Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1877-01-17
Salt in Butter.


There arc two purposes in view when but
ter is sailed. One is to give it a saline fla
vor, and the other is to "make it keep" One
of our agricultural guidnuncs inquired at a
dairymen's meeting some time ago, "whether
salt is any more necessary TO preserve but
ter than talow or lard" evidently implying
that it is not. lie had never intelligently
observed the processes by which these differ
ent kinds of fat are prepared, or he would
not have asked his silly question
Lard and talow will both become rancid
iu a short time if unrendered. When there
is necessary delay in this, they should al
ways be kept at very low temperature, or
sailed. But pure rendered tallow and lard
may be preserved for an indefinite time,
without change, and so might rendered but
ter. Indeed for long sea voyages the butter
intended for cabin store is frequently puri-
fled by melting, skimming and settling, and
if, in addition to this, 1t is dried" as tai
low and lard are, by being kept hot until all
water is evaporated from it, it may be kept
as well as either of the other fats named,
without sailing.
The reason why fats become rancid is not
due to any change in the fat itself, but to
the putrefaction of the abuminous matter
in contact with it. Fat very quickly alb
serbs any faint, and is thus easily spoiled by
the spelling of any other animal matter at
tached to it. The rendering of lard and
tallow is for the purpose of removing these
substances which, though essential to the
structure of the living creature, become ex-
traneous matter in the manufactured pro-
duct This albuminous substance, consti-
tuting the fibrous tissues surrounding and
penetrating the fat, together with the blood
vessels, nerves and muscular substance con-
tanned or adherent, are separated in render
ing, under the form of "scrap," and the
strained talow or lard, if properly packed
and kept, retains its sweetness. This "ren-
derng," or" trying out" is the manufacture
of lard and tallow.
But how different is the manufacture of
butter. The crude material, the cream, con-
tains much more albuminous matter than
leaf-lard or tallow, and our only method of
removing this cause of rancdity, is by
thorough working" and washing. An ex-
perienced dairyman acquires great skill in
this operation, yet we never saw any butter
that did not show, upon melting, that the
most careful manipulation leaves a consider
able portion OF Gaseous and albuminous mat
ter attached to the fat And in addition,
all butter contains a smart percentage of wa
ter, which every housewife knows must be
entirely removed from lard If it is expected
to keep good for any great length of time.
There never was, and never will be, any
butter made that will improve by keeping
All that we can expect to do is, by the ad-
dition of salt sufficient to arrest decomposi-
ton in the Gaseous matter, to preserve the
butter for moderate time, in order to avoid
overcrowding the summer market, and to
keep up tolerably uniform supply during
the year. If the butter is well made, and as
much as possible of the foreign matter
worked out, the remainder may, by the ad-
dition of one ounce of salt to the pound, and
the storing of the butter in cool, dry and
airy place, be preserved for several months,
or even year. Instances occur when a
much longer time elapses before percepti-
BILE change occurs But the butter, at all
events, does not improve, and experience
shows that salt, in less proportion than one
ounce to the pound, cannot be depended
upon to keep even the best butter sweet
Indeed, experiment has proved that the ac-
tion of an insufficient proportion OF salt is to
hasten instead of arrestng the decay of all
albuminous, Gaseous and fbrinons animal
substances.
For immediate sale it is simply question
of the taste of the buyer as to the quantity
of salt to be added to butter. We know oi
no market in this country where entirely
fresh butter is called for but there are such
in Europe and consumers whose taste is Of
this quality are very fastidious in theii
choices, and are, indeed, the very best Judges
of butter, since salt, even in small quantity
unquestionably impairs the more delicat,
aroma Of the fresh article, as well as hides
any slight defect in the flavor. But tn,
American taste is, with slight exception, en-
tirely for saied, even when not for sail but
ter. Probably the addition OF much les
than one-half ounce TO the pound would ren
der butter difficult of sale in most of on
markets, even if otherwise quite perfect