Part 4

Milk $0.03400 Interest and depreciation .00054 Labor .00416 Pasteurization and separation .00192 Ice .00016 Salt and rennet .00005 Tin-foil wrapping paper .00400 -------- Per cheese 0.04483

COST OF MAKING PIMIENTO-CREAM CHEESE.

Pimiento-cream cheese is made practically the same as cream cheese, with the single exception that pimiento peppers are added. The cheese is usually marketed in 4-ounce glass jars, which may be obtained in gross lots for about 2 cents each. Pimiento peppers cost about 40 cents a pound and are added to the cheese at the rate of 1 pound to from 10 to 20 pounds of curd, as some people prefer a higher proportion of the peppers. The figures given are on the basis of 1 pound of peppers to 12 pounds of cheese. The labor charge will be somewhat greater for pimiento cheese than for cream cheese; the labor charges are figured at 3½ hours instead of 2½, as in the case of cream cheese. There would then be a yield of 26 pounds of cheese, costing $4.08. When pimiento cheese is produced under the conditions outlined the cost for each jar may be summarized as follows:

Milk $0.03457 Interest and depreciation .00055 Labor .00593 Pasteurization and separation .00196 Ice .00016 Salt and rennet .00005 Glass jar .02000 Peppers .00666 ------- Per jar .06988

COST OF MAKING NEUFCHÂTEL CHEESE.

Figuring a yield of 15 pounds of cheese per 100 pounds of milk and each package weighing 2½ ounces, the cost of making one Neufchâtel cheese may be summarized as follows:

Milk $0.02500 Depreciation and interest .00033 Ice .00013 Labor .00260 Pasteurization .00120 Salt and rennet .00005 Tin-foil wrapping paper .00400 ------- Per cheese .03331

MARKETING.

Neufchâtel, cream, and pimiento-cream cheeses are sold by the box. The wholesale price of a cheese is usually 2 or 3 cents less than the retail price. Cream cheese retails for about 15 cents a package, Neufchâtel for 7 cents, and pimiento cream at 15 cents a jar.

RETURNS FROM 100 POUNDS OF MILK.

Upon the basis of the calculated cost of manufacturing and at current prices for the cheese, the following returns should be obtained per 100 pounds of 4 per cent milk, viz, for cream cheese $9, for Neufchâtel $8.40, and for pimiento cream $8.85. After subtracting the estimated cost of making the cheese from 4 per cent milk, valued at $2.40 a hundredweight, there should be a net profit of $6.14 for cream cheese, $6.22 for Neufchâtel, and $4.45 for pimiento cream. Rent and cost of marketing are not considered.

POSSIBILITIES.

The desirability of making these varieties of cheese upon a small scale and successfully marketing them depends upon the skill of the maker and his ability to obtain a direct and ready market for his product. When cheese is made and delivered once or twice a week, a dairyman is in far better position to serve the public by selling a perfectly fresh product than the larger manufacturers, working at a distance, who are obliged to dispose of their cheese several days after it is made, and who must pay the additional expense of boxing and shipping. If the cheese is marketed directly upon a small scale it is not necessary to put it into the flat boxes, as is the case if it is handled commercially. The cheeses may be disposed of satisfactorily by placing them in one large box and piling one cheese upon another. When cheese of this type is delivered upon a milk route the use of a special box provided with two compartments, one for ice and the other for cheese, is advisable during the warm periods of the year. Pimiento-cream cheese, because of its keeping quality, is particularly adaptable to small-scale operations. When sold in glass jars it is sold as readily as the product of the larger manufacturers. With a direct outlet, arrangements may be made to use the jars again and thereby reduce the cost of marketing.

When suitably situated it should be practicable for many dairymen to supply cheese to a neighboring town at good prices for their milk and extra trouble. It should be especially feasible for the milk dealer to dispose of his surplus milk in the form of cheese; in fact, in some cases for some of these kinds of soft cheese he would receive as much as or more than for the milk. By beginning in a small way the milk dealer should be able to develop a trade in fancy cheeses, such as cottage, Neufchâtel, cream, and pimiento cream, and by selling direct to the consumer he could compete successfully with larger manufacturers.

KEEPING QUALITIES OF THE CHEESE.

When wrapped in foil and put into a cold place immediately after making, cream and Neufchâtel cheeses should keep from 6 to 12 days without developing objectionable flavors; usually cream cheese seems to keep somewhat better than Neufchâtel. If pimiento-cream cheese is placed in the customary jars and held at 50° F. or below, it should be still palatable at the end of a month. These products develop a sourish taste rather quickly when held at a high temperature. The temperature, therefore, is by far the most important factor concerned in regulating the keeping qualities of the cheese. There may be considerable variation in both the salt and water content of the cheese without causing much deterioration.

EQUIPMENT FOR MAKING NEUFCHÂTEL AND CREAM CHEESES.

Little equipment is needed for making these cheeses for home consumption, and many satisfactory substitutes may be found for that mentioned. When the cheese is marketed on a large scale a greater outlay is desirable in order to handle it efficiently.

Floating dairy thermometer.--The use of a reliable and accurate thermometer is imperative if uniform results are to be obtained. A thermometer of this kind is not expensive, and when not in use should always be kept in the case.

Starter bottles.--Pint milk bottles, which may be covered with glass tumblers, are needed for holding the starter, although the size of the containers depends, of course, upon the quantity of cheese made. Pint fruit jars also can be used; and may be covered with bowls.

Shotgun cans.--These cans are usually 9 inches in diameter, 20 inches high, and hold about 4 gallons of milk. For work on a small scale a 10-quart, heavily tinned or enameled pail may be used satisfactorily.

Rennet and pepsin.--Commercial liquid rennet and powdered pepsin have been found to be satisfactory curdling agents. Fresh junket tablets also produce good results.

Milk agitator.--A stirrer is desirable to cause a uniform distribution of rennet or starter and to aid in preventing a too rapid rising of the cream. A long-handled spoon may be used if only a small quantity of cheese is made.

Draining rack.--The rack shown in figure 1 is rectangular, 13 inches wide, 36 inches long, and 10 inches deep. The corner posts extend 1½ inches beyond the strips at top and bottom, with the top rounded, so that a ring may fit over them. The bottom slats fit loosely into notches and are removable for washing purposes. The materials required are 4 corner posts 1½ by 1½ by 10 inches, 9 strips 1 by ⅜ by 36 inches, and 6 strips 1 by ⅜ by 12¼ inches, notched to receive bottom slats, all made of pine. A cloth is fastened upon each frame and the contents of one can poured upon each cloth. For small-scale operations an orange crate or a boiler or pail may serve the same purpose.

Drain cloth.--Unbleached cotton sheeting is recommended for this purpose. A fine-meshed cloth gives strength and aids in preventing losses of fat and casein. The size of the cloth depends upon the nature of the draining rack. Each cloth should be 45 inches long and a yard wide, with the ends hemmed. After use each should be quickly and carefully washed and dried in order to increase the period of its usefulness.

Press.--If a screw press is available, its use is to be recommended. A 50 or 60 pound weight, such as a can of water or bucket of stones, left upon the curd overnight usually proves to be satisfactory. (See figs. 2 and 3.)

Curd worker.--For small-scale operations a bread mixer or a potato masher may be used to give the curd proper consistence and to incorporate the salt. When working on a larger scale a butterworker or food chopper will serve the same purpose. Food chopper.--A food chopper with special attachments and a hopper are essential for molding the cheese into the desired forms. Depending upon the quantity of cheese handled, satisfactory food choppers may be obtained in three sizes, costing about $2, $5, and $8.50. (See fig. 8.) The smaller machines may be used in handling Neufchâtel and pimiento-cream cheese, but cream cheese requires the large size for making the customary flat packages. The large machine is to be recommended if the weekly output of cheese amounts to a few hundred pounds, although the medium-sized machine would probably do the work as effectively, only more slowly and with more labor.

Cheese hopper.--The hopper consists of an open box 3 inches deep, made of maple, with sides sloping outward about half an inch. The box has a hole in the bottom 3⅛ by 3⅝ inches. To the bottom of the box a board five-eighths of an inch thick is screwed, which has a hole corresponding to that of the box. The hopper is fastened to the food chopper by means of a beveled strip of wood and button, as indicated in figure 9. The base of the box will probably have to be grooved in order to allow the wheel to turn without friction. The materials required are (1) two quadrangular-shaped pieces of wood 3 inches high, five-eighths of an inch in thickness, and whose tops measure 9⅜ inches and the bottoms 8 inches; (2) two pieces of similar shape, except that the tops measure 11½ inches and the bases 10¼ inches; (3) one piece 10⅞ inches long, 10⅛ inches wide, and three-quarters of an inch thick; (4) one piece 9⅜ inches long, 7 inches wide, and three-quarters of an inch thick: and (5) one piece 7 inches long, 4⅜ inches wide, and five-eighths of an inch thick.