atures are a mottled green color and a sage
flavor. The usual method of manufacture is as follows: One-third
of the total amount of milk is placed in a vat by itself and
colored green by the addition of eight to twelve ounces of
commercial sage color to each 1,000 pounds of milk. If green corn
leaves (unavailable in England) or other substances are used for
coloring, the amounts will vary accordingly. The milk is then
made up by the regular Cheddar method, as is also the remaining
two-thirds, in a separate vat. At the time of removing the whey
the green and white curds are mixed. Some prefer, however, to mix
the curds at the time of milling, as a more distinct color is
secured. After milling, the sage extract flavoring is sprayed
over the curd with an atomizer. The curd is then salted and
pressed into the regular Cheddar shapes and sizes.

A very satisfactory Sage cheese is made at the New York State
College of Agriculture by simply dropping green coloring, made
from the leaves of corn and spinach, upon the curd, after
milling. An even green mottling is thus easily secured without
additional labor. Sage flavoring extract is sprayed over the curd
by an atomizer. One-half ounce of flavoring is usually sufficient
for a hundred pounds of curd and can be secured from dairy supply
houses.

A modern cheese authority reported on the current (1953) method:

Instead of sage leaves, or tea prepared from them, at present the
cheese is flavored with oil of Dalmatian wild sage because it has
the sharpest flavor. This piny oil, thujone, is diluted with
water, 250 parts to one, and either added to the milk or sprayed
over the curds, one-eighth ounce for 500 quarts of milk.

In scouting around for a possible maker of the real thing today, we
wrote to Vrest Orton of Vermont, and got this reply:

Sage cheese is one of the really indigenous and best native
Vermont products. So far as I know, there is only one factory
making it and that is my friend, George Crowley's. He makes a
limited amount for my Vermont Country Store. It is the fine
old-time full cream cheese, flavored with real sage.

On this hangs a tale. Some years ago I couldn't get enough sage
cheese (we never can) so I asked a Wisconsin cheesemaker if he
would make some. Said he would but couldn't at that t