~Influence of temperature on curing.~ Temperature exerts a most potent influence on the quality of the cheese, as determined not only by the rate of ripening but the nature of the process itself. Much of the poor quality of cheese is attributable to the effect of improper curing conditions. Probably in the initial stage of this industry cheese were allowed to ripen without any sort of control, with the inevitable result that during the summer months the temperature generally fluctuated so much as to impair seriously the quality. The effect of high temperatures (70 deg. F. and above) is to produce a rapid curing, and, therefore, a short lived cheese; also a sharp, strong flavor, and generally a more or less open texture. Unless the cheese is made from the best quality of milk, it is very apt to undergo abnormal fermentations, more especially those of a gassy character. [Illustration: FIG. 31. Influence of curing temperature on texture of cheese. Upper row ripened eight months at 60 deg. F.; lower row at 40 deg. F.] Where cheese is ripened at low temperatures, ranging from 50 deg. F. down to nearly the freezing temperatures, it is found that the quality is greatly improved.[194] Such cheese are thoroughly broken down from a physical point of view even though they may not show such a high per cent of soluble nitrogenous products. They have an excellent texture, generally solid and firm, free from all tendency to openness; and, moreover, their flavor is clean and entirely devoid of the sharp, undesirable tang that so frequently appears in old cheese. The keeping quality of such cheese is much superior to the ordinary product. The introduction of this new system of cheese-curing promises much from a practical point of view, and undoubtedly a more complete study of the subject from a scientific point of view will aid materially in unraveling some of the problems as to flavor production. ~Theories of cheese curing.~ Within the last few years considerable study has been given the subject of cheese curing or ripening, in order to explain how this physical and chemical transformation is brought about.