ILLINOIS STATE DAIRYMEN'S ASSOCIATION 271 



is kept at a temperature of 50 degrees, a bitter flavor will de- 

 velop. This may be due to a bitter flavor in the milk caused by 

 the cows eating certain foods, or by certain bacteria getting into 

 the milk. In either case it will cause considerable trouble. To 

 a certain extent this can be destroyed by pasteurization. An- 

 other fact worth considering is that pasteurized cream will keep 

 sweet for a longer period even if it is kept at a higher tem- 

 perature. The objection made to pasteurizing cream on the 

 farm is that it adds to the labor involved. While this is true, it 

 is going to improve the butter and it is time well spent. Pas- 

 teurization on the farm may be made simple and effective, espe- 

 cially Avhen the dairy is fitted up with a small boiler for supply- 

 ing steam. To pasteurize, place the can containing the cream 

 from the evening and morning's milking in a tank of hot water 

 and hold at a temperature of from 160 to 170 for twenty or 

 thirty minutes, then cool. Stir the cream occasionally while it is 

 heating and cooling. 



The writer has known cases where there was difficulty in 

 getting butter from cream. This was due to a viscous condition 

 of the cream, caused by using milk from cows that were nearly 

 dry. By pasteurization this difficulty was removed. 



If the cream has been pasteurized a starter must be used 

 to produce the proper acidity and flavor of the cream before 

 churning. The value of starters in making butter should not 

 be underestimated. No matter whether butter is made on the 

 farm or in the well equipped creamery. It is true that butter can 

 be made from sweet cream, but as a rule it will lack the flavor that 

 butter produced from ripened cream will have. Nearly all of the 

 butter made at the present time is from cream that has been ripen- 

 ed, or, in other words, sour cream. The souring of cream is 

 best brought about when it is under control and the only way to 

 have it so is by the use of a well-made starter. Cream or milk 

 will sour if allowed to stand for a certain time. The length 

 of time depends upon how cleanly it has been produced. If the 

 cream is left to sour of its own accord, the undesirable bacteria 

 or those which produce an off-flavor will develop along side of 

 the desirable ones and chances are that they will get control 



