BUTTER-MAKING 255 



which has been removed should be added, the churn should 

 then be revolved a few times at a moderate speed and this water 

 drawn off, repeating this process once or twice until the water, 

 as it drains off the butter, is quite clear, having very little 

 appearance of milkiness. 

 Temperature of the water. 



In general, the temperature of the water used for washing 

 should be very close to the temperature of the butter-fat, but 

 it is frequently desirable to raise or lower the temperature in 

 order to modify the texture of the fat. If the butter is softer 

 than is desired, water a few degrees colder can be added and 

 allowed to stand until the butter-fat has gained the tempera- 

 ture of the water, and if the fat is too hard at the close of the 

 churning process, it can be softened by using water a few degrees 

 warmer than the temperature of the fat. Under ordinary condi- 

 tions, the water should not vary materially from between 50° F. 

 and 55° F. It should be borne in mind that too sudden changes 

 in the temperature of the butter-fat injure its texture and, 

 therefore, the quality of the finished butter. 

 Quality of wash water. 



It is very important that the water used for washing should 

 be as pure as possible. Water from unknown sources should 

 not be used, or from wells or springs which are subject to con- 

 tamination, since the bacteria in the water may be left in the 

 butter, injuring both its keeping quality and its flavor. If the 

 water supply is not pure, it should be purified either by an 

 efficient process of filtering or by boiling, but either of these 

 methods is more or less expensive, and a pure natural supply 

 should be available for washing butter. 



SALTING THE BUTTER 



After the wash water has been drawn off, the butter should 

 be salted to meet the requirements of the trade. The amount 



