Overview:
This comprehensive handbook, originally written in Dutch, delves into the intricacies of cheesemaking in the Netherlands, a pivotal industry for the nation’s economy. The book begins with a thorough examination of milk, its composition, and the factors that influence its quality. This lays the groundwork for understanding cheesemaking, as the quality of milk directly impacts the final product.
The text then shifts to a detailed discussion of harmful plants and their adverse effects on cows and milk. It further explores various cow ailments, focusing particularly on those that affect milk production and quality. Recognizing and addressing these issues is crucial for cheesemakers to ensure the health of their cows and obtain optimal milk for cheesemaking. The book then moves on to explore the various defects that can arise in milk, such as bitterness, sourness, and discoloration. This knowledge equips cheesemakers to identify and mitigate these issues, ensuring they start with the best possible milk for their cheesemaking process.
Key Findings:
- The quality of milk is paramount for making good cheese, and it’s heavily influenced by the cow’s health, diet, and environmental factors.
- Harmful plants can significantly affect milk production and quality, making it imperative for farmers to recognize and eliminate them from their pastures.
- Various cow ailments, particularly those affecting the udder, can lead to milk defects. Understanding these conditions and implementing proper care is essential for producing high-quality milk.
- Milk defects can arise from a multitude of factors, ranging from improper handling and storage to cow health and diet. Recognizing these defects and addressing their root causes is vital for producing good cheese.
- The cheesemaking process itself involves various steps, each with a direct impact on the final product. Precisely following these steps, including using the correct temperature, ensuring thorough drainage of whey, and using the proper amount of salt, is essential for producing quality cheese.
- Common cheese defects, such as blue cheese, pinholes, and cracks, are often caused by improper milk quality, inadequate sanitation, or incorrect cheesemaking techniques.
Learning:
- Milk Composition: Milk consists of water, fat, albumin, lactose, extractive substances, minerals, and gases. Each component plays a vital role in milk’s nutritional value and its suitability for cheesemaking.
- Harmful Plants: Farmers need to identify and remove harmful plants from their pastures to ensure the health of their cows and maintain high-quality milk.
- Cow Ailments: Recognizing and addressing common cow ailments, especially those affecting the udder, is crucial for maintaining milk quality and quantity. This includes understanding symptoms, causes, and appropriate care.
- Milk Defects: Understanding the various milk defects, such as bitterness, sourness, and discoloration, equips cheesemakers to identify and mitigate these issues, ensuring they start with the best possible milk for their cheesemaking process.
- Cheesemaking Techniques: Mastering cheesemaking techniques, including the proper temperature for heating and curdling, the correct drainage of whey, and the precise amount of salt needed, is essential for producing quality cheese.
- Cheese Defects: Recognizing and understanding the causes of common cheese defects, such as blue cheese, pinholes, and cracks, enables cheesemakers to take preventative measures and ensure they produce high-quality cheese.
Historical Context:
This handbook was published in 1877, a time when cheesemaking was a significant part of the Dutch economy and was primarily a cottage industry. The book reflects the changing nature of cheese production, with the introduction of innovations such as cheese factories and the use of steam for heating. The book acknowledges the challenges of producing consistently high-quality cheese, particularly in the face of varying milk quality and inadequate sanitation practices.
Facts:
- Milk is a complex fluid: It’s comprised of several components, including water, fat, proteins, sugars, minerals, and gases.
- Milk formation is a complex process: It involves the proliferation and degeneration of cells in the mammary gland.
- Milk quality is influenced by various factors: These include the cow’s breed, diet, and health, as well as environmental conditions.
- Harmful plants affect milk: Aconitum, Aethusa, Alisma, Allium, Anemone, and numerous other plants can negatively impact milk production and quality.
- Cow ailments affect milk: Udders are susceptible to hyperaemia, inflammation, cysts, and other ailments that can reduce milk quality and quantity.
- Milk can be defective: Sour milk, bitter milk, blue milk, and slimy milk are common milk defects that can be caused by various factors, including improper sanitation, cow ailments, and diet.
- Cheese is made from curdled milk: The process involves separating the curds from the whey and pressing them to create cheese.
- Different cheeses have different textures: This is influenced by the temperature at which the milk is curdled and the amount of pressure applied during pressing.
- Salt is crucial for cheese: It preserves the cheese and adds flavor.
- Cheese ages: It undergoes chemical changes that give it a distinct flavor and texture.
- Cheese can have defects: Blue cheese, pinholes, cracks, and mold are common cheese defects.
- Cheese is a complex product: Its quality is influenced by numerous factors, including the cow’s health, diet, and the cheesemaking process itself.
- Cheese factories are a modern innovation: They provide a more standardized and controlled environment for cheese production.
Statistics:
- Milk fat content: Cow milk typically contains 2-6%, averaging 4.5% butterfat.
- Casein content: Cow milk contains an average of 4-5% casein and 0.5-1% albumin.
- Melksuiker (lactose) content: Cow milk contains 3-6% lactose.
- Salt content in cheese: English cheesemakers use 2.4-2.5 kg of salt per 1000 liters of milk, while Dutch cheesemakers use 5-6 kg of salt per 100 kg of cheese.
- Pressure in cheese pressing: Moser and Roth found the optimal pressing force for cheese is 15-21 kg per kg of cheese.
- Pressure in cheese pressing in English factories: English cheese factories use a pressure of 1500-2500 kg per cylinder of cheese.
Terms:
- Hyperaemia: Excessive blood flow to an area of the body, often leading to swelling and inflammation.
- Colostrum: The first milk produced by a mother after giving birth, rich in antibodies and other nutrients.
- Lecithin: A complex fatty compound found in cell membranes, essential for various bodily functions.
- Ferment: A substance, often a microorganism, that facilitates a chemical reaction.
- Rennet: A substance derived from the stomach lining of calves, used to curdle milk for cheesemaking.
- Whey: The liquid portion of milk that separates from the curds during cheesemaking.
- Annatto: A natural dye extracted from the seeds of the achiote tree, used to color cheese.
- Oidium: A type of fungus, often found in milk and cheese.
- Micrococcus: A type of bacteria, often found in milk and cheese.
- Acarus: A type of mite, such as the cheese mite.
Examples:
- Harmful Plants: The Aconitum (wolfsbane) is a poisonous plant that can cause death in animals if ingested.
- Cow Ailments: Mastitis, or inflammation of the udder, can lead to a decrease in milk production and changes in milk composition.
- Milk Defects: Sour milk is caused by the fermentation of lactose into lactic acid, while bitter milk is often due to a defect in the casein protein.
- Cheesemaking Techniques: The temperature at which milk is curdled and the pressure applied during pressing directly affect the texture and aging of the cheese.
- Cheese Defects: Blue cheese is caused by the growth of specific mold on the cheese, while pinholes are often due to the formation of carbon dioxide gas during cheese aging.
Conclusion:
This 1877 handbook provides a wealth of information for cheesemakers in the Netherlands, covering the intricacies of milk quality, cow ailments, and cheesemaking techniques. The book emphasizes the importance of sanitation, proper milk handling, and consistent cheesemaking practices for producing high-quality cheese. It also explores various cheese defects and their causes, equipping cheesemakers to identify and prevent these issues. While some of the techniques described in this handbook may be outdated, the principles of careful milk handling, sanitation, and accurate temperature control remain essential for cheesemaking today.