FARM DAIRYING 



411 



if butter is in small granules, the salt can be more easily dis- 

 tributed and the butter be more uniformly salted. The amount 

 of working necessary is reduced and results in a finer grain and 

 texture. If the butter is in one 

 mass when the salt is added, 

 the working necessary to dis- 

 tribute the salt will usually in- 

 jure the body. The size of the 

 granules can be controlled by 

 stopping the churn frequently 

 after the butter breaks. The 

 churn should be stopped when 

 butter is in granules as large 

 as corn kernels or peas. 



Washing the butter (Keithley) 



V\ 



INSIDE VIEW 



FIG. 73. The Davis swing churn. 



After the churning has been 

 completed, the buttermilk 

 should be drawn off through a 

 fine-meshed strainer to prevent loss of small particles of 

 butter. When the buttermilk has been removed, the butter 

 should be washed with cold water which is a few degrees 

 colder or warmer than the buttermilk was. This temperature 

 depends on the butter. If it is too soft, use colder water ; if 

 too firm, use warmer water. The reasons for washing butter 

 are three : (1) to remove the greater part of the buttermilk, 

 and in many cases to improve the flavor ; (2) to improve the 

 keeping quality; (3) to "firm" or harden the butter so that 

 it can be more easily handled and neatly packed. The method 

 of washing depends somewhat on the kind of churn in use, but 

 the primary object is the same, viz., removal of the buttermilk. 

 In a barrel churn, if an amount of water equal to that of the 

 buttermilk is used, eight to twelve revolutions is generally suffi- 



