Southern standard. (McMinnville, Tenn.) 1879-current, 1890-10-04
EayHt xHtfrfsts,
Why so Much Poor Butter?
M6rky Notwithstanding too Long
Low Ferment-Quick Rising,
Churning and Selling.
Cor. Country Gentleman.

l find there is an unusual amount
of poor butter served just now upon
public tables. 1t is said that the
''store BUTTER" gathered at the coun-
try stores in trade for goods, is also
exceptionally "off favor" While
this condition is doubtless the result
largely of present circumstances, still
it is exceedingly unfortunate, as 1t
will result in a reduced price for the
butter sold now, and for that which
may be held, as it is a fact few realize
that when rancidity begins, it always
keeps on. 1t is kind of thing which
sticks.
My attention was recently called
by lady to her butter, which was
''off flavor" and she could not ac~
count for it, as she skinned and
churned as she always had done. The
arbitrary rules which some dairy
people lay down for the governing
of their dairy work will always lead
to more or less trouble. We have
had hot and murky time, which
sort of weather is most decidedly un-
favorable to the making of good but
ter. There will be an increase this
year in the amount of poor butter put
upon the market, because of the lack
of ice with so many dairymen, and
of cold water to cool the milk and
cause the cream to rise quickly.
Ialways favor the creamers for set
ting milk, for the reasons that this
method saves much hard work and
with ice or cold water the cream can
be obtained within twenty-four
hours, and always sweet, which
makes the tter-maker master ofthe
situation. When milk is set in milk
pans, the rule is to leave the milk
standing till it becomes sour and
curdled. There is more poor butter
made under this rule than under any
other. The weather has so much 10
do with the coagulation of milk and
cream that world of butter receives
its death blow while in the milk-pan.
Convenience is the curse of butter.
The word and the idea should not be
known in the dairy vocabulary. II
costs great deal of money-any.
thing can wait, even the baby, better
than cream. Other things may, most
likely, be remedied; but cream once
on its way to decay, will keep on.
AS rule milk should always be
skinned while it is sweet, whatever
way it is set, for the cream to rise
Most excellent butter may be made
from cream allowed to stand until
the milk and cream are sour and
thick, if it has not been too long
reaching this condition, and the
cream is removed just as soon as this
condition is reached. Under this sys
tenn one should almost "sit up" witt
the milk pans like patient in ordel
to churn the cream as soon as TIT
proper period arrives. Delay is ruin
Gus. To wait for milk to sour, o.
cream, when the temperature is low
is always dangerous. A cool spell il
summer and cold weather are fruitful
conditions to produce poor butter
Under such circumstances the milk
stands too long before it sours, anC
the cream also, and the cream become
bitter, and the butter has a bitter
frowy taste. Why this is so has beel
mystery, as the cream is kept in
cool place, and no fermentation j
supposed to have occurred.
1 have come to the conclusion tina
we have all been mistaken, and fer
mentatiOn does take place; but it
not the active ferment, nor in tn
same way, nor produced by the sam
germs, as the ferment which change
the sugar into Tactic acid; but a sloN
ferment by other organisms, whic
work up a slow and peculiar putrc
faction. In other words, the bitter
ness which we find in cream set to
long to rise, or in cream kept to
long to ripen, is putrefactive fel
ment, which originates in low ten
perature, is not so active, but equal
fatal to good butter; just as we hav
high fevers, plainly observable, an
low or slow fever which gnaW
at the vitals, but which is not so az
parent. Old cream and stale cream
whether it acquires its age and stale
ness on the milk or in the cream po
is then an insidious and fatal disease
There is no remedy but absolute pre-
vention.
Whoever would have sweet an
wholesome butter must skim the
mill oorlX, ofto,. ,otk:-o. 81 ol,..