The expulsion of the whey by heating hardens the particles of curd, giving a grainy texture to the mass.
Neufchatel Cheese.—Fresh clean milk is required to make a high-grade Neufchatel cheese. In no case should the milk be over twelve hours old. A slow development of a clean acid flavor is demanded. The addition of a commercial lactic starter in small amounts aids in obtaining curd free from objectionable ferments. Too much starter will produce acid too rapidly and give a rough mealy curd. A very satisfactory product may be secured, if the milk is reasonably clean, without using any starter.
Starter.—The starter is merely soured milk. In making a home-made starter place a clean milk bottle and tumbler in a pan of cold water and bring same to boiling; remove the bottle, allow it to cool and then fill it with the freshest, cleanest milk available. The bottle should now be covered with a sterilized glass tumbler in order to prevent the entrance of dirt. Allow the milk to sour at a temperature of about 75° F. (room temperature).
Two cubic centimeters of active starter for each thirty-pound can of milk will give good results. After adding the starter the milk is vigorously stirred and warmed to a temperature of 80° F. Rennet is now added at the rate of 30 drops per 100 pounds of milk. Upon a small scale junket tablets may be used for curdling purposes. The mixture, after being thoroughly stirred, is left at rest over night at room temperature, or preferably a little higher. The firm curd is now poured upon the draining rack as with the cottage cheese and allowed to drain for about two hours. Toward the end of the draining period the curd is worked toward the center of the cloth by means of a ladle. The cloths containing the curd are now tied together bag fashion and pressed. The hand-made contrivance illustrated may be used, or merely allow weights to rest on bags of curd over night. The more whey that is removed the better will be the flavor and keeping qualities of the cheese. The curd should drain out and not dry out. Mix in the salt to suit the taste by using a butter worker or a pail and potato masher. Ordinarily about one ounce of salt to four pounds of curd is sufficient. The cheese is now ready to be run through the food chopper and molded. Sometimes it is packed tightly into screw top jars or jelly glasses with tight covers, but usually the cheese is molded into shape and wrapped in parchment paper, surrounded by tin foil to exclude the air. Such molds may be formed by hand closely enough to exclude the air. Butter printers are often used. If the work is done upon a small scale some kind of a hand formed package is probably most economical.
Cream Cheese.—Cream cheese is made in practically the same way as Neufchatel cheese except that the former is made out of cream testing from 6 to 8 per cent. fat.
More detailed information on the subject of making cheese can be obtained from the bulletins and books suggested for reference reading in the list given in the back of this book.
APPENDIX
FUNDAMENTALS IN WOODWORKING
Note.—Some of the terms used in the text are explained in this chapter.
Tenon.—A tenon is a piece of wood shaped like a tongue by dividing the end into three rectangular parts, cutting the sides away and leaving the middle which is shaped to form a tongue.
Mortise.—A mortise is a hollow cut in to receive a corresponding piece of wood. It is made by measuring the required distances on a piece of wood and boring holes. Take out these portions of wood with a chisel until the mortise is of the required size. Mortise and tenon joints put together in one direction, as those made in the back of a chair, are much easier made than those which are joined in two directions, as in the framework of a stool.