124 BRITISH DAIRYING. 



cream no longer clouds the pane, the churning should stop and 

 the state of the butter be ascertained. 



Washing the Butter. 



When the butter is observed in small granules like coarse sand, 

 it should be washed at once, for this is the stage at which alone 

 all the buttermilk can be got out of it by rinsing. Now is the 

 time to let out the greater part of the buttermilk through a fine 

 hair sieve, after which an equal quantity of clean, cold water 

 should be poured in among the butter granules. Again let 



FIG. 33. PHOTOGRAPH OF BUTTER CHURNED "JUST ENOUGH." 



out the liquid, put in clean water, giving the churn a few slow 

 turns each time, and repeating the process until the water comes 

 out nearly as clear as it went in. Butter that has been washed 

 in this way is perfectly free from casein, and will keep well for 

 weeks, without salt, in a suitable temperature. It is the presence 

 of casein in imperfectly washed butter that explains rancidity. 



The washing may easily be overdone, or carelessly done, to 

 the injury of the flavour and aroma of the butter. Pouring 

 the water into the churn in such a way that it falls roughly 

 upon the butter, is not the right way to do it ; but with a churn 

 whose mouth is small this malpractice is not easily avoided. 

 The best way would be to pour it down a tin funnel reaching 



