150 MODKRN BUTTER MAKING. 



in relation to the butter, and is not left on the butter 

 long enough to temixT the butter fat to a uniform 

 ('onsist(ne,v, it may cause the l)utter to be leaky or 

 slushy. A variation in the firmness of the butter 

 granules eauses the harder particles to rub on the 

 softer ones, and this frit'tion injures the grain and 

 causes the moisture to appear in large drops loosely 

 held by the butter fat. Slushy butter is more likely 

 to appear in the spring than at any other lime of 

 the year, because butter fat is naturally more soft in 

 the spring. The cream therefore needs to be cooled 

 to a lower temperature, in order to get the same 

 results, than it does at any other time of the year. 



To prevent a leaky or slushy condition in butler, 

 the cream should l)e cooled to at least 50° P. in 

 spring and summer, and to M° F. in fall and winter. 

 The cream should be held at this tc^nperature for 

 not li'si-' then three hours before churning. Where 

 there is much trouble with soft and leaky butter, es- 

 pecially in the spring, the cream should be cooled to 

 48° F. and held at this temperature for some consid- 

 erable length of time — preferably over night — be- 

 fore churning. The butter should be washed with 

 water having a temperature of about 52° P. and tlic 

 working done in several operations. This has a 

 tendenc.y to make the butter firmer during the in- 

 corporation of the salt. If the butter is too soft at 

 the end of churning it can be hardened by allowing 

 it to stand in cold water for ten or fifteen minutes. 

 During this time, the churn should l)e given a few 

 revolutions in slow geai'. The water should then be 

 drained off and the butler allowed to stand for an- 



