42 



Production of Butter. 



casein, as it does the albumen of bones, in pickled meats ; the 

 whole secret of Dutch butter making consists in this circumstance. 

 If intended for very long keeping, a small quantity of saltpetre 

 may be added, which will prevent, in a great measure, the tendency 

 of any remaining caseous matter from entering into the putrefac- 

 tive state — the cause of rancidity — the difference in quality be- 

 tween salt used in England and Holland having nothing to do 

 with the superior keeping quality of the latter. If properly made, 

 half an ounce of salt to 1 lb. of butter is sufficient if intended for 

 keeping ; and J oz, of salt to the lb. if intended for immediate use. 

 The circumstances connected with the formation of butter from 

 clouted or scalded cream have already been sufficiently detailed ; 

 for immediate use the quality is not equal to that formed by 

 ordinary methods, and for keeping is wholly inadmissible ; the 

 superior weight obtained is attjibutable to the quantity of casein 

 and coagulated albumen, mechanically mixed with the butter, 

 which it is impossible to eradicate by any subsequent means. 

 The recently published report of the " Agriculture of Somerset," 

 by Mr. T. D. Acland, relates an experiment in which a loss ap- 

 peared to exist in the weight formed in making butter from 

 scalded cream as compared with the ordinary process ; this experi- 

 ment, however, is contrary to all others made with the same 

 view. 



It may be important occasionally to know that a little saltpetre 

 dissolved in warm water, and mixed with the cream taken from 

 milk with a turnipy flavour, entirely eradicates it in the course of 

 churning. 



A factitious colour can be given to butter by the use of annatto, 

 or the scrapings of the red part of carrots ; but neither will give 

 the appearance of fine grass butter. All such practices are to be 

 deprecated ; the latter -described mode, however, is the prefer- 

 able one, in case artificial colouring is considered desirable. 



Appendix. 



