BUTTER-MAKING 311 



not be complete and much fat will be lost in the buttermilk. 

 The butter will also be lacking in flavor. The cream, then, 

 from different skimmings, if possible, should be kept sep- 

 arate and cool until enough is gathered for a churning. 

 Then all should be mixed together, thoroughly stirred, and 

 allowed to ripen. 



By ripening we mean the souring of the cream. Butter 

 can be churned from cream which is perfectly sweet, and this 

 is often done. Such butter is called sweet-cream butter. It is 

 a delicate product and will not keep long. Most of the butter 

 sold on the market has been made from sour cream and it is 

 known as sour-cream butter. The term ripening is usually 

 taken to include all the changes that take place from the 

 time the cream is skimmed until it is ready to put into the 

 churn. 



There are reasons for souring the cream before churn- 

 ing it. 1. The churning is more completely done. By the 

 process of ripening, the cream is made less viscous and the 

 fat globules can move through it more easily. In churning, 

 then, the fat globules are collected together more easily and 

 completely and very little fat is left in the buttermilk. 2. The 

 butter keeps better. It has just been said that sweet-cream 

 butter does not keep well, but soon loses its good quality. 

 Butter made from sour cream keeps its good quality for some 

 time if properly cared for. 3. The flavor and aroma are 

 increased. When cream has been properly ripened it has 

 a pleasant odor and flavor. These are developed by the 

 souring process. 



Cream is made sour by the action of bacteria. There are 

 many species of bacteria which can make cream sour, but 

 only a few of these develop the kind of sourness which gives the 



