CHAPTER VIII 



BUTTER-MAKING 



Butter is composed chiefly of milk-fat which has been sepa- 

 rated from most of the other constituents by the process of 

 separation and churning. The principal constituents of butter 

 in addition to the fat are water, salt, casein, and ash, whose 

 percentage will vary with the methods of manufacture. The 

 following figures represent the normal composition of American 

 butter : 



Average Composition of Creamery Butter (B. A. I. Bui. 149) 



State 



Minnesota . . 



Wisconsin . . 



Iowa . . . . 



California . . 



Pennsylvania . 

 North Dakota 



Texas . . . 



Michigan . . 



No. OF 



Analyses 



Fat 



Water 



Salt 





per cent 



per cent 



per cent 



223 



82.81 



13.60 



2.34 



117 



82.48 



13.77 



2.61 



131 



82.11 



14.24 



2.51 



95 



82.12 



14.19 



2.64 



37 



82.81 



13.53 



2.63 



17 



82.40 



13.63 



2.81 



15 



82.76 



13.98 



2.15 



10 



80.99 



14.44 



3.31 



Curd 



per cent 



1.24 

 1.14 

 1.12 

 1.05 

 1.03 

 1.15 

 1.11 

 1.26 



The average composition of the 695 samples used in this study 

 was found to be : fat 82.41 per cent, water 13.90 per cent, 

 salt 2.51 per cent, curd 1.18 per cent. While the larger number 



224 



