Cheese

The housekeeper's instructor; or, uni... · William Augustus Henderson · 1791
Source
The housekeeper's instructor; or, universal family cook
Status
success · extracted 11 days ago
Not a recipe
No
Ingredients (17)
For making rennet
For a more delicate cheese (alternative rennet)
For the cheese vat
Instructions (25)
  1. As soon as the milk is turned, strain the whey carefully from the curd.
  2. Break the curd well with your hands.
  3. When the curd is easily broken, put it by a little at a time, into the vat, carefully breaking it as you put it in.
  4. The vat should be filled an inch or more above the brim, that when the whey is pressed out, it may not shrink below the brim.
  5. Before the curd is put in, a cheesecloth or strainer should be laid at the bottom of the vat; and this should be so large, that when the vat is filled with the curd, the end of the cloth may turn again over the top of it.
  6. When this is done, it should be taken to the press, and there remain for the space of two hours.
  7. When it should be turned, and have a clean cloth put under it; and turned over as before.
  8. It must then be pressed again, and remain in the press six or eight hours.
  9. When it should again be turned, and rubbed on each side with salt.
  10. After this it must be pressed again for the space of twelve or fourteen hours more.
  11. When if any of the edges project, they should be pared off.
  12. It may then be put on a dry board, and regularly turned every day.
  13. It is a very good method to have three or four holes bored round the lower part of the vat, so that the whey may drain so perfectly from the cheese, that not the least particle of it may remain.
Preparing the rennet
  1. Take out the calf's bag as soon as the calf is killed.
  2. Scour the bag inside and out with salt, after it has been discharged of the curd that is always formed in it.
  3. Wash the curd with water in a callender, and pick out what hairs you find in it.
  4. When you have washed the curd till it is very white, put it into the bag again, adding to it two good handfuls of salt.
  5. Close up the mouth of the bag with a skewer, lay it in an earthen pan, and it will continue fit for use twelve months.
Preparing rennet for private families (more delicate cheese)
  1. Ensure the vell, maw, or rennet-bag, is perfectly sweet.
  2. Mix three pints or two quarts of soft water, clean and sweet, with salt.
  3. Add sweet-briar, rose-leaves, cinnamon, mace, cloves, and almost every sort of spice and aromatic that can be procured to the salted water.
  4. Boil these gently in two quarts of water till the liquor is reduced to three pints, and be careful it is not smoked.
  5. Strain the liquor clear from the spices, &c.
  6. When it has stood till it is no warmer than milk from the cow, pour it upon the vell or maw.
  7. You may then slice a lemon in it, and let it stand.
Original Text
To make Cheese. CHEESE differs in quality according as it is made from new or skimmed milk, from the curd which separates of itself upon standing, or that which is more speedily produced by the addi- tion of rennet. In making cheese, as soon as the milk is turned, strain the whey carefully from the curd. Break the curd well with your hands, and when it is easily broken, put it by a little at a time, into the vat, carefully breaking it as you put it in. The vat should be filled an inch or more above the brim, that when the whey is pressed out, it may not shrink below the brim; for if it does, the cheese will be spoiled. Before the curd is put in, a cheesecloth or strainer should be laid at the bottom of the vat; and this should be so large, that when the vat is filled with the curd, the end of the cloth may turn again over the top of it. When this is done, it should be taken to the press, and there remain for the space of two hours; when it should be turned, and have a clean cloth put under it; and turned over as before. It must then be pressed again, and remain in the press six or eight hours; when it should again be turned, and rubbed on each side with salt. After this it must be pressed again for the space of twelve or fourteen hours more; when if any of the edges project, they should be pared off. It may then be put on a dry board, and regularly turned every day. It is a very good method to have three or four holes bored round the lower part of the vat, so that the whey may drain so per- fectly from the cheese, that not the least particle of it may remain. The rennet for turning the milk is made of a calf's bag, which is to be taken out as soon as the calf is killed: it must be scoured inside and out with salt, after it has been discharged of the curd that is always formed in it. Wash the curd with water in a callender, and pick out what hairs you find in it. When you have washed the curd till it is very white, put it into the bag again, adding to it two good handfuls of salt: then close up the mouth of the bag with a skewer, lay it in an earthern pan, and it will continue fit for use twelve months. This is the general method of preparing the rennet, but that left calculated for private families, and which makes the cheese infinitely more delicate, must be managed in a different manner, of which the following are clear and proper directions: Let the vell, maw, or rennet-bag, be perfectly sweet; for if it is in the least tainted, the cheese can never be good. When this is fit for the purpose, three pints or two quarts of soft wa- ter, clean and sweet, should be mixed with salt, into which put some sweet-briar, rose-leaves, cinnamon, mace, cloves, and, in short, almost every sort of spice and aromatic that can be procured. Boil these gently in two quarts of water till the liquor is reduced to three pints, and be careful it is not smoked. Strain the liquor clear from the spices, &c. and when it has stood till it is no warmer than milk from the cow, pour it upon the vell or maw. You may then slice a lemon in it, and let it stand
Notes
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