheese of good quality. The quality of skim milk cheese depends largely on the amount of moisture retained. There should be about 75 x>c r cent, in the curd, and this a smooth cheese of good texture. Above this amount it is ax>t to be soft and stickv Avhile with less moisture it is harsh, dry, and gritty.

KENNETHS!G, CUTTING THE CUED, ETC.

Allow the milk to stand at a temperature of from 80 degrees to 85 degrees Fahr,, until sufficient acid has developed, then add the rennet. It is certainly bettor to use rennet extract rather than the home-made. It is cheap enough, and can bo got from any chemist or grocer. Add about sufficient to coagulate the milk in an hour, say, one drachm to three gallons of milk. Too large a quantity of rennet will spoil the flavour of cheese, and it is also liable to make is swell or crack when being stored. Whn firm enough to cut, ise the poipemlicular and horizontal knives as in the Cheddar, but do not cut so due, the object being to retain a large-amount of moisture. For the same reason, also, lower the-"'ihTuperature of the which should not exceed DO degrees Fahr. The amount of acidity in the curd at the time of drawing the whry is also an important point, and like spring-made choose, considerably less should bo allowed with ordinary sum-mer-made Cheddars. This may in•reaso the length of time required to mature before milling, but flic extra moisture retained very materially assists the ripening process. Do not remove the curd when the whey has been drawn, but pile it up on each side of the vat to begin with. Afterwards tie it into a cloth and allow it lie until ready for- milling. After milling, leave it to mature well before salting in order to obviate its tendency to openness and toughness, SALTING AND MOULDING. The salt must always be mixed uniformly and stirred until fully dissolved. As the curd contains little or no fat, less salt will be required, and it should be added at the rate of ioz to lib of curd just before the latter is moulded. After adding the salt, the temperature should be kept at 80 degrees Fahr., until the curd is placed in the hoops, for if too cold owing to the absence of fat, it is difficult to get the particles to adhere. The moulding is done in clot Jill nod moulds.

After standing twenty-four hours the i cheese should be put in other moulds and eventually be put under the press. Light pro,sure only should be given for the first two or three days, as this causes a better separation of the surplus moisture; and the cheese should be turned, and put in clean cloths every day. As heavy presure as say 8 to 10 ewt, may be given eventually, and then the manufacture of the cheese is complete and it may be placed in the storeroom, there to be turned every day for a month of two. I would mention that the temperature of the curing room should be higher than for whole-milk cheese, say, from 65 degrees to 75 degrees Fahr. THE AMERICAN METHOD differs in some respects from our mode of manufacture. The milk is allowed to sour, but, if desired ,this can be hastened by keeping at a temperature of 1 about SO degrees Fahr., until coagulated, It is a mistake to allow it to stand to long, for the result will tie s soft and mashy curd, also it tends to sourness in flavour. After coagulation the curd must be well stirred and the temperature raised, so that the moisture may be easily and rapidly expelled. The temperature should be raised to 120 degrees Fahr., while the stirring is continued until the curd is sufficiently firm, after which it is allowed to settle. The whey is then run off and the curd placed in a cloth strainer, which may bo suspended, so that the excess of whey is allowed to drain from the curd. This may bo assisted by occasional stirring.

When sufficiently dry the curd is salted, and is then shaped for marketing. These cheeses are acid in character.