The Country Housewife and Lady's Director in the Management of a House, and the Delights and Profits of a FarmBradley, Richard
Science
The Country Housewife and Lady's Director in the Management of a House, and the Delights and Profits of a Farm
Bradley, Richard
Cooking -- Early works to 1800; Cooking, English
the goodness of the Feed of the Cow does not only dispose the Body of the
Calf to produce a gentleness or softness in the Acid, which promotes the
curdling of the Milk, when it is received into the Body of the Calf, but
makes the Rennet more tender to the setting of the Cheese-Curd, and so the
Cheese will consequently be the better for it: And I judge that one reason
why the _Suffolk_ Cheese is so much noted for its hardness, is on account
of the badness of the Rennet, tho' it is certain, that the worst Cheeses of
that Country are made of Skim-Milk; however, the nature of the Milk is
such, according to my Observation, that it makes very rich Butter, but the
Cream rises on it so quickly, and so substantially, that it leaves no
fatness or richness in the other part, which we call the Skim-Milk, but
that remains little better than Water: so that 'tis no wonder in this case,
and thro' the rank Feed of the Cows, that the Cheeses of those parts are
not good. I think however the Cheese of _Suffolk_ might be help'd in a good
measure, if the Farmers there were to have their Rennet Bags from places
where the Grass was short and fine; for I guess then, from the above
reasoning, that the Curd would be of a more tender nature, or not of so
binding a quality as it now is, and the Cheese consequently would be the
better. But besides the goodness of the Milk and the Rennet, if a Cheese is
over press'd, it will be hard and unpleasant; but it is to be remark'd,
that all Cheeses that are hard press'd will keep longer than those that are
gently press'd, and bear transporting thro' the hottest Climates, which the
more tender-made Cheeses will not without corrupting, unless they are put
into Oil. There is one thing which I may observe particularly, relating to
the Rennet Bag; which is, that the Calf should suck it full about an hour
before it is kill'd, that there may be more and fresher Curd in it; tho' in
the killing of Calves it is a Rule to let the Calf fast some time before
killing, which we are told contributes to the Whiteness of the Flesh.
Again, it would be an advantage in the making of Cheese to have your Cattle
all of one sort, and to feed all upon the same sort of Pasture; for when it
happens to be otherwise, the Cheeses are apt to decay, from the different
Tempers of the Milk; but let our Milk be what it will, be careful of the
former Method prescribed, _i.e._ to break the Curd by gentle degrees, and
as equally as possible every where: the little pains extraordinary will be
paid in the goodness of the Cheese, for then it will not be full of Eyes or
Hollows, and will sell the better.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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