FLAVORS OF BUTTER 161 



oil as from butter color, buttermilk, gasoline, paper, gro- 

 ceries, metals, and the like. In order that such flavors 

 shall not be imparted to the butter, extreme care should 

 be observed to prevent the absorption of them by the 

 milk or cream, and by the butter itself. When the flavor 

 comes from the feed, as in the case of cabbage, silage, or 

 turnips, it may be prevented by feeding the cows after 

 milking. The garlic flavor can best be kept from butter 

 by pasturing the cows where there is no wild onion. 

 The flavor from the cows and from the barn may be 

 minimized by proper cleaning and ventilation. Sufficient 

 time should be allowed for the odors of the manure to 

 pass out after cleaning the barn, and for the dust to settle 

 after brushing the cows before milking. Often taints 

 are due to carelessness, such as leaving the product near 

 onions, gasoline, or in a poorly ventilated barn. 



122. Developed flavors. There are numerous flavors 

 of butter that develop in the milk or cream from which it 

 is made, or in the product itself. Following is a list of 

 a few such flavors : old cream, poor or sour milk, cheesy, 

 old or storage butter flavor, cowy, dirty, bitter, feedy, 

 stale or musty, rancid, fishy, oily, metallic. It is easy 

 to understand that when cream is permitted to become 

 several days or a week old, it loses its freshness, and 

 fresh-tasting bu'tter cannot be made from it. It is also 

 easily seen that when the man at the weigh-can becomes 

 careless and receives sour or poor milk and cream, 

 which may contain the sum of many flavors that ought 

 not to be present, these are carried through to the 

 butter. Very often the poor milk flavor develops into 

 the cheesy flavor. The old or storage flavor develops in 

 the butter itself. This is common to all grades of butter, 

 although it is less marked in sweet-cream products. The 



