328 ARTIFICIAL COLORING OF BUTTER. 



COLORING OF BUTTER. The practice of coloring but 

 ter is founded on the fact that we are accustomed to 

 form our judgment at once of the qualities of the arti- 

 cle from the whiteness or the yellowness of its color. 

 Whiter butter is less attractive generally than yellow 

 summer or grass-made butter. The color has come to 

 oe important to the seller, and artificial means are found 

 to regulate it. 



The coloring is made as follows : About a pound of 

 butter is melted, so that the heavier parts sink to the 

 bottom, when the light, clear fat on the top is poured 

 into another dish. In this fat thus poured off is put a 

 piece of annatto about the size of a walnut, wrapped 

 up in a linen cloth, and it is then again put over the 

 fire. The coloring matter of the annatto strains through 

 the linen cloth, and turns the butter brown red, when 

 it is allowed to cool off. When the butter is to be col- 

 ored, some of this brown red is melted, salted, and 

 mixed very carefully into the butter after washing. The 

 quantity of coloring matter used depends on the color 

 which the maker wants to impart to his butter, and a 

 little practice soon enables him to take the right quan- 

 tity. Others pour the coloring matter directly upon 

 the butter to attain the same end. 



In coloring artificially it is important to get a uniform- 

 ity of color, which is the result of very thorough work- 

 ing. Colored butter must not be marbled. 



The cream is sometimes colored before churning. 

 The annatto is put into a clean beech-wood lye, and as 

 much of this colored and strained lye is taken as is 

 necessary to produce the desired color in the butter. It 

 is then churned as usual. 



Turmeric is sometimes used instead of annatto for 

 coloring butter. It has no advantage, however, over 

 annatto. 



