Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1881-05-13
Artificial Coloring for Butter and Cheese.

The culture of the plant producing
the coloring matter known as annatto is
chiefly carried on in the French colo
nies of Guadaloupe and Cayenne, also
in some parts of South America. 1t is
a small evergreen tree growing ten to
fifteen feet high; the leaves are heart
shaped, smooth and shining; flowers in
a tapering panicle, pale pink; capsule
two-valved, prickly on the outside; the
fruit is like a chestnut, and contains q
certain number of seeds smaller than
peas. These seeds are covered with a
soft, viscous, waxcn pulp or pellicle of
beautiful vermillion color, and this
latter is the substance known as an
natto.
The annatto is separated from the
seed by several different processes, such
as washing, steaming and ferment alton.
The common mode in which it is main
tanned is by pouring hot water over the
pulp and seeds, and leaving them to
macerate, finally separating them by
pounding with a wooden pestle. The
seeds are removed by straining the
mass through sieve. The pulp being
allowed to settle, the water is poured
OFF gently, the pulp placed in shallow
vessels, in which it is gradually dried
in the shade. After acquiring a proper
consistence it is made into cylindrical
rolls or balls. This roll annatto is large
ly used for coloring cheese and butter
in the British and Continental dairies.
Much of the superior American butter
color has more or less annatto in its
composition. Annatto, when genuine,
affects neither the taste or smell of the
cheese or butter to which it may be ap.
piled. 1t is entirely harmless, the Span
ish Americans mixing it with their
chocolate for producing beautiful
tint. The Indians in the tropical climes
employ the leaves and roots in cooking
to increase the flavor and give saffron
color. Mixed with lemon juice and gum
it forms the crimson paint with which
the Indians adorn their bodies.
Coloring cheese with annatto is very
old practice among English and Dutch
as well as American dairymen. At first
it was only used by mixing with lard
for rubbing on the crash; afterward it
was dissolved in weak solution of pot
ash and mixed with the milk at the
time the rennet was applied. Years ago
no dairyman thought of coloring butter
nor would such an article have been
easy of sale. Now since public taste and
fashion demand it, nearly all gilt edge
butter is artificially colored, and es-
pecially is this true during the winter
months. To annattO are we largely in
debted for June butter at Christmas.
In fact, the eye must be pleased in this
respect as well as the taste, and il the
coloring matter be as simple and as
harmless as annatto, this adornment of
market product is unobjectionable.
Not only is winter butter indebted to
annatto for its fine color, but also much
that is made in summer. Nothing but
the freshest of grass, as cattle food, will
give butter its peculiar, natural color,
so desirable to consumers. When the
grass in the pasture becomes dried the
butter product loses its color. Fre-
quently July and August butter are
naturally as colorless as the winter
product. Those dairymen who prac-
tice the soiling of their cattle are forced
TO give their butter an artificial color
ing even during the summer months.
Green rye makespale butter, such is also
the case where barley and oats are fed.
However highly we may esteem green
WIN ibhNOi toi CoWS ltl
it lacks the power ofgiying such coloi
to the butter product as is obtained by
feeding young. fresh grass.
AT one time carrots were much used
in coloring dairy products, but the time
and labor expended in their prepara-
tion for use, as we'll as the uncertainty
attending the shade produced. with
other marked defects, have led to the
adoption OF something more easily pre-
pared or purchased and more certain in
its results. Concerning the arti-
ficial coloring of butter, it is urged by
many old-fashioned dairymen that when
they were young no such methods pre-
vailed. However 1t must be borne IN
mind that, in addition TO the demands
of prejudice aud fashion as to the color
in dairy products, in olden times but
little II any butter was made during the
winter months. Cows were generally
dried off in October, coming in again in
April and May, These old ruts are now
nearly filed up. and the old roads are
almost wholly abandoned. american
Cuitirat0r.
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