33. In the United States, efforts that have been exerted to make cheeses
similar to some of those produced in Europe have to a certain extent
been successful. American cheese makers have succeeded in making
several soft cream cheeses that resemble Neufchatel, some of which are
spiced or flavored with pimiento, olives, etc. In addition, Limburg and
Swiss cheeses have been successfully manufactured in Wisconsin, and
Brie, Neufchatel, and Camembert have been copied and are produced in New
York. Pineapple cheese, while of American origin, is really very much
like English Cheddar cheese, except that it is harder. But while these
fancy cheeses are desired by some persons and have a moderately large
sale, the cheese for which there is the most demand in America is the
so-called American Cheddar cheese, which, as has been stated, is made
according to the method used for English Cheddar cheese.
34. AMERICAN CHEDDAR CHEESE.--Since American Cheddar cheese is the kind
that is commonly used in this country, the way in which it is made will
be well to know. The milk used for this kind of cheese is first
inspected as to cleanliness and the extent of fermentation it has
undergone, and when these points are ascertained, it is _ripened_; that
is, allowed to sour to a certain degree of acidity. At this stage,
coloring matter is added, after which the milk is prepared for setting
by bringing it to a certain temperature. With the temperature at the
right point, rennet is added to coagulate the milk, or form the curd.
The milk is then allowed to remain undisturbed until the action of the
rennet is at a certain point, when the curd is cut into little
cube-shaped pieces by drawing two sets of knives through it and thus is
separated from the whey. As soon as the curd is cut, the temperature of
the mass is raised to help make the curd firm and to cause the little
cubes to retain their firmness, and during the entire heating process
the whole mass is stirred constantly to assist in the separation from
the whey. When the curd is sufficiently firm, the whey is removed and
the particles of curd are allowed to adhere and form into a solid mass.
If necessary, the curd is cut again into small pieces to get rid of the
excess whey; but if the curd is too dry, the pieces must be piled up
until they are four or five deep. During this process, which is known as
the _cheddaring_ of the cheese, the curd is treated until it is of the
proper texture to be _milled_, that is, put into a mill and ground into
small pieces. The object of milling the curd is to cut it into pieces
small enough to permit of uniform salting and the further escape of
whey. When the curd has been brought to this point, it is salted and
then pressed into molds. Finally, it is wrapped and cured, or ripened.
35. BRICK CHEESE.--Another American cheese that seems to meet with a
popular demand is brick cheese. This kind of cheese, which is
illustrated at _c_, Fig. 4, gets its name from the fact that it is
pressed into "bricks" under the weight of one or two bricks. It is made
from sweet milk, coagulated with rennet, cut with curd knives, and
heated in the whey to firm it. Brick cheese is mild in flavor and of a
moderately close texture. It is used chiefly as an accompaniment to
other foods.
36. AMERICAN HOME-MADE CHEESE.--The making of Cheddar cheese and brick
cheese is, of course, done commercially, but there is a kind of cheese
that can be made very conveniently in the home. This home-made cheese,
which is generally known as COTTAGE CHEESE, affords an excellent way in
which to utilize left-over sour milk, particularly if a quart or more
can be obtained at one time; smaller quantities can generally be used
for baking purposes.
If properly made, such cheese is very digestible. As it can be seasoned
and served in a variety of ways, it makes a delightful addition to
lunches or other light meals in which a protein dish, such as meat, is
undesirable. Skim milk does very well for this kind of cheese, so that
if the sour milk that is to be used has cream on it, the cream should be
removed before the cheese is made; otherwise, it will remain in the whey
and be lost. In case cream is desired to improve the texture and flavor
of the cheese, it should be added after the cheese is made.
[Illustration: FIG. 5]
37. To make cottage cheese, allow a quantity of sour milk to clabber,
that is, become curdled, and then place it on the back of the stove in a
thick vessel, such as a crock, until the whey begins to appear on the
top, turning it occasionally so that it will heat very slowly and
evenly. Do not allow the temperature to rise above 90 degrees
Fahrenheit, or the curd will become tough and dry. Remember that the two
things on which the success of this product depends are the flavor of
the milk used and the proper heating of it. No difficulty will be
encountered in the heating of the milk if a coal or a wood stove is
used, but in case a gas stove must be used, the vessel containing the
milk should be placed in a larger one containing warm water and the milk
should be heated in this manner until the curd and the whey begin to
separate. At this point, pour off all the whey possible, and turn the
curd into a cloth bag or a colander lined with cloth, as shown in Fig.
5, and allow any remaining whey to drip out. If, after the whey is
removed, the curd tastes sour, wash it with warm water and allow it to
drip again. Then season it with salt to suit the taste and, provided
cream is desired, add it at this time, using sweet or sour cream. To
work in the cream, press it into the curd with a spoon until the cheese
is quite smooth.
Cheese made in this way may be flavored with anything desirable. For
instance, chopped pimiento, parsley, olives, or nuts improve the flavor
of the cheese very much and make a very appetizing combination. The dry
curd mixed with any of these makes a delightful salad when it is pressed
into balls, garnished with lettuce, and served with salad dressing.
38. JUNKET COTTAGE CHEESE.--Another variety of cottage cheese can be
prepared by using sweet milk and forming the curd with a junket tablet,
one tablet being required for each quart of milk. To make cheese of this
kind, heat the milk until it is lukewarm, or not over 98 degrees
Fahrenheit, and then add the junket tablet dissolved in cold milk or
water. Keep the milk warm until the curd forms, and then break up the
curd with a spoon and pour the whole mass into a bag or a colander lined
with cloth. When all the whey is drained out, the curd, which will be
sweet, can be seasoned in any desired way or mixed with cream and
served. If more flavor is preferred, the curd may be allowed to sour or
may be mixed with sour cream.
39. BUTTERMILK CREAM CHEESE.--A slight variation from the cottage
cheeses just described is buttermilk cream cheese. This cheese is formed
from the curd of buttermilk, which is finer in texture and not so likely
to become tough as that formed from ordinary sour milk. To prepare
buttermilk cream cheese, warm the buttermilk slowly, being careful not
to allow the temperature to rise beyond 100 degrees Fahrenheit. As the
milk is heated, the curd will form and will gradually sink to the bottom
of the vessel. After this occurs, remove the whey and mix the curd with
a little thick cream. The result will be a mixture having a delightfully
creamy consistency.