26 DAIRYING 



Judging Dairy Butter. 



561. Foreign judges of butter distinguish between flavor, 

 and aroma, the former refers to taste and the latter to smell. In 

 the United States the single term "flavor" is used and the ideal 

 flavor is one that has a mild, rich, creamy and dean butter 

 taste. 



Some of the defects in butter flavor are designated by the 

 following terms : Flat, light, cheesy, rancid, briney, fishy, weedy, 

 bkter, feverish, etc. 



562. In most cases the word used gives a sufficient ex- 

 planation of what is meant by the defect ; feverish flavor, is a 

 term that has been applied to a disagreeable, sickening taste 

 sometimes noticed in butter when cows first go to pasture in 

 the spring, and is possibly caused by an unhealthy condition of 

 the cow because of the sudden change of feed. 



563. Fishy flavor has been found to occur mostly in butter 

 made from excessively ripe cream, and into which considerable 

 air has bee worked by over-working. It is supposed to be due 

 to an oxidation process, rather than to bacterial growth. The 

 bitter flavor usually comes from holding cream too long at a 

 low temperature. This defect is seldom noticed in butter made 

 during the summer reason. 



Butter Texture. 



564. Under this head is usually included the "body," con- 

 sistency, firmness, and the "grain," or appearance of a broken 

 surface of butter ; also the condition of the brine in the butter 

 as to whether it is clear or milky. The texture may be desig- 

 nated as greasy, tallowy, spongy^ or sticky, with a cloudy or an 

 excess of brine. A judgment of the texture is made by noticing 

 the feeling of butter on one's tongue and by pressing it with 

 the finger. 



565. The texture may be iajured or spoiled by over-churn- 

 ing, over-working", and by under-working, which latter may leave 

 too much brine in the butter. The feed of the cows and the 



