This Month’s Excerpts From “A CATECHISM Concerning CHEESES” – 1936

Excerpts from “A CATECHISM concerning CHEESES” – 1936

Hopefully, you will enjoy reading these excerpts, as much as I have, from a 1936 publication by The Wine and Food Society of London.

PS: the typos and punctuation errors are exactly as written so don’t blame the transcriber!

“The first cheese may have been no more-perhaps much less-than Jael’s “butter in a lordly dish” or curds drained of their whey, this too was a thing different from mere bad and perished milk.”

“Q: How long should Cheddar be given to mature?”. ”

“A: A good farmhouse Cheddar must be given at the very least three months to ‘set’, and it should be given another three to six months to ‘mature’. A good farmhouse Cheddar is usually ‘ripe’ when six months old; ‘mellow’ when nine months old. Provided, of course, that is properly stored.”  

“Q: What is curing?”

“A: Curing is maturing, or placing the new cheese in the curing room, a dry, well-ventilated room with a temperature wherever possible of from 54°  to 60° Fahr.”

In the next newsletter we will write about “ What is curing? and “ How long should Cheddar be given to mature?”. Riveting reading, not to be missed!

Many thanks to my wife Laurie (Mrs. Cheese) who discovered and gifted this unique publication to me!