Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1880-06-18
Washed and Un~a.hed Butter

During the last dozen years there has been
great Improvement il the methods of butter
making, and the standard for butter OF all
sorts Is considerably higher, while consumers
are becoming every year more fastidious in
their selections. The markets now demand
that butter shall be not only fresh and rosy,
but that it be properly worked so that the
grain is unimpaired Butter that has been
manipulated until it is salvy or greasy even
though it be fresh and Of good flavor, will al
ways rank a. secondary IL all our leading
markets, and of course must go at a much
lower price than that which perfect article
will command
Since the new methods for setting milk
have been inaugurated, more care is taken TO
keep milk out of the reach Of kad odors for
with the introduction of these new appliances
much useful information has been disseminat-
ed in regard to the first principles of the art.
This, with the sharp discrimination of deal
ers has taught many dGirymen that taints in
butter must be avoided, and cannot be toler-
ated with impunity.
few years ago an earnest controversy was
carried on among butter makers as to wheth-
er butter should be washed or unwashed,
those advocating the latter claiming that by
pressing or working out the butter milk with
out the aid Of water il served to retain more
of the aroma and delicious flavor naturally
belonging to butter, and which should not be
removed by allowing the butter to come in
contact with water
II was claimed also that unwashed butter
was of longer keeping quality than that which
had been washed, and consequently that the
practice of washing WAS very detrimental and
ought not to be praeticed by those seeking TO
make q fancy article. On the other hand,
those who advocated washing argued that not
one butter maker in ten could work out the
| butterlnilk without seriously injuring the
grain of the butter, and, moreover, that even
the most skillful makers of ''unwashed but
| ter were liable TO injure, and did injure, the
| grain of butter by oyerworking, and hence
more poor butter was the direct result of this
effort to get out the buttermilk without the
use of water, than by washing. AS to the
/ keeping quality Of butter, they claimed that
| the washed butter retained its flavor and
| goodness longest, because the buttermilk was
more thoroughly expelled; the retention OF
the buttermilk in the butter being the main
cause of decomposition and rancidity in the
| product
On the whole the advocates of washing
/ butter were the most numerous, and Us the
art of butter making had progressed, they
have had rather the best side of the argu
ment. OF course, it will be understood thai
good clean, sweet water Dlust be employed
in washing butter, and that it never should
come III contact with water having taints OF
odors of any description.
The best butter-makers of the present en-
deavor TO avoid working butter as far as pos
sible, in order that the butter grain" may
be kept uninjured and preserved in all its in
tegrity. To accomplish this object, the cream
must not be eT-churHed, for the butter il
often seriously impaired in the grain by too
much churning. When the butter begins Il
form or is in small particles about the size OF
wheat kernels or a little larger, stop churn
ing. The butter is then in granulated state
and the buttermilk may now be drawn of
and the grains of butter can then be WASHED
with cold water and afterward with brine
which viii free it from all milky and caseou
matter. Some drain or draw of the butter
milk from the churn in hair sieve, and thel
wash by turning water on the butter in tn
churn.
Butter treated in this way is never salvy o
greasy, but remains with its grains uninjur
ed, and should therefore be in Its best state