{"id":1137,"date":"2026-05-03T17:55:39","date_gmt":"2026-05-03T17:55:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/kerimatonews.com\/?p=1137"},"modified":"2026-05-03T17:55:40","modified_gmt":"2026-05-03T17:55:40","slug":"found-in-an-old-house-what-is-this","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/kerimatonews.com\/?p=1137","title":{"rendered":"Found in an old house. What is this?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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At first glance, the wooden device in the photo looks like a simple, rugged frame made from hardwood such as oak<\/strong> or yellow pine<\/strong>. But in many farm kitchens, a tool like this was a workhorse: a traditional wooden cheese press<\/strong>, built to apply steady pressure so fresh curds could become a firm, fragrant block or wheel of cheese<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What it\u2019s called<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

This type of tool is generally known as a wooden cheese press<\/strong> (often called a farmhouse cheese press<\/strong>).
Some versions used wooden screws<\/strong> or metal screws<\/strong>, while others\u2014like the style suggested by the notched \u201crack\u201d adjustment<\/strong> visible on the side\u2014could tighten pressure in steps using a ratchet-style setting<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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When it first appeared<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Cheese pressing itself is ancient<\/strong> (people have pressed curds for thousands of years), but dedicated home presses like this became especially common in Europe and North America during the 18th and 19th centuries<\/strong>, and remained widely used into the early 20th century<\/strong>\u2014before factory-made cheese and modern equipment took over.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What it was used for<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The purpose was simple and essential: press out whey (liquid) from the curds<\/strong> so the cheese could set properly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A press helped homemakers:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n
  • Remove excess whey<\/strong>\u00a0for a drier, more stable cheese<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Compact the curds<\/strong>\u00a0into a consistent shape<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Improve texture<\/strong>\u00a0(fewer gaps and cracks inside the cheese)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Support better\u00a0aging<\/strong>\u00a0by creating a firm, tight mass that wouldn\u2019t spoil as easily<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

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    How it worked (the basic process)<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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    1. Fresh curds<\/strong>\u00a0were placed into a mold, often lined with cheesecloth.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    2. The mold went into the press, centered on the base so liquid could escape.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    3. Pressure was applied gradually\u2014either by\u00a0turning screws<\/strong>\u00a0or adjusting a\u00a0locking\/ratchet mechanism<\/strong>\u2014so the curds compressed without bursting or deforming.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    4. As whey drained out, the cheesemaker would\u00a0increase pressure over time<\/strong>, helping the cheese become more solid and uniform.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    5. Once pressed, the cheese was removed, salted (depending on the recipe), and left to\u00a0age<\/strong>, developing its flavor and aroma.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

      Why the \u201cdrainage\u201d design mattered<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

      A key feature of old presses was controlled drainage. Whether through slats<\/strong>, channels, or simply spacing that let liquid run off, the goal was the same: whey needed a clear path out<\/strong> while the curds stayed packed together under pressure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Why this tool was so important in farmhouse life<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

      Before refrigeration and supermarkets, making cheese was a practical way to preserve milk. A sturdy press like this helped turn a highly perishable ingredient into something that could last\u2014often becoming a household staple and a source of pride.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Bottom line:<\/strong> This wasn\u2019t just a wooden gadget\u2014it was a piece of everyday food technology. A wooden cheese press<\/strong> let home cheesemakers apply controlled pressure to squeeze out whey<\/strong>, shape curds, and create a dense, age-worthy cheese<\/strong> with real flavor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

      At first glance, the wooden device in the photo looks like a simple, rugged frame made from hardwood such as oak or yellow pine. But in many farm kitchens, a… <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1137","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kerimatonews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1137","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/kerimatonews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/kerimatonews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kerimatonews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kerimatonews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1137"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/kerimatonews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1137\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1139,"href":"https:\/\/kerimatonews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1137\/revisions\/1139"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kerimatonews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1137"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kerimatonews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1137"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kerimatonews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1137"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}