at is best suited for cheddar
purposes, _i.e._, milk in which the acidity has increased to some
extent, the flavor of the resulting product is likely to approximate
a cheddar cheese rather than that of a Swiss.

In the salting process, the salt is not mixed with the curd before
it is pressed, but is applied by immersing the cheese for a few days
in a saturated brine, and then rubbing salt over the surface of the
cheese. In this way the salt gradually diffuses quite uniformly
through the cheese. The method of salting has apparently a marked
influence on the ripening process, since if the salt is added in the
same way, and in amounts used in the cheddar process, the flavor
will not be that of a Swiss cheese but will resemble a cheddar.

In cheddar cheese, the whey is expelled from the curd by means of
the acid which is developed in the curd, and by heating the curd to
a temperature of 95 deg. F. to 100 deg. F. In Swiss cheese the development
of acid during the making process is prevented, because of the
smaller number of acid-forming bacteria in the milk; other factors
must therefore contribute to the expulsion of the whey to secure a
firm curd. This is accomplished by cutting the curd into very small
pieces and by briskly stirring it during the making, heating it
during this process for a period of 20 to 30 minutes at 130 deg. to
140 deg. F. It might be thought that this high temperature, which is
approximately that used in pasteurization would destroy the
acid-forming bacteria, but these are apparently protected as they
are within the curd. During the time the cheese is being pressed,
the contained bacteria begin to grow and the whey coming from the
cheese toward the end of the pressing shows a high acidity. If it
does not show such a development of acid, the maker has reason to
believe that the cheese may never ripen in a typical manner.

It has been mentioned that the milk contains but few acid-forming
bacteria. The maker, however, attempts to insure the presence of a
sufficient number by the use of "home-made" rennet. This is prepared
by placing a piece of dried rennet, _i.e._, the stomach of the calf,
in whey, keeping the same in a warm place for twenty-four to
thirty-six hours. As the rennet contains acid-forming organisms,
these grow rapidly in the warm whey, so that by adding this sour
whey to the milk, the maker is not only adding rennet, that is to
curdle the milk, but also a small starter of lactic bacteri