BUTTER 



1019 



BUTTER 



HOW YOUTH'S HARDSHIPS ARE DECREASING 

 Old and new processes of butter making. 



in deep cans immersed in cold water. The 

 cream, which is lighter than the water and 

 other substances in the milk, rises to the surface 

 in from eighteen to twenty-four hours, when 

 it is skimmed off the top. If deep cans are 

 used, the skim milk may be drawn off from 

 below. 



In creameries (see CREAMERY) and large 

 dairies the cream separator (see SEPARATOR, 

 CREAM) has come into general use. In this 

 device the cream is separated from the milk 

 in a bowl or drum which whirls around at the 

 rate of from 5,000 to 8,000 revolutions a minute. 

 Small hand separators skim from 200 to 1,000 

 pounds of milk an hour, and the larger ma- 

 chines 4,000 pounds or more, while under favor- 

 able conditions only about 0.1 per cent of 

 fat is left in the skim milk. 



Ripening. Cream is usually ripened, or 

 soured, before it is churned; that is, certain 

 germs are allowed to develop in it which give 

 the butter the agreeable flavor and aroma that 

 we associate with a good market product. 

 Sometimes the ripening is left to chance, but 

 in this case there is always the danger that 

 undesirable germs will develop. Hence artifi- 

 cial "starters" of soured skim milk or prepared 

 ferments are frequently added to the cream. 

 The use of improved cultures for the purpose 

 of ripening cream has been greatly extended in 

 the United States through the efforts of the 

 dairy schools and the agricultural experiment 

 stations of the various states. After separating, 

 the cream is cooled to at least 50 F., then 

 warmed to 60 to 70 and held at this tempera- 

 ture until distinctly sour or until it contains 

 about five-tenths per cent acidity. It is then 

 cooled to near 50 and held at that temperature 

 until churned, usually a few hours. 



Churning and Working. During the churn- 

 ing process the cream should be kept at a 

 temperature of from 50 to 65 F. As the 



cream is shaken about, the liquid fat solidifies 

 and the minute granules of fat unite; these 

 collect as they are brought into contact 

 with each other, and when they reach the size 

 of wheat kernels the buttermilk is drained off 

 and the butter is washed. 



Finally, the butter is "worked," to remove 

 the buttermilk, to incorporate the necessary 

 salt and to reduce the butter to a compact 

 mass. The amount of salt used is commonly 

 one ounce to the pound, but this depends upon 

 the taste of the consumers. Europeans as a 

 rule salt their butter to a less degree than do 

 Americans. After the product is worked it is 

 made into rectangular prints or packed in 

 boxes or tubs for marketing. In domestic but- 

 ter making, the churning and working of the 

 butter are usually done by hand labor (see 

 CHURN), but in creameries these operations are 

 performed by machinery. 



The Qualities of Butter. The special quali- 

 ties which determine the relative excellence of 

 butter are flavor, texture, salt and color. Some 

 purchasers require a butter that is mild and 

 delicate; others prefer a high flavor, but what- 

 ever the flavor it should be distinctive. Bad 

 flavors are often due to odors of other foods 

 or of decaying substances, these odors being 

 readily absorbed by butter if it is brought 

 into immediate contact with them. The keep- 

 ing quality of butter depends upon the care 

 exercised in the making. Butter made from 

 sweet as well as from properly-ripened cream, 

 and which is well worked and evenly salted, 

 retains its original quality for a considerable 

 length of time. If the cream is too old and 

 the buttermilk is not fully removed the butter 

 is liable to become rancid. Scrupulous cleanli- 

 ness should be the rule throughout the entire 

 process. Butter is said to have a good texture 

 if it is hard and firm and will spread easily and 

 does not have a greasy, oily feel and taste. 



