Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1871-11-01
Butter-yvashed or Un,vashed.

Butter-Washed or Unyyashed.
L have been told by an experienced
butter maker that butter washed would
keep longer than unwashed butter.
Please inform me through your columns
the truth of this remark. -
You are correctly informed, accord
ing to our views in this matter. The
butter globules are encased in thin
pelicle of caseine. In churning, these
pelicles or skins of caseine are broken,
and soon the butter is liberated.
Caselne is a nitrogenized substance,
very liable to putrefaction, and if these
thin pelicles, which have been mingled
with the butter when it comes from
the churn. are not, for the most part.
separated from the butter, they soon
begin to decompose, and are
changed into ferment, which
soon gives rise to the for
| nation of butyric, capric, eaproic, and
coprylic acids. The first three of these
acids have an unpleasant smell and the
last dlsagreeable taste; and it is on
| account Of the presence of these acids
that butter assumes a nasty, bad favor.
How, then, can we most thoroughly
get rid of these easeine skins Ger
talnly by not working them over with
the butter without sufficient moisture
to separate from the oily particles. but
by washing the butter as it comes from
the churn. This is simply a common
| sense view of the matter to any one
who understands the philosophy of
butter making, and it is a view sus-
tanned by the experience of a majority
ha oct h7,4 10
1t is said that uDwashed butter con-
talns from six to eight per cent. of thin
caseine shells, while butter that is
washed has only one per cent. If this
be true land we have noreason to doubt
1tl, we have very substantial reason
why butter should be washed. 1t is
asserted, and perhaps with some show
OF reason, that unwashed butter. when
freshly made, has a more delicious ar
oma than washed butter, as the wash
ing Is liable to carry off those delicate
1aVorIng oils to some degree b1lt
granting that the unwashed butter.
when first made, may have a slight ad-
vantage over washed butter, in this re-
gard, 1t soon begins to lose flavor and
deterlorate on account of its caseineous
properties, the slight grains at first be-
ing of no comparative weight with the
disadvantages which follow.
Butter makers should strive to make
butter of bookkeeping qualities. Deal
ers and consumers want something
that Will not deteriorate on their hands.
We can't all get butter the day after it
IS churned, nor does any, one care to
be forced to over-eat of a good thing
to keep 1t from spelling.
Then there is another strong aro11-
ment IN favor of washing butter When
the butter milk and caseineous matter
IS expelled simply by working the but
ter, there is always danger of over
working 1t, and thus spelling the grain.
This IS especially the case, except the
butter maker possesses high skill in
his art, and IS always on guard to do
duty with perfect exactness; for as the
rancid taste of butter is due to one. or
more of these acids which we have
named, it will be seen that it must in
some way be freed from the caseine
which gives origin to them.
We are aware there is a class of good
butter makers who are opposed to wash
ing butter. Many of this class are very
sklllful and manufacture superior ar
ticle; but their success is not due to the
fact that the butter is not washed. IF
/ by their superior skill they are able to
work their butter SO as to free it pretty
thoroughly from the case,ne, it is no
argument against washing We have
made good many experiments, first
and last, IN the manufacture of butter,
ana have tested large number of sam
pies Of butter from the best makers,
both IN this country and in Europe, and
froia the light of this knowledge We are
decidedly in favor of the washing theo
ry.-X. Il. Willard, IN Rural Nea0 York