SAI/TING THE BUTTER 325 



If part of the working is done before salting, or if the but- 

 ter has been allowed to drain thoroughly before salting and the 

 churn gates are closed after the salt is added there is relatively 

 little loss of salt. In this case the loss of salt may not exceed 

 .5 per cent under favorable conditions. 



Amount and Condition of Moisture. Butterfat is no solvent 

 of salt. ' In order for the salt to dissolve in the butter there 

 must be moisture present. The more moisture butter contains 

 the more salt it is capable of holding in solution. Butter with 

 a low moisture content cannot hold much salt in solution. Ef- 

 forts to incorporate a high per cent of salt in dry butter usually 

 result in overworking and in gritty butter. 



If the moisture is properly incorporated in the butter, the 

 slat will also remain there, and butter containing a large amount 

 of properly incorporated moisture is therefore capable of re- 

 taining a relatively high per cent of salt. If the moisture is 

 incorporated loosely, resulting in leaky butter, the escape of 

 moisture in the working and packing is great, and there is a 

 relatively large loss of salt, which causes the salt content of 

 the finished butter to be low, although, owing to the presence 

 of free brine such butter usually tastes very briny. (See also 

 Chapter XVIII on Composition of Butter.) 



Method of Salting. The salt is added to the butter either 

 in dry form, as a wet mash, or in the form of brine. 



Dry Salting Method. This is the most common method 

 used. The . salt is sprinkled over the butter in the churn, in 

 the trench, or on the workers and then worked into the but- 

 ter until it is dissolved and evenly distributed. When the but- 

 ter is of medium firmness this method works satisfactorily and 

 there is little danger from grittiness and mottles. In the case 

 of very firm and hard butter the distribution and solution of 

 the dry salt, is more difficult and requires often excessive work- 

 ing, which in turn tends to make an inferior texture of butter. 

 More often, however, the working is stopped before the salt 

 is thoroughly dissolved and the butter remains gritty and may 

 become mottled. In the case of very soft and slushy butter the 

 dry salt kernels become coated with a film of fat before they 



