Egerton Ryerson - 1870
Cheese- From What and How Made
"Cheese may be made from different parts of milk, and is named and valued accordingly. It may be made entirely of cream, or from unskimmed millk with the cream of other milk added, or from milk from which part of the cream is taken, or from ordinary skim milk, or from milk which has been skimmed two or three times, or even from buttermilk. The acid or rennet used to curdle the milk, acts on the casein alone, and not on the particles of butter, which may remain embedded in the curd as it hardens, increasing the richness and flavour of the cheese, but not adding to its firmness, which is due to the casein alone.
"The process of cheese-making is both chemical and mechanical. The milk is heated to almost ninety-five degrees, when the rennet is added - the chemical action being thus commenced, and the separation of the whey facilitated. Strong and good rennet will curd the milk in about half-an-hour. It is then allowed to stand from half-an-hour to an hour, when it is cut across in different directions, to allow the whey to work out more freely.
"Great care is required in the proper preparation of the rennet; and indeed every process in cheese-making calls for the exercise of much judgement and experience. It is said that many fail in consequence of hurry in the pressing of cheese, which is better if allowed to stand more than one day in the press."
