CARE OF MILK IN THI: HOME 217 
On account of their great absorption properties milk 
and cream must be kept in covered vessels, especially when 
placed in the kitchen or cellar or possibly in the refrigera- 
tor with fruits and vegetables. Aside from absorbing 
odors when exposed in these places, they will also take 
up bacteria which will shorten their keeping quality. 
At 45° F. milk may be kept perfectly sweet for twenty- 
four hours, while at a temperature of 70° it may sour in 
less than six hours. This emphasizes the importance of 
cold in preserving milk and cream. 
Pour milk from one vessel to another as little as pos- 
sible to avoid contamination. The best plan is to keep 
it in the original bottles. 
Do not add new milk to old milk; neither add warm 
milk to cold. 
The tops of the bottles should always be washed before 
removing any milk. They are more or less contaminated 
with dust during transportation and also become soiled 
from the hands. 
Always clean the bottles before returning them. 
Finally it is well to remember that the lowest-priced 
milk is usually also the poorest and dirtiest. Such milk 
in the end will prove the most expensive. 
HOME PASTEURIZATION. 
Milk used for baby feeding should be pasteurized in 
the home regardless of whether it has been previously 
pasteurized or not. The best of pasteurized milk needs 
re-pasteurizing to destroy the bacteria that have de- 
veloped in the interim between pasteurization and de- 
livery. 
A simple method of pasteurizing in the home is as 
