The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1894-10-17
Flavor and Color in Butter.

Many associate good butter with
color, but unfortunately in this age of
adulteration and artificial methods of
colOring articles of consumption, color
has very little to do with flavor in the
majority of cases. In former days
highly colored butter was invariably
well favored butter, for the color came
only from good feed. Fresh, succu-
lent clover and pasture produces good
color and good flavor to-day, and also
to a certain extent in the winter time a
good ration of roots aud silage; but add
to these feeds cabbages, onions and
weeds, and the result will be Just the
reverse so far as flavor is concerned.
Gradually the consuming public is be-
ginning to realize that good color and
flavor are not identical, and so much
has been written about artificial color
ing that every buyer is on the lookout
for it. 1t is very true that good butter,
solid, well grained and highly favored,
can be produced in the winter and yet
80 light in color as to be unattractive.
A little harmless artificial cOloring of
such butter seems almost essential for
its sale. Other things being equal, a
bright golden butter is by all odds pre-
ferable. 1t sells better and looks better
on the table.
But the harm comes in when many
manufacturers conceive the idea that
by coloring their butter of an inferior
grade they can pass it off as first class
stock. So confident are many in this
respect that they become slack in their
manufacturing methods, and depend
largely upon the color for selling their
product. The butter is sometimes very
poor, but it is cOlored to a bright golden
tint, and then packed in neat prints or
small pots and tubs. 1t really looks at
tractive when displayed on the stand,
but it does not take an expert TO dis
cover it's inferiority upon tasting it.
And in these days of rigid classification
of all dairy products, no butter passes
inspection until it has been tasted.
Taste and not looks after all decides the
fate of the product, although looks
largely help.
If there is anything that the dairyman
must strike for it is to give rich, high
matter to color and pack properly for
market. But flavor must come from
good feeding and good making. In the
WluIer lllne, Wutn IOOu Is naturally
poor, it is possible TO increase the
favor by extra care in the making and
by letting the cream ripen thoroughly.
Naturally the Jersey and Guernsey
cows make butter OF rich, high color
and of a delightful flavor, but if they
are improperly fed or cared for, or if
the cream is kept in close, impure air
and not ripened as it should be, the
butter is deficient in flavor. Sometimes
il is highly colored, but it lacks grain,
sOlidity and flavor.
Some contend that the matter of
flavor is simply question of taste, and
that most people differ on the subject.
This is somewhat erroneous teaching
Most cultivated tastes agree upou GER
tain standard of flavor, and in nine
cas es out of ten TIE flavor that the pro-
4, ssiOnal market tasters approve will be
lust the standard of taste that the good
customers will like. 1t is just as well,
then, to pay more attention to this
standard of taste and less to artificial
coloring.-A. 3. Barrett, IN American
Cultivator.