CHURNING. 149 



hard nor greasy ; this desired result can only bo attained 

 by careful churning at a favourable temperature. If the 

 temperature of the cream is too low the butter will be 

 long in coming, and will be hard in texture. If the 

 temperature is too high the butter will come very speedily, 

 but the product will be greasy, destitute of grain, and 

 deficient in quantity. No temperature can be fixed as 

 the best at which churning should always take place 

 The proportion of solid and fluid fats in the milk varies 

 somewhat with the diet of the cows, and this necessitates 

 a change in the temperature. A rather higher tempera- 

 ture will be required in winter than in summer. The 

 temperature must also be higher for sour cream than for 

 ssveet cream. G-enerally speaking, perfectly sweet cream 

 should be placed in the churn at 52 to 55 Fahr., and 

 sour cream at 59 to 63. When sour milk is churned 

 for butter the temperature must be about 65. The exact 

 temperature most suitable for churning may be ascertained 

 by recording every day the temperature employed, with 

 the length of time occupied in churning, and the amount 

 and character of the product ; when this is done the 

 temperature for each day can be regulated from the 

 experience of the last working. The temperature will 

 rise several degrees during churning. 



Churning must always be stopped as soon as the butter 

 appears in fine grains ; any over- churning spoils the 

 texture of the butter. The butter is then separated from 

 the buttermilk, washed with cold water, and after standing 

 to solidify is carefully worked and pressed to expel all 

 watery matter ; over-working in this stage will also spoil 

 the grain, and make the butter greasy. Butter made 

 from perfectly sweet cream keeps far better than 



