70 HINTS ON DAIRYING. 



medium is always the condense] 1 and absorbent, and it is 

 only when the milk gets colder than the air above it that 

 it condenses the moisture in the air and absorbs its odor. 

 This will never occur where cold air is the cooling me- 

 dium. The milk theoretically can never get cooler than 

 the air, while practically it remains a degree or two 

 warmer than the ail'. 



OXYDIZIN;; CREAM. 



There is another advantage in using the air as a cool- 

 ing medium. In shallow setting, more surface, is ex- 

 posed and the air, coming in contact with the surface, 

 imparts to it a portion of its oxygen, which mingles with 

 the oils and develops that fine butter flavor so much rel- 

 ished by most and which is a peculiarity of fine butter. 

 Again, slow cooling gives more time for this oxydation 

 to go on, and thus " ripen " the cream for churning with- 

 out souring it. This leaves all the fine flavor in it, un- 

 mixed with flavors resulting from acidification. But, 

 where milk is set deep for creaming and especially 

 where there is no exposure to the air, as is the case in 

 submerging no butter flavor is developed, and the 

 cream has to be kept until sour before it is properly 

 oxydi/ed. There is not a full development of butter fla- 

 vor proper, but development of flavor resulting from the 

 mingling ot lactic acid with the oils. But without this 

 exposure and acidification, the butter is insipid and com- 

 paratively flavorless. Any subsequent exposure to the 

 air s:>on throws the butter oil" flavor, the oxygen min- 

 gling with the fats alone while the cream is- rising and 

 still s-.v-^f. This development of flavor by oxydation i* 



