CHAPTER VIII 

 CREAM RIPENING 



MOST of the markets of the United States require 

 butter that has been made from soured or ripened cream. 

 This is fortunate, for in many communities are farmers 

 who wish to dairy on a small scale and who cannot 

 go to the expense of keeping their cream in the per- 

 fectly sweet condition. Most butter is made from cream 

 that has soured at least slightly before it is received at 

 the creamery. In the most up-to-date creameries, the 

 cream is pasteurized within a few hours after it is received 

 and then a good starter is added to complete the ripening 

 process. 



78. When to use starter. There are many creameries 

 in this country, probably over 50 per cent, that do not 

 use starter. This is due to many factors, among them 

 being indifference of the butter-maker, lack of knowledge 

 concerning the propagation of starter, small amount of 

 cream, irregular churning, and difficulty in securing good 

 milk for starter culture. In some cases perhaps it does 

 not pay to use commercial starter in a creamery, but, 

 nevertheless, the butter-maker should know how to use 

 it. On the farm it is doubtful whether it pays to use 

 artificial starter except when the herds are large, when 

 there is a special market for either the butter or for the 

 buttermilk or for both of these products, and when the 

 maker understands the propagation of starter. 



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