M. R. SRINIVASAN AND B. N. BANERJEE 83
Again the acidity of ghee compared to butter on clarification provides a picture of the acid
developed in the souring process. Acidity of ghee on clarification by the boiling process
should be about 0.05—0.1 per cent lactic acid and from 0.02—0.05 per cent by the decantation
process. Any acidity above this figure in ghee indicates the activity of undesirable
organisms and lipolysis or storage. Acidity due to fermentation of lactose can be reduced on
washing butter or by the decantation process of making ghee. But acidity due to lipase
cannot be easily removed from butter fat.
At acidity of about 0.6 per cent lactic acid and a lactose content of 3.8 per cent dahi is
of sweet taste, uniform good texture and fine flavour. With pure culture curd or dahi is of
good texture but the flavour is derived from the seed curd. It is not as good as that obtained
from good dahi mixed flora.
REFERENCES
Hunziker, (1939.). Butter Industry
Friedman and Kendal (1929). J. Biol. Chem. 82, 23
Joshi and Ram Ayyar (1936), Indian J. vet. Sc. 6,141
Karnad (1939). Ibid 9, 349
Madhok and Kapoor (1942). Ibid 12, 213
Rep. Marketing of milk, India and Burma (1941), 23, 213
Ram Ayyar (1928). Agric. J. India 23, 107
Suzuki, Hastings and Hart (1910), J. Biol. Chem. 7, 432
Wright (1937). Rep. Development of Dairy and Cattle Industries Of India, 21
STUDIES ON THE METHODS OF PREPARATION OF GHEE*
III. INDIGENOUS METHODS OF MANUFACTURE
K. S. RANGAPPA, M. R. SRINIVASAN AND B. N. BANERJEE, Department of
Biochemistry, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore
(Received for publication on 13 November 1945)
(With one text-figure)
IN this paper the indigenous method of preparation of butter and ghee has been studied in a
few areas and their merits and demerits have been recorded. The same methods have been
repeated in the laboratory to study the defects and their remedies under village conditions
Defects that may creep in due to improper storage, transport, and container have been
noted. The properties of katcha ghee have also been observed and recorded.
The areas in which the investigations were conducted were as follows:
(i) Mandya in Mysore State,
(ii) Koduru in Cuddapah district,
(iii) Guntur in Guntur district, and
(iv) Hogenical in North Salem area.
Samples of ghee prepared in villages in Baroda State (Dhinoj), and in villages around
Izatnagar have also been received and analysed. The reports on each have been given
in order.
PREPARATION OF ghee IN MANDYA (MYSORE)
Mandya area is an important butter-producing centre in the Mysore State and is the
chief source of supply for the Bangalore market supplying 200-300 tins of butter per week.
It is about 64 miles by road and rail from Bangalore. In order to study the indigenous
method samples were taken and experiments were carried out in two to three houses in
each village situated within a radius of 15 miles from Mandya, using the milkman's
vessels and equipment. The method of preparation, storage, collection by middlemen, transport,
and final melting into ghee were carefully followed. No butter or ghee is made in villages
situated at a distance of three to four miles from Mandya town, which consumes all the
fluid milk. Only buffalo milk is used for butter manufacture. Butter alone is made in the
Mandya area and not ghee. The general opinion is that if ghee is made there is risk of
*In this paper the quality and constants of ghee are expressed as follows :
1. Acidity as percentage of lactic acid, unless otherwise mentioned.
2. Vitamin A as Lovibond blue units per gram with Carr and Price reagent.
3. Carotene as Lovibond yellow units per gram,
4. Quality of ghee denotes, flavour, texture and colour.
(a) Flavour can be expressed as clean, pronounced, pleasant, aromatic with no taint and free from yeasty,
cheesy, curdy and other flavours.
(b) Texture can be expressed as firm, granular, pasty and semi liquid.
(c) Colour is yellow, but may be pale greenish, or deep with an orange tint.