I have frequently heard Dairy-women mention putting in rose leaves and spices of different kind into the Rennet at the Time of preparing it, in order to give it a relish, and make the Cheese fine flavor’d.
Mr. Hazard, in his Essay to the Bath Society gives a receipt for making Rennet after this manner; when the Maw-skin is well prepared and fit for the purpose, three pints or two quarts of soft Water (clean and sweet) should be mix’d with Salt, wherein should be put sweet briar, rose leaves and flowers, cinamon, mace, cloves, and in short almost every sort of spice and aromatic that can be procured, and if these are put into two quarts of Water they must boil gently till the liquor is reduced to three pints, and care should be taken that this liquor is not smoaked; it should be strained clear from the spices &c. and when found to be not warmer than Milk from the Cow, it should be poured upon the Vell or Maw, a lemon may then be sliced into it, when it may remain, a day or two, after which, it should be strain’d again and put in a bottle, where if well corked, it will keep good for twelve months or more, it will smell like a perfume, and a small quantity of it will turn the Milk and give the Cheese a pleasing flavour—he farther adds—after this, if the Vell or Maw, be salted and dried for a week or two near the Fire, it will do for the purpose again almost as well as before.
A very material circumstance to be attended to in Cheese-making, is the time allow’d for the Cheese coming, or from the time allow’d for the Runnet to take effect, or the time when the Milk is at rest, called earning time.[4] Which should on no account be less than an hour and half; all that is stirred, gather’d, or sunk, in less time is liable to danger. It may happen, and often does, that it will come sooner, especially when the method I have recommended of putting Salt in the Milk is used, and where care is taken to have the Milk of a proper warmth, as in these cases the Curd co-agulates or collects sooner on that account; I believe it will be found that the additional time given will never be of any bad consequence, as the Curd then gets firm, and on sinking, becomes more solid, and is easier made into Cheese, in less time, and with much less trouble, than when stirred or broke sooner. What is called sunk Cheese is always allowed to be the fattest; when Curd is fully set, or fixed of a solid nature, by having time enough, it will incline to sink to the bottom of the Tub, by the assistance of the Hand to gently Press it down, gather, or collect it, and will soon become of a solid nature; most People break the Curd, by stirring it round several times with the Bowl, in order that it may be collected together. Sinking, is performed by getting it down, or sinking with the Hand, without breaking.
In order to prevent a difficulty in getting the Whey to separate easily when sinking the Curd, you may prepare a long Cheese Knife made with a Lath, one edge being sharpened to cut the Curd a cross from top to bottom, in the Tub, three or four different times crossing the lines, checkerwise, by which means the Whey rises through the vacancies made by the Knife, and the Curd sinks with much more ease. I have also known a sieve used to facilitate or hasten the Curd sinking, with success, as it gives an opportunity to lade off the Whey clear from Curd, gets the Curd down much easier and saves time.
When all the Curd is got firm 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 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, that does 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, and all slip-Curd, as before observed, dissolves or melts, so that it is a detriment to Cheese when ever put in; many People, as soon as the Whey is removed, immediately break the Curd small as possible, and then put it into the Cheese Vat, for finishing. I would always recommend that it rest one quarter of an Hour, before ’tis broke, or vatted; the Cheese would be much better for it, as the Air would more easily separate, and prevent its puffing up under your hand, when squeezing in the Vat, and also prevent the Fat squeezing out, as it often does through your Fingers; which being so much broke, occasions, and certainly it must make your Cheese, both leaner and lighter. I have consulted many good Dairy-women, on the Article of breaking Cheese, and find, ’tis the most general method to break the Curd as small as possible, when put into the Vat; but what makes that more absolutely necessary, is, there being slip-Curd amongst it, and that never appears to embody, or join with the rest, unless broke and thoroughly mixed; and even then I am fully convinced is of no use for the reason above given; although I have laid it down as a rule, never to stir or gather the Cheese in less than an Hour and half, many of the best Dairy-women I have ever consulted, generally let it stand two Hours; by which time the Curd is got to be of so firm a nature, as to render the breaking of it at all absolutely needless, it being got so solid, they only cut it in slices, put it into the Vat and work it well into it, by squeezing thoroughly to make it firm and close, then put it into the Press, and no more is needful. The finest, fattest and best Cheese I have seen, I have been informed was made this way; there is sure to be no sweet Cheese, horny-coated, or jointed Cheese made in this manner; sometimes I have observed Cheese that has been sunk, tho’ very fat and well tasted, that would become very hard and cut chiselly, which I take to be owing to the Curd getting very cold and set hard before Vatted, to prevent its doing so, it may be necessary to break the Curd and not give it quite so much time in earning; as many People prefer Cheese that is not so very solid, or that has a mellow softness, which breaking will give it; although it is reckon’d the best quality to cut solid, and flakey; remembering that giving it more time in earning makes it more solid, and shortening the time makes it less so. Many Dairy-women are much puzzled concerning the cause of sweet Cheese, forming different ideas about it; I am fully convinced it is wholly caused by stirring or breaking it too soon in the Tub, by which means the Runnet has never taken full effect, nor is any slip-Curd ever fit to make Cheese with, in what ever state it may appear, unless in soft Cheese, or slip-coat Cheese; for when Curd is quite in a slippery state, especially if very warm, salt will have very little effect on it, which is the cause it is so apt to putrify and dissolve, and a very principal cause why Cheese becomes sweet, is, its not having taken salt, as you may generally perceive Cheese that is much jointed or blue-pared has scarce any relish or saltness in it. When the Whey is of a white colour the Curd is not fully settled, and if it is so to any great degree, the Cheese is sure to be sweet, and in that case you always cast away great part of what should be Cheese, for the Whey thus put away would neither turn to Butter nor Cheese, though of a considerable substance, remaining of an undigested nature: If you pursue the method I have laid down, you will always find the Whey quite green, which is the colour it ought to be of; and let more or less be the time you adopt to put your Cheese together, if the Whey is not green, depend upon it your Cheese is not properly come, or your Maw-skin is not good, or quantity of Runnet not sufficient. It is difficult to ascertain what quantity of Runnet is required to bring a Cheese in the most proper manner, as the quality of the Skin is so various, and strength of Runnet, as well as quality of Milk so different; People are much divided in opinion, whether ’tis the best way to make your Runnet fresh every Day, or to prepare a quantity together, according to the quantity you want and bottle it up for use; in large Dairy’s it must be best to make a quantity together, as you certainly must be a better judge of the quality, or what quantity is necessary, than when the making is left to chance, as by that means you may regulate the quality and taste of your Cheese better, and have more dependance on the time of its coming.
The best Dairy-women I have known, in general, recommend the latter method.
The cause of jointing or wind-shook Cheese, is from a small quantity of slip-Curd being much broke, so as not sufficient, to form Eyes in the Cheese; but which is sufficient when dissolved through the whole mass, to leave a vacancy, which generally unites in a perpendicular direction, and forming cracks or joints within the Cheese, and sinking joints nearly like to cracks on the outside. If it happens to any considerable degree, it causes the Cheese to have very little taste, generally turns blue-pared whilst under a year old, and often rotten Cheese when older; most dry rotten Cheese is produced from this effect, unless when bruises, or cracks are the cause. Wet, or moist rotten is generally produced by a larger quantity of slip-Curd; having never united in a solid state, nor taken any salt, becomes very putrid and rots, and as the Cheese dissolves, is often very wet or moist. I have several times seen Cheese that has appeared sound till cut, that afterwards had not a pound of sound Cheese in a whole one. Spungy Cheese is such as partakes of the elastic or springing quality of a Spunge, I take it to be produced from Curd, which has nearly undergone every proper fermentation to make the Curd unite, but leaves it in a very tough state, caused by the over heat of the Milk when put together. Rank, or strong Cheese is generally caused by too great a quantity of Runnet, and that Runnet made too strong to operate in the time given, or from Runnet being made with foul materials; hove, or heaved Cheese is caused by different means; when the quantity of Air in Cheese increases after the Cheese has been some time made, I suppose such Air to be rarified by a greater heat than the Cheese has before been in, the coat being got hard and the pores much closed, the Air expands within, and causes the Cheese to rise or swell, in a round form; this is very visible when you put a taster into the Cheese or a pin to let out the Air, it rusheth forth with a strong wind, of a rank disagreeable smell, caused by the Air being discharged from putrid or undigested Curd. Sometimes, if Cheese is laid cool when first made, or coming from the Press, is dried outwardly by means of a harsh cool Air, when at the same time the inside of the Cheese remains in a moist state, though the coat is hard and dry; when that Cheese is exposed to heat, either by lying near a hot Wall, or near Tiles in hot Weather, or by the immediate heat of the Sun, it will be drawn up, round, in the same manner, and by the same cause that a board is made round or coffer’d up, by the heat of the Sun; rank Cheese very often heaves, from the cause before given that makes it rank: ’Tis very common for Dairy-women, to ask, what will cure hove, or heav’d Cheese? I am fully of opinion there is no cure for it after it is affected with heaving, but to let the Air out of it, that it may close and settle again. There has for many Years, been an ingredient sold in Shops, called Cheese-powder, being made of nitre or salt petre, and bole armoniac proportion’d thus, to one pound of salt petre, put half an ounce of bole armoniac, both powder’d very fine, and well mixt together, rub about one quarter of an ounce upon a Cheese, when put a second and third time into the Press, about half on each side the Cheese at two different meals, on the upper side, before you rub the salt on, that it may penetrate the Cheese with it; these are very binding ingredients and are sometimes found to be very serviceable, but nitre is apt to give the Cheese an acetous or sourish taste, and if too much is put in, and the Cheese is expos’d to great heat, will cause a fermentation, that will encrease the quantity of Air in the Cheese & cause it to swell more than it would if none had been put in. I have known many things recommended as a cure, but could never find that any thing was serviceable except the above, and piercing, or discharging the Air, with a needle, wire, or skewer. The most powerful preventative to the heaving of Cheese, is, to avoid making the Runnet too strong, or, not to put too much into the Milk, to take care that your Runnet is not foul, nor made either with Whey or Brine drippings, or tainted Skins, to be certain that your Curd is fully come, not stirring it till it has had time for the fermentation fully to take effect, to let it drain a little before it is broke or vatted, and to keep the Cheese warm, till it is got stiff, or had a sweat, and you will, by a careful attention to these particulars, very seldom have any hove Cheese.
Cheese is very apt to split, or divide in the middle, by being salted within, especially, when people spread salt across the middle of the Cheese when the vat is about half filled, which Curd tho’ in a small degree separated by salt, never closes, or joins, and is much easier coffer’d up or drawn round than other Cheese; especially, thin Cheese made in what we call Glocester vats being round or rising in the bottom, and the slider or Cheese-board that is laid over it, made convex also, in order to make the Cheese thinned in the middle, that it may dry quick, for early sale. Then, if salted within and being laid soft on the shelf to dry, as it bears only on the edge all round, it is almost sure to split; and it is often seen, scarce a Cheese in some Dairys of this form but what do split; salting a little in the Milk is greatly preferable, for these Dairys in particular; for as salt dissolves, it keeps the inside of the Cheese moist or soft for sometime, if salted in the Curd, which is what I would never recommend to be done in any Dairy, especially across the middle as is often done. I have sometimes known Cheese thus salted when there has been much slip-Curd in it, and that, and the salt both dissolving together, and the Cheese split, the vacancy shall contain a quantity of Water, which if ironed when Young, gushes out, or else cracks the Cheese when moved, and the Water runs out to a considerable degree, the same thing must have been observed by other Factors, in some Dairys where salting in the middle is used. Cheese is apt to bulge, fly-out, or get round edged, when it is either kept soft, by being moist within, or having too much slip-Curd or unsettled Curd, or elastic Air within it. Dry cracks, or wind cracks are generally produced, by keeping Curd from one meal to another which gets quite cold and fixed, and being put together with Curd that is made of too hot Milk, these two, never properly adhere, or join, and cause the coat to be harsh, and often fly, or crack. Curdly or wrinkle-coated Cheese is caused by sour Milk, chiefly when Cheese is made from two meals, as ’tis very common in hot Weather for Milk to turn, or get sour in one night’s time, especially if Milk is hot when set up, having been much heated in the Cow’s Udder, and very probably much agitated and disturbed by Cows running about, or being heated to a violent degree, or the Milk having been carried in Churns or Barrels on Horse-back any distance; Cheese made of cold Milk, especially if inclined to be sour, is apt to cut chiselly, or that breaks or flies before the knife. Sunk coated Cheese is caused by being made too cold, as you will often find Cheese that is made in Winter or late in Autumn, will be, unless laid in a warm Room after it is made. Two-meal Cheese is made with two meals, or night and mornings Milk, which if put together pure, not having the Cream taken off, will make nearly as good Cheese as new Milk, and much better if it must be finished in one Hour, or less, or when new Milk Cheese is made with Milk that is too hot.
What is generally known by the name of two-meal Cheese, is in Gloucestershire called second Cheese, being made from one meal new Milk and one of old, or skimmed Milk, having the Cream taken away. Skimmed Cheese, or Flet-Milk Cheese, is made from all skimmed Milk, the Cream having been taken off the whole to make Butter, or for other purposes: This sort of Cheese is much made in the County of Suffolk, or at least goes by the name of Suffolk Cheese, when at market, or in London, where the principal part of it is disposed of; it being much used on ship-board, not being so much affected by the heat of the ship as richer Cheese, or so subject to decay in long Voyages, and being bought at a low price, makes it much called for in that way. There is but little art required in making this Cheese, if care is taken of it, but yet there is great difference in the quality of it, which I am fully convinced is principally caused by want of care; it is not exposed to so many difficulties as richer Cheese, but Dairy-women must remember, slip-curd has the same effect, in a lesser degree in Skim Cheese as in new Milk; though the Milk being much weaker is not in so much danger. An Hour, or an Hour and a Quarter is time enough to give it in rendling; keep the Cheese warm when young, and cool after. I know some Dairy-women do not give it three quarters of an Hour in coming, and thereby find more difficulty than need be; paying little regard to it, as they do not use it themselves, nor will it fetch much money, yet I know some careful Dairy-women who make Skim cheese that would deceive a common observer, in appearance, being made in the same form as new Milk Cheese, well coloured, made clean, and better coated, than many ordinary Dairys of new Milk Cheese.
I have paid in a Dairy of thirty Cows upwards of sixty Pounds in a Year for skim Cheese, an object not unworthy a Dairy-man’s notice, some people are of Opinion, the most Money to be made of the skim Milk of a Dairy, is to feed Sows and Pigs with it, but this I must leave to those concerned in the business. Some Dairy-women in order to enrich their new Milk Cheeses will put the Whey Cream, into their Milk, which if quite fresh, not older than one or two Meals, will improve it. To make fine Cream Cheese, one meal of Cream extraordinary should be added to the new Milk; this will make exceeding rich Cheese, but requires great care, and should not be gathered or sunk in less than two Hours. I apprehend two Hours and a half or three Hours will be found much better in general.