Rennet. — Rennet is the name given to
the prepared inner membrane of a calf's, pig's,
hare's, fowl's, or turkey's stomach, which is used
for turning milk. It may frequently be bought
ready dried of the butcher, and then may be
kept a long time, if hung in a cool place, and
covered to preserve it from dust. Wlien wanted
for use, a little piece about two inches square
should be soaked in a quarter of a pint of hot
water for four hours, and the liquor thus
obtained should be stirred into lukewarm milk.
Rennet varies so much in strength that it is
not easy to say how much will be required.
Ordinarily, a table-spoonful of the liquor✪ Homemade Rennet in
which the di'ied rennet has been soaked will
turn two quarts of milk. For people living in
towns the easiest way of procuring rennet is
to buy a bottle of the liquor, which is sold by
almost all chemists ready for use. Rennet,
however, may be prepared at home, as follows :
— Take the stomachs of two or more freshly-
killed calves. Cleanse them thoroughly from
all imiDurities, and rub them inside and out with
salt. Pack them closely in a stone jar, strew
salt between and over them, and cover them up.
A month or more before they are to be used let
them drain a few hours, and dry them by
stretching them on sticks. Some farmers pre-
pare the rennet as follows : — Empty the stomach
of a freshly-killed calf, and carefully preserve
the coagvdated milk it contains. Wash it care-
fully, and put the milk into it again with some
salt. Tie the openings of the stomach with
string to prevent the contents escaping, and
place it in an earthenware jar with half a pint
of brandy mixed with six ounces of water.
Cover the jar closely, place it in a cool situa-
tion, and let it remain for one month. At the
end of that time filter the liquor through im-
sized paper, and preserve it in smaU well-
stoppered bottles. Half a tea-spoonful of this
fluid will coagulate a pint of milk.
Rennet {see Curd).
REN
(728)
BES
Rennet (other ways) . — For the preparation
of rennet there are many recipes ; the following
will be found one of the best: — Take a calf's
stomach-bag or maw, wash it clean, salt it tho-
roughly inside and out, and let it lie for two or
three days. Hang it up to drain for another two
or three days, then re-salt it, and put it into a
jar covered with paper, pricked with pinholes.
It may be used in a few days, but keeping im-
proves it. When prepared for use, a handful of
sweetbriar leaves, of dog-rose leaves, and of
bramble-leaves, together with three or four
handfuls of salt, are boiled in a gallon of water
for a quarter of an hour, and when quite cold
the salted maw is added, together with a lemon
stuck round with a quarter of an ounce of
cloves. There must be enough salt to admit of
some remaining always at the bottom undis-
turbed, and the steep must be scummed as
often as is necessary. " In Essex they practise
another plan, which is to take the fourth or last
ventricle of a calf, commonly called the bag,
and opening it, they take out the curd, picking
it well of hairs, which are mixed plentifully
with it ; then they wash it and put it into the
bag again, with a good quantity of salt, and
keep it in a well-glazed earthen vessel till they
use it, as follows : — If they first make cheese in
the beginning of the spring, they boil salt and
water together till the water is saturated with
salt, and
Page 1515 · 1 recipe record on this page
Presented as published in 1892. Historical recipes may not meet modern food-safety standards. Cook from the modern interpretation, not the original instructions.
AI-modernized reading of the original text
Rennet. — Rennet is the name given to the prepared inner membrane of a calf's, pig's, hare's, fowl's, or turkey's stomach, which is used for turning milk. It may frequently be bought ready dried of the butcher, and then may be kept a long time, if hung in a cool place, and covered to preserve it from dust. Wlien wanted for use, a little piece about two inches square should be soaked in a quarter of a pint of hot water for four hours, and the liquor thus obtained should be stirred into lukewarm milk. Rennet varies so much in strength that it is not easy to say how much will be required. Ordinarily, a table-spoonful of the liquor in which the di'ied rennet has been soaked will turn two quarts of milk. For people living in towns the easiest way of procuring rennet is to buy a bottle of the liquor, which is sold by almost all chemists ready for use. Rennet, however, may be prepared at home, as follows : — Take the stomachs of two or more freshlykilled calves. Cleanse them thoroughly from all impurities, and rub them inside and out with salt. Pack them closely in a stone jar, strew salt between and over them, and cover them up. A month or more before they are to be used let them drain a few hours, and dry them by stretching them on sticks. Some farmers prepare the rennet as follows : — Empty the stomach of a freshly-killed calf, and carefully preserve the coagulated milk it contains. Wash it carefully, and put the milk into it again with some salt. Tie the openings of the stomach with string to prevent the contents escaping, and place it in an earthenware jar with half a pint of brandy mixed with six ounces of water. Cover the jar closely, place it in a cool situation, and let it remain for one month. At the end of that time filter the liquor through unsized paper, and preserve it in smaU wellstoppered bottles. Half a tea-spoonful of this fluid will coagulate a pint of milk.
Rennet {see Curd).
REN
(728)
BES
Rennet (other ways) . — For the preparation of rennet there are many recipes ; the following will be found one of the best: — Take a calf's stomach-bag or maw, wash it clean, salt it thoroughly inside and out, and let it lie for two or three days. Hang it up to drain for another two or three days, then re-salt it, and put it into a jar covered with paper, pricked with pinholes. It may be used in a few days, but keeping improves it. When prepared for use, a handful of sweetbriar leaves, of dog-rose leaves, and of bramble-leaves, together with three or four handfuls of salt, are boiled in a gallon of water for a quarter of an hour, and when quite cold the salted maw is added, together with a lemon stuck round with a quarter of an ounce of cloves. There must be enough salt to admit of some remaining always at the bottom undisturbed, and the steep must be scummed as often as is necessary. " In Essex they practise another plan, which is to take the fourth or last ventricle of a calf, commonly called the bag, and opening it, they take out the curd, picking it well of hairs, which are mixed plentifully with it ; then they wash it and put it into the bag again, with a good quantity of salt, and keep it in a well-glazed earthen vessel till they use it, as follows : — If they first make cheese in the beginning of the spring, they boil salt and water together till the water is saturated with salt, and
Records on this page
Homemade Rennet