WORKING THTC BUTTER 353 



they can more readily control the moisture. Each individual 

 butter maker has his own method which he believes to operate 

 most satisfactorily. The amount of draining which the butter 

 receives before salting, the method of salting and the draining 

 incident to the working process, largely regulate the per cent 

 of moisture which the finished product of one and the same 

 churning will contain. The extent of draining and working that 

 will yield the desired result as to per cent of moisture and body 

 of butter, must be governed by type of churn and by the me- 

 chanical character of the butter in the churn. 



Inasmuch as the mechanical character of the butter must 

 determine how much working any given churning in any given 

 churn requires and can stand, and since the mechanical character 

 of the butter varies with many conditions, (such as locality, 

 season of year, richness, acidity and temperature of cream, size 

 of butter granules, fullness of churn, etc.) it is impossible to 

 prescribe any set method that would prove satisfactory under 

 all conditions. 



The working should be continued until the butter has a com- 

 pact, tough and waxy body, consistent with the desired moisture 

 content. Butter has been worked enough when it breaks with a 

 ragged edge upon passing a laddie through it quickly. Butter 

 not worked sufficiently usually has a loose body, with the grain 

 not packed together properly. Such butter is often leaky and 

 lacks compactness. Butter overworked shows a tallowy or salvy 

 texture in the case of very firm butter and a greasy texture in 

 the case of very soft butter. See also "Moisture Control." 



Effect of Working on Body and Color of Butter.-^Properly 

 worked butter* has a tough, waxy body, is free from leakiness, 

 greasiness and tallowiness and has a live, bright color, which is 

 uniform throughout the package. When a plug of such butter 

 is pulled out of the tub and is broken, the break presents an 

 uneven surface similar to that of a piece of iron, showing that 

 the grain is still intact. 



Working has the effect of whitening the color of the salted 

 butter. This is due to the reduction of the size of the water 

 droplets in butter during progressive working. In unsalted but- 

 ter the water droplets are present in the form of innumerable 



