18. ORIGIN, PRODUCTION, AND USE OF CHEESE.--Cheese is a product that is
manufactured from the solids of milk, and it provides a valuable food.
The making of cheese was known in ancient times, it having probably
originated through a desire to utilize an oversupply of milk. When
cheese was first made, the fact that bacteria were present was not
known, nor were the reasons for the spoiling of milk understood; but it
was learned that milk can be kept if most of its water is removed. This
discovery was very important, for it led to various methods of making
cheese and proved that cheese making was a satisfactory and convenient
means of storing nourishment in a form that was not bulky and that would
keep for long periods of time. From a very small beginning, the
different methods of making cheese became popular, until at the present
time more than three hundred varieties are made and their manufacture
forms one of the large industries of the world.
In the United States, nearly all the cheese used up to about 50 years
ago was made on farms, and to a great extent by housewives, but about
that time a factory for the making of this product was started in the
state of New York, and it proved a profitable enterprise. From this
beginning, the business of making cheese commercially in this country
has grown until now cheese is almost entirely a factory-made product, in
the manufacture of which the states of New York and Wisconsin lead.
19. In either the commercial or the home production of cheese, skim milk
with all or part of the cream removed is used for some varieties, while
whole milk is used for others, the composition depending largely on the
kind of milk that is employed. Rennet is added to the milk to coagulate
it, and then the curd, from which nearly all the water is removed, is
allowed to ripen. To produce characteristic odors, flavors, and
consistency, various coloring and flavoring materials, as well as
bacteria, are added to the curd. The action of these bacteria is really
the chief factor in the making of cheese and they are therefore not only
desirable but necessary. Non-desirable bacteria, however, result in the
formation of bad odors, flavors, and gases in the finished product and
these must be carefully guarded against by cheese makers.
[Illustration: Fig. 3]
20. Cheese offers a valuable source of nutriment for the body, because
its food value ranks high. As is shown in Fig. 3, the food value in 1
pound of cheese is equivalent to that in 2 pounds of beef, that in 24
eggs, or that in 4 pounds of fish. The use of cheese, however, is not
nearly so great as its food value warrants, the amount used in the
United States per capita being only about 3-1/2 pounds annually. This is
a condition that should be overcome, for there is a large variety of
ways in which cheese can be used to advantage in the diet. When eaten
raw, it is very appetizing, and when used with soups, sauces, and foods
that have a bland taste, it lends additional flavor and makes an
especially attractive dish. In addition, the fact that it is an
economical food and can be conveniently kept and stored should recommend
its frequent use.
21. COMPOSITION OF CHEESE.--Since cheese is a product of milk, it is
somewhat similar to milk in composition, but the change that occurs in
the formation of cheese causes some differences. Nearly all the water
present in milk is removed during the manufacture of cheese, so that
this product becomes a concentrated food made up of all the nourishment
that milk contains except small amounts of albumin, milk sugar, and
mineral matter. These, because they are in solution in the water, are
lost when the whey is separated from the curd. The food substances that
occur in the largest amounts are fat and protein in the form of casein,
which is the tissue-building material of milk. Cheese made from milk
that contains some cream has in it a greater amount of fat than that
made from completely skimmed milk. Besides these two chief food
substances, cheese contains a small amount of milk sugar, mineral
matter, and water.
22. On account of the large quantity of protein found in cheese, this
food can readily take the place of meat in the diet; in fact, it has
some decided advantages over meat. As has been pointed out, cheese
yields more than twice as much food value as an equal weight of beef.
Then, too, the buying and care of cheese are much simpler matters than
the buying and care of meat. As it does not require the low temperature
that meat requires and does not spoil so readily, it can be bought in
considerable quantity and used as desired without danger of spoiling and
loss. In addition, the use of cheese as food does not require so much
skill in preparation as meat does, nor is there loss of flavor and
nutriment in its preparation, as is often the case with meat.
23. QUALITY OF CHEESE.--Every variety of cheese has its own standard and
quality, some being hard and dry, others moist, and still others very
soft. The difference in quality is due to the way in which the curd is
coagulated, the amount of pressure that is put on it, and the ripening
of the cheese. The holes that often occur in cheese and give it a porous
appearance are formed by gas, which is the product of the growth of
bacteria. A large number of very small holes in cheese indicate that
the milk used to make it was not clean and contained many kinds of
bacteria. This condition could be overcome by the use of absolutely
clean milk; indeed, milk of this kind is as necessary for the production
of good cheese as it is for the making of good butter. Certain cheeses,
such as Limburger and Roquefort, have a typical odor and flavor, the
odor being due to bacteria and the flavor to mold. These are carefully
grown and introduced into the cheese during its manufacture.
24. CARE OF CHEESE.--The very strong odor and flavor that characterize
cheese make it necessary that care be given to cheese in the home in
order to prevent it from coming in contact with other foods and
transmitting its odor and flavor to them. The best place to keep cheese,
particularly the soft varieties, is in the refrigerator, where it should
be placed in a closed receptacle and kept as far as possible from foods
that are easily tainted. It is well to avoid a damp place for the
keeping of cheese, as mold frequently develops on the outside when too
much moisture is present; but in case mold does appear it can be removed
by cutting a thin slice from the side on which it has grown. On the
other hand, cheese that is kept in a dry place becomes hard and dry
unless it is wrapped in oiled paper or a damp cloth. However, such
cheese need not be thrown away, for there are numerous uses,
particularly in cooking, to which it can be put.
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