212 CANADIAN DAIRYING. 



COMPOSITION, JUDGING, AND CLASSIFICATION 

 OF BUTTER. 



Butter, like other dairy products, varies consider- 

 ably in its composition or make up. It consists 

 chiefly of fat, which may vary from 80 to 90 per cent, 

 and averages about 84. The water may vary from 

 8 to 20 per cent, and averages about 12 in good 

 butter. If it contains over 16 per cent, it is deemed 

 adulterated in Canadian and British markets. The 

 percentage of moisture retained by butter is chiefly 

 affected by the amount of working which it receives. 

 Pasteurized butter tends to be somewhat drier than 

 unpasteurized. The size of the granule!, temperature 

 of the wash water, amount of salt added, etc., do not 

 materially affect the percentage of water in the fin- 

 ished butter, so long as it is properly worked. Cana- 

 dian butter is well within the limit set for moisture 

 content of pure butter. 



The curdy matter in butter varies from .5 to 2 per 

 cent, and averages about one. Salt, ash, etc., varies 

 from .5 to 5 per cent, and averages about 3. 



Good butter should be mild, sweet, clean, and plea- 

 sant in flavor. It is impossible to describe this deli- 

 cate aroma, which forms nearly one-half the value of 

 butter. Lack of flavor, bitter, greasy, lardy, fishy, 

 woody, cheesy, dirty, buttermilk, cowy, musty, and 

 cooked flavors are common defects. The grain and 

 texture should be waxy, firm yet pliable, should 

 break like a piece of cast-iron, and not be greasy or 

 salvy in appearance. It should be of such consist- 

 ency that it readily spreads on bread. The color 



