K. S. RANGAPPA, M. R. SRINIVASAN AND B. N. BANERJEE 91
TABLE VIII
Quality of bazaar ghee, Cuddapah
Serial No.
10
11
12
13
Name of sample
Koduru
„
Chatram
„
Acidity
0.51
0.52
0.61
0.49
Quality
Overcooked but good ghee
flavour
„
Overcooked and slightly
rancid
Overcooked but good ghee
flavour
Induction period
4 hours
4⅓ hours
Observation.—The time of souring is a bit long. The earthen vessel used for souring is a source of
infection by bacteria and moulds. Storage of butter at a high temperature is the most serious defect and is
the cause of degradation of ghee. Butterfat is over-heated in the process of melting. This probably helps to
remove undesirable aroma and kills the enzymes and counteracts infection; oxidises vitamin A and carotene,
and shortens the storage property. In a week tallowy flavour develops pointing to oxidation rancidity, the
destruction of the natural antioxidant and the disappearance of the induction period.
TABLE IX
Acidity of butter and ghee on storage, Cuddapah
Time of storage
in days
0
3
7
Butter
acidity
0.20
0.31
0.37
Ghee acidity
Decantation
0.06
0.08
0.20
Boiling
0.9
0.12
0.25
Quality
Fair
Fair
Slightly rancid
Milk for making ghee is usually processed as follows. Fresh milk, within ½ to 2 hours
after milking, is brought to boil and then allowed to remain over the smouldering remains
of the kitchen fire until a thick skin is formed on the top. The boiling is usually done in
an earthen chatti, which is ear-marked for the purpose and which is daily cleaned with
straw and sand. When the milk so processed has cooled down (i. e. within 4-5 hours after
milking), it is seeded with ½-1 oz. of butter milk from the previous batch.
Milk is usually soured for 20-22 hours, and the curd is then churned. The texture of
the curd is generally firm, but the flavour is sour (acidic). The volume of water added dur
ing churning is usually 2-3 times the volume of the curd.
Butter thus obtained is normally stored for not more than three to seven days, in an
earthen vessel. When a quantity sufficient to give half a seer or more of ghee is collected,
the lump of butter is washed in cold water and then melted. It is the practice to add a
few crystals of salt just when the butter is melted, and the boiling is continued until the
crackling sound stops. Even after this, the ghee is maintained over the fire for a little
longer, until the casein gets charred. The maximum temperature reached is l40°C. 150°C.
Ghee prepared thus has a cooked flavour and a brownish colour. With storage, this flavour
disappears within a week and the ghee develops a tallowy smell.
PREPARATION OF GHEE IN GUNTUR, MADRAS
Guntur district is an important ghee-producing area in the Madras Presidency, and is
the chief source of supply to the Andhra area. Gudivada, the main collecting centre, ex.
ports 700-800 tins of ghee per week. Only buffalo milk is used in the manufacture of butter
and ghee. The central depots trade only in ghee and not in butter. Ghee at the wholesaler's
is composed of both ghee collected from house to house in villages, as well as ghee made by
melting the butter brought by the collectors to the merchants. The animals in this area are
tolerably good milkers, yielding 10.13 lb. a day.
Milk, whether morning's or evening's, is heated over the smouldering remains of
the kitchen fire, until a thick skin is formed on top. The temperature reached in the pro-