The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1896-07-16
CREAM RlPENiNG.
Professor Atwood Explains to Us Pareicu-
iarly How Not to DO II.


ferent modes of handling milk, cream
and butter l am convinced that the
ripening, or souring, of the cream prop
erly is tho least understood of all the
different parts Of the process of butter
making. In some diaries visited found
cream that had been taken from the pan
or dreamer in good condition and poured
at each skimming into a churn or other
wooden dish that, according to appear
ances, had been in use for that and many
other purposes since the early settlement
Of the country and doubtless was satu-
rated with the germs of fermentation
and decay from years of accumulation.
The cream had not been properly
mixed together at each addition, and
the temperature of the milkroom had
been above 70 degrees; consequently the
ripening process had gone ON rapidly
and yet unevenly. In the bottom of the
vessel the casein remaining in the
cream had changed to particles of curd
from the action of the Tactic acid from
the sugar of the milk under the above
conditions, while the cream at the top of
the vessel Tor the last that had been
addedD had not yet become sufficiently
ripened for the easy and perfect separa-
ton of the butter fat from the residue
by the process of churning.
The above is but one of the many i'm
perfect modes of saving and ripening
cream practiced by people that call
themselves good butter makers, who go
on blindly or carelessly in this or some
similar way, never taking into consid-
Grafton the loss in quantity sustained
by churning overripe with underripe
cream or the loss in quality by either
allowing whole or even part of a
churning (thus effecting the whole) to
become so ripe or soured to such an ex-
tent that the sugar of the milk is com
pletely changed to acid, robbing the
butter produced of the sweetness it
should contain and substituting there
for the germs of fermentation and ul-
innate decay
have also found people who advo-
cate and practice the opposite extreme
If churning the cream sweet or before
any perceptible chemical change has
taken place in it. This practice also
regard as erroneous. Although the but
ter produced should contain its proper
ton of sugar in its natural form and
be very nice and sweet for immediate
use. yet for that very reason-namely,
that the sugar is still in the butter and
liable to change when exposed to the
atmosphere-its keeping qualities are
not considered as good as butter made
from cream that has become slightly
acid before churning, so that all traces
of acidity MAY be washed and worked
out.
Again, sweet cream will not allow
all tie butter fat to separate and form
into granules as readily and perfectly
as cream that has been sufficiently ri
pened or had the adhesive nature of the
casein changed or neutralized by par
tial formation of acid from the sugar of
the milk, thus allowing the butter
globules to come directly together and
form into granules more readily by the
process of churning if done at the proper
temperature.
Having pointed out some of the bad
methods practiced, wish, in as short a
space as possible, to describe what
consider to be the proper mode Of ham
ding and ripening cream-namely, a
medium between the two extremes
above described.
The vessel for saving cream in should
be either tin or earthen ware, we'll
glazed; should always be kept clean and
sweet, and should be kept where the
surrounding temperature is below 40
degrees if possible, thus not allowing
the ripening to 60 on until a sufficient
quantity of cream has been saved for
ohurning. Then place the cream can
in temperature of from so to 65 de-
grees in the summer season and from 65
to 20 in winter. stirring often, until the
cream thickens little and acquires q
pleasant or slightly acid taste, mingled
with the natural sweetness Of the cream,
being careful not to allow the tempera-
tpre to rise or the acid to form sufficiently
to lapper or curdle the casein of the milk
in the cream. When it has arrived at
the above condition, which can soon be
ascertained by little care and expe.
rience, it is ready for churning, which
should be done at as Iowa temperature
Us the butter will form at Sometimes
the butter makers cannot conveniently
control the temperature of the cream
while being saved. In such case it is
necessary to thoroughly stir and mix
the cream together three or four times
day until sufficient quantity is
saved, being careful to keep the temper
ature low and not to add any sweet
cream within the last 20 hours of the
time of churning.
! In the winter season, when COWS have
been fed largely on dry feed lacking in
sugar, especially if they have been
milking for number of months, the
milk produced is also liable to lack in
sugar, that important element i'll bring
ing about the ripening of the cream, in
which case it is recommended to add a
little starter" to the cream few
hours before churning. The starter is
made by souring skimmilk to quite an