Neufchâtel and cream cheese: Farm Manufacture and Use

Neufchâtel cheese is named after the town of that name in northwestern France. Cream cheese is usually made from milk having about 6 per cent fat, while Neufchâtel is made from ordinary 4 per cent milk. Cream cheese is also marketed in a number of combinations or flavorings, a popular form containing pimiento peppers.

This group of soft cheeses can be made with little trouble and at small expense for equipment. Although now largely produced in factories, they can be manufactured at home for family use. Frequently also the surplus milk of a small dealer can be marketed advantageously as Neufchâtel, cream, or pimiento-cream cheese.

While these varieties of soft cheese are highly regarded, their real food value is often unappreciated. When served alone or in any one of a multitude of dishes they are palatable and appetizing as well as nourishing.

NEUFCHÂTEL AND CREAM CHEESE: FARM MANUFACTURE AND USE.

CONTENTS.

Page.

Characteristics of the Neufchâtel group of cheeses 3 The manufacture of Neufchâtel and cream cheese 4 Quality of milk 4 Clean utensils 4 Ripening the milk 4 The use of starters 5 Standardizing the milk 5 Pasteurization 6 Making the cheese 6 Cost of manufacture 15 Cost of making cream cheese 15 Cost of making pimiento-cream cheese 16 Cost of making Neufchâtel cheese 17 Marketing 17 Returns from 100 pounds of milk 17 Possibilities 17 Keeping qualities of the cheese 18 Equipment for making Neufchâtel and cream cheese 18 Summary of directions 23 The use of Neufchâtel and cream cheese in the diet 24

CHARACTERISTICS OF THE NEUFCHÂTEL GROUP OF CHEESES.

Cheeses of the Neufchâtel group have been produced in the United States almost exclusively by a very few factories whose methods were not readily available to the public and whose extensive and high-priced equipment created the mistaken notion that it is not practicable to make these cheeses except upon a factory scale. The methods of manufacture of Neufchâtel and cream cheese and their modifications are, however, simple, and the equipment needed for making them in small quantities is not elaborate; therefore an excellent opportunity is offered to produce at low cost a fresh, wholesome, and attractive food for home use. Since Neufchâtel and cream cheese may be marketed upon a small scale, they often offer to dairymen an exceptional opportunity for the disposal of surplus milk.

The cheeses of this group are perishable, and their selling prices are somewhat higher, pound for pound, than the harder cheeses. They are coming more and more into common use, however, because, in addition to their rich flavor and high nutritive value, they may be used with other foods to form many appetizing dishes. When cheeses of this group are to be sent to market, special, though inexpensive, equipment is necessary in order to obtain the greatest efficiency of time and labor in molding them into marketable form. An expenditure of from $10 to $25 will provide proper equipment for handling the cheese from several hundred pounds of milk. Such equipment should enable the dairyman to make and market cheese directly to the consumer at less cost and in fresher condition than that shipped from a more distant point. The fact that fresh cheese can be obtained readily will tend to increase its consumption.

THE MANUFACTURE OF NEUFCHÂTEL AND CREAM CHEESE.

In this bulletin the production of the Neufchâtel group of cheese is considered from two points of view, (1) for home consumption and (2) for marketing on a small scale.

QUALITY OF MILK.

The quality of milk is the first consideration in the production of good Neufchâtel or cream cheese. Milk which is sour or has undergone any abnormal fermentation should not be used. By the use of fresh, unripened milk without any perceptible change in the acidity, the normal fermentations which are necessary for cheese of high quality can be controlled. Milk for cheesemaking should not be allowed to absorb any odors or taints, and the garlic flavor, especially, should be guarded against.

CLEAN UTENSILS.

Cleanliness of utensils is another essential in producing cheese of high quality. The following system is advised in washing milk and cheese utensils:

1. After using, rinse with cold water.

2. Wash with hot water to which a washing powder has been added. Always use a brush.

3. Rinse in hot water at a temperature above 150° F.

4. Steam or immerse in boiling water for five minutes.

5. Do not dry the utensils with a cloth but place them in a clean place free from dust.

RIPENING THE MILK.

The cheese is made by allowing the acid and rennet, or other curdling agent, to act simultaneously upon the milk. If great care has been used in the production and subsequent handling of the milk, the cheese may be made by adding rennet and allowing the milk to sour normally. A rather rapid development of acid is most desirable, as this tends to eliminate undesirable flavors, hastens the making process, and prevents losses of the curd. The lack of uniformity in ripening often requires a more definite means of controlling the acid fermentation, which may be accomplished by the use of a “starter.” THE USE OF STARTERS.

A “starter” is a quantity of milk that has soured and which contains large numbers of acid-forming bacteria. If the cheese is made in small quantities for home consumption, a starter is probably not advisable. The advantages of a starter over the natural souring are:

1. It hastens the coagulation of the milk.

2. It suppresses undesirable fermentations that may cause excessive losses of fat and curd.

3. It aids in suppressing undesirable flavors and produces more uniform cheese.

A starter of Bacillus bulgaricus may be used instead of the ordinary lactic-acid starter, but it is recommended only when there is a special demand for it.

STANDARDIZING THE MILK.

In making cream cheese for the market, milk testing about 6 per cent butterfat is most satisfactory. With 4 per cent milk available, if one-third of the quantity is run through a cream separator and the cream added to the remaining two-thirds, milk testing approximately 6 per cent is obtained. If the milk tests only 3 per cent it will be necessary to separate one-half of the quantity and add the cream to the remaining half. This method gives satisfactory results for home manufacture, but for more extensive operations it is advisable to use a Babcock tester in order to standardize the milk accurately.

The following diagram illustrates an easy method of determining the proportions of milk and cream of different per cent of fat needed to make up 6 per cent milk:

Cream and milk on hand. +-------------+ Proportions to be used. 34 per cent cream. | 6 per cent | 2 parts cream. |milk desired.| +-------------+ 4 per cent milk. 28 parts milk.

The desired per cent of fat in the milk, in this case 6, is placed in the center of the square. At the upper left-hand corner the per cent of fat in the available cream is placed, in this instance 34. Immediately below, in the lower left-hand corner, the per cent of fat in the available milk is placed, which in the instance cited is 4. Next subtract diagonally across the square the smaller from the larger numbers and place the differences in the upper and lower right-hand corners respectively. In the upper right-hand corner 2 represents the number of parts of 34 per cent cream, and in the lower right-hand corner 28 represents the number of parts of 4 per cent milk necessary to make 6 per cent milk. If it is desired to make up a definite quantity of 6 per cent milk, for example, 60 pounds, the procedure is as follows: 2 added to 28 makes a total of 30 parts of 6 per cent milk. The quantity of 34 per cent cream necessary is 2/30 × 60, or 4 pounds, while the quantity of 4 per cent milk is 28/30 × 60, or 56 pounds.

PASTEURIZATION.

It is not always practicable to pasteurize the milk to make cheese for home use, but if the cheese is to be marketed it is very desirable to do so. When milk is pasteurized for cheesemaking it becomes absolutely essential to use a “starter” to obtain uniform results. It is advisable, also, to use the milk as soon as possible after pasteurization. Ordinarily, pasteurization is accomplished by heating the milk in a pail, can, or vat to a temperature of 145° F., and holding at that temperature for 30 minutes, after which it should be quickly cooled to 80° F. before adding the starter for ripening. The advantages of pasteurization are as follows:

1. It destroys disease-producing organisms.

2. It tends to reduce losses and increase the yield.

3. It aids in eliminating undesirable flavors.

4. Quality of cheese is more nearly uniform from day to day.

MAKING THE CHEESE.