256 CHURNING AND WASHING BUTTER 



content of butter, and should be guarded against for that reason. 

 Butter containing more than 16 per cent water is not permissible 

 on the American market. 



When cream is in a poor condition it should not be over- 

 churned, as the incorporation of buttermilk produces a very 

 rank and unclean flavor in the butter. Cream in such condi- 

 tion also contains many undesirable germs, which, when incor- 



FIG. 96. Butter from i pound of fat in cylinders, showing the effect of differ- 

 ent percentages of water upon quantity. The water-content of these samples 

 ranges between 8 per cent and 19 per cent, 



porated into the butter, will cause it to deteriorate to a great 

 extent. When the cream is in poor condition, the churn should 

 be stopped as early as is consistent with the completeness of 

 churning. The buttermilk should be removed and the butter 

 washed thoroughly in clean, pure wash-water. If the wash- 

 water is added while the butter is in this granular condition, the 

 buttermilk can be very effectively removed. If one washing is 

 not sufficient, wash three or four times. In such a case the tem- 



