No. 6. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. B93 



at the right temperature. By the old way, the churning was con- 

 tinued until all the butter was gathered into a fairly solid chunk 

 and was then removed from the churn and the buttermilk was re- 

 moved by pressure at the same time the salt was worked into the 

 butter. The usual method now is to stop the churu when the butter 

 is still in the granular stage, add a little cold water to favor the 

 separation of the smaller fat-globules still remaining in the butter- 

 milk. The buttermilk is then drawn oif from the bottom of the 

 churn and allowed to drain completely, after which water having 

 a temperature of 45 degrees F. to 55 degrees F. should be added 

 in amounts about equal to two-thirds of the buttermilk removed. 

 The water and butter granules in the churn are then greatly agitated, 

 enabling the water to come into contact with every butter granule, 

 care being taken to avoid an amouot of motion that will cause the 

 granules to mass in churiks. In about fifteen minutes, this water 

 should be drawn off, the granules allowed to drain thoroughly, 

 and then the operation of washing should be repeated a second 

 time as before. The second wash water should appear clear as 

 it runs away, or, at most, have only a very slight milkiness. If 

 the churning operation has been properly conducted, two washings 

 should suffice to remove the buttermilk. The less washing that is 

 necessary to remove the buttermilk the better. A small amount of 

 salt added to the first wash water aids in removing the buttermilk 

 without salting the butter appreciably. The texture of the butter 

 and the amount of water in it are affected by the manner in which 

 the washing is done, and by the condition of the butter granules. 



(1.) Influence of Washing upoo Percentage of V\^ater in Butter. — 

 When the butter granules are small and the wash water very cold, 

 more water remains in the butter without appearing in the form of 

 distinct drops than is the case when the granules are larger and 

 the water less cold. If the end of the churning leaves the butter 

 in chunks of the size of a small plum or larger, it is impossible 

 completely to wash the buttermilk out of the butter, and especially 

 if the butter is soft. I« such a case, the buttermilk must be re- 

 moved by working, but can not be done completely even then, and 

 the butter will have a high water content. 



(2.) Influence of Washing on Texture of Butter. — The temperature 

 of the water used in washing butter affects the texture of the butter. 

 When butter is soft at the end of churning, and it is hardened by 

 beiog rapidly cooled down by the addition of large amounts of very 

 cold water, the texture is likely to show the effect of the rapid 

 change of temperature. When thus treated, the outside of the 

 butter granules cools some time before the inside, and if time is not 

 given for complete cooling before it is worked, we hare a part of 



3S— G— 1902 



