874 THE PEOPLE'S FARM AND STOCK CYCLOPEDIA. 



The Keeping of Butter. The keeping of butter is more 

 dependent upon its perfect separation from the caseine than any 

 one other condition, and it is now asserted by the highest living 

 dairy authorities that this separation is more perfectly obtained 

 by washing with pure cold water, with or without salt, than by 

 any process of working to expel this undesirable element. Only 

 the purest water should be employed for washing, and if a suspi- 

 cion exists that the water is even slightly defective, salt should 

 be used to neutralize such contamination. 



Working Butter. In working over butter great care must 

 be taken to avoid any process analogous to grinding, or that 

 would in any way break down the grain of the butter, for such 

 treatment has the effect of giving butter a waxy, greasy appear- 

 ance that detracts from its value. 



Packing Butter. In packing butter for market, the utmost 

 care must be taken to have the butter salted to meet the demands 

 of the consumer, a half ounce to the pound being ample for some 

 consumers, and with others a full ounce will be required. The 

 office of salt is not to preserve the butter, but to hold in check 

 the other elements that it contains in spite of all efforts to re- 

 move them, and if possible prevent ferment, and the develop- 

 ment of acids and gases that first manifest themselves in " off 

 flavor," then "strong" flavor, and next "rancidity," the last step 

 being the soap-grease stage of worthlessness ; hence great caution 

 should be exercised in having not only the buttermilk fully 

 expelled as possible, but also to have the surplus moisture ab- 

 sorbed so that only the butter remains, thirteen per cent of 

 moisture being the maximum amount of water in prime, well- 

 made butter. 



Sweet and Sour Cream Butter. The question now of 

 sweet and sour cream butter is beginning to become a prominent 

 one, and many erroneous impressions and suppositions exist even 

 among butter-makers who regard themselves as well-informed. 

 The common error is in supposing that sour cream makes the 

 most butter. Accurate tests do not warrant the belief, nor that 

 sour cream butter is the longest keeping article. It is true, how- 

 ever, that butter-makers, as a rule, succeed best with acid cream, 



