From the above data it is seen that the manufacture and sale of filled cheese in the United States is almost a thing of the past and this form of adulteration, assuming that the law is thoroughly executed, is not now likely to be often met with.
Cottage Cheese.
—Cottage cheese is a term applied to a product which is usually only a raw material of cheese. It is the fresh, precipitated, and unripe milk product, above described as used in cheese making. It is a highly nutritious and very palatable product, usually prepared at home and not suitable for keeping or transportation. It is often made from sour milk in which the casein is coagulated by the natural development of lactic acid. The sour milk is placed in a cloth bag and the whey allowed to escape by gravitation. The final portion of the whey may be forced out by pressure. The residue, when properly seasoned with salt or in any way to suit the taste of the consumer, is very palatable. Cream is often added to this residue which increases the normal amount of fat which it contains.
COMPARATIVE COMPOSITION OF AMERICAN AND EDAM CHEESE.
The chemical composition of some of the principal varieties of cheese are shown in the following table:
| Water. Percent. | Ash. Percent. | Fat. Percent. | Protein. Percent. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| American cheese, | 27.5 | 4.1 | 32.5 | 28.38 |
| Edam cheese, | 36.34 | 4.24 | 31.17 | 22.28 |
The data show that cheese is essentially a nitrogenous and fat food, containing only small quantities of carbohydrates, and therefore it is not a complete ration. It is a ration, however, which is complementary to a highly starchy diet such as rice or maize bread or potatoes. Bread and cheese or potatoes and cheese or rice and cheese, therefore, make a well balanced diet, highly nutritious, easily digestible, and quite palatable.
Manufacture of American Cheeses.
—The large cheeses which are principally found upon the American market may be said, in general, to resemble the Cheddar type, although the calling of these cheeses by the name “Cheddar” is misleading, and to that extent a misbranding of the product.
There are two common methods of making these cheeses which are in vogue in the United States, namely, the “stirred curd” or “granular” method and, second, the Cheddar method. (Bulletin 104, Department of Agriculture of Pennsylvania, 1902.) The latter one is the more extensively used. The second product does not differ essentially in character from the first, though the latter method, it is claimed, gives a more solid cheese and one of more uniform character and with a slightly less content of moisture. Since the Cheddar method has practically come into sole use, displacing the first method, a description of the Cheddar method alone will be sufficient to illustrate the method of making large cheeses which are now so common on the American market and which have such a well merited reputation. The process is divided into eight parts: First, coagulating the milk; second, cutting the curd; third, heating the curd; fourth, removing the whey; fifth, cheddaring the curd; sixth, milling the curd; seventh, salting and pressing the curd; eighth, curing the cheese.