Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1874-09-24
The Grain of Butter---WOrking and
Packing. .... -

WE often hear experts speak of the
grain of butter, and yet, if you ask them
to define what is the grain, they will
find it exceedingly difficult to answer the
question. They may tell you that butter
with a proper grain has a waXy appear
ance, but that, if the grain has been in
jured, it looks and cuts greasy when
sliced. FL.
Those who are experts easily judge by
looking at the sample whether it has
been overworked If such a sample of
butter is closely examined, it will be
found to have lost the crisp look it has
when firm. 1t is sticky when soft, and,
when hard, if cut into and then broken,
the fracture will be different from prop
erly-worked butter This can be learned
by having these differences pointed out
by an expert, or by destroying the grain
by working when soft, or over-working
when hard, and then examining the two
samples, the one having had the butter
milk simply pressed out, the other hav-
ing been washed and squeezed with q
drawing pressure Of the ladIe or butter
worker. The perfect sample will be
waXy, firm and crisp, the over-worked
sample greasy, sticky and disgusting.
While the grain of butter will inevita-
bly, be injured or completely spoiled by
such a system of working, or by over
working in any manner, it will inevitably
become rancid and ruined by not being
worked enough; so that, while we reit-
crate the sentiment of an old friend made
years ago, who exclaimed: God bless
the woman who works butter too much"
we are inclined to supplement it with the
addition: And teach all butter-makers
to learn to work it just enough"
How to do this is difficult to describe
1t must be learned by observation and
experience. One great fault is that but
ter is often worked when too soft We
hold that women should never work but
ter at ALL unless they have particularly
strong wrists, for to properly work but
ter requires considerable strength. Even
then the buttermilk should be all alb
sorbed as much as possible with a soft,
clean sponge.
Many butter-makers work it with the
hands by squeezing and kneading This
has undoubtedly arisen from the physi-
cal inability Of the average woman to
properly work it with a Iadle by the old
plan. If the hands were perfectly clean,
and # tie skin could be kept at tenn
perature of fifty-fve to sixty degrees, the
proper temperature for working butter,
this plan of separation would not be per
feet since squeezing and kneading is not
a good way to separate the buttermilk.
For this reason machines have generally
failed. They rub and mash the butter,
pressing the particles together, over and
upon each other. If it were mortar or
putty that was being made this would
be well enough, but butter and mortar
and putty are three different compounds
1y,+, I1I e., H., n o.,
When butter is worked with the ladle,
after having been properly washed, it
should be gathered into an egg-shaped
mass, and with wooden lasle gashed
and scored longitudinally SO that the
moisture may pass freely away and as
much of the remaining moisture collect
ed as possible by means of the sponge;
then pressing the mass together, but not
with sliding motion, to force out the
remainder When tolerably well pressed,
it should be set away for the final work
ing, for it is not practicable to free it en-
tirely at one working.
If this be done, being careful to OBJ
serve carefully the best manner of thus
freeing it, and with only the proper
amount Of salt to make it palatable, the
best means to this end will soon be
learned. Thus you will find that YOU
have an article entirely different and al
superior to anything you have
ever before made; and which, if kept
cool and carefully packed as heretofore
is, in perfectly new or
sweet, clean and bright packages; and if
delivered to the merchant or other Gus
toners in such condition, you viii not
only have acquired a frst-rate reputation
as a superior butter-maker, but you viii
lind no trouble in getting in any market
the price of gilt-edged butter.-Wester1
Rural. ta