In due time lade the Curds with the dish, into a thin
fine Napkin, held up by two persons, that the whey
may run from them through the bunt of the Napkin,
which you rowl gently about, that the Curds may dry
without breaking. When the whey is well drained
out, put the Curds as whole as you can into the Cheese-fat,
upon a napkin, in the fat. Change the Napkin,
and turn the Cheese every quarter of an hour, and
less, for ten, twelve or fourteen times; that is,
still as soon as you perceive the Napkin wet with
the whay running from the Curds. Then press it
with a half pound weight for two or three hours.
Then add half a pound more for as long time, then
another half pound for as long, and lastly another
half pound, which is two pounds in all; which weight
must never be exceeded. The next day, (when about
twenty four hours are past in all) salt your Cheese
moderately with white Salt, and then turn it but three
or four times a day, and keep it in a cotton cloth,
which will make it mellow and sweet, not rank, and
will preserve the coat smooth. It may be ready
to eat in about twelve days. Some lay it to ripen
in dock-leaves, and it is not amiss; but that in rain
they will be wet, which moulds the Cheese. Others
in flat fit boxes of wood, turning them, as is said,
three or four times a day. But a cotton cloth
is best. This quantity is for a round large Cheese,
of about the bigness of a sale ten peny Cheese, a
good fingers-breadth thick. Long broad grass
ripeneth them well, and sucketh out the moisture.
Rushes are good also. They are hot, but dry not
the moisture so well.
My Lady of Middlesex makes excellent slipp-coat Cheese
of good morning milk, putting Cream to it. A
quart of Cream is the proportion she useth to as much
milk, as both together make a large round Cheese of
the bigness of an ordinary Tart-plate, or Cheese-plate;
as big as an ordinary soft cheese, that the Market-women
sell for ten pence. Thus for want of stroakings
at London, you may take one part of Cream to five
or six of morning milk, and for the rest proceed as
with stroakings; and these will prove as good.
SLIPP-COAT CHEESE
Take three quarts of the last of the stroakings of
as many Cows as you have; keep it covered, that it
may continue warm; put to it a skimming dishful of
Spring-water; then put in two spoonfuls of Runnet,
so let it stand until it be hard come: when it
is hard come, set your fat on the bottome of a hair-sieve,
take it up by degrees, but break it not; when you
have laid it all in the fat, take a fine cloth, and
lay it over the Cheese, and work it in about the sides,
with the back of a Knife; then lay a board on it,
for half an hour: after half an hour, set on the
board an half pound stone, so let it stand two hours;
then turn it on that board, and let the cloth be both
under and over it, then pour it into the fat again;
Then lay a pound and half weight on it; Two hours
after turn it again on a dry cloth, and salt it, then