Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1897-08-05
FLAVOR IN BUTTER.

On this important subject H. Hay
ward of the Pennsylvania dairy school
says: The annual production of but
ter in the United States is about 1876
100000 pounds. The larger part of
this is put on the market and sold
upon its merits, bringing from 10 to
Is cents per pound. The reason why
butter varies so markedly in its mar
ket value is almost entirely owing
to the difference in its flavor. Flavor
in EUtter is that quality which eff
fects the taste, and it is the presence
or absence of flavor that commends or
condemns the butter to the consume"
Generally speaking, the principal
sources OF butter flavor are two,
namely, the conditions under which the
milk is secreted and drawn from the
COW, and the conditions to which the
milk is subjected after it is drawn and
before it is manufactured into butter.
1t is genrally conceded (although
some experiments have proved other
wisc) that as COW advances in her
period of lactation the flavor of the
lutter she produces deteriorates. Why
that is so the writer is not advised,
but it is a fact, however, that as a
cow approaches parturition the milk
becomes more or less abnormal in
that the milk serum becomes more
viscous, the fat globules smaller, and
the milk creams less eXhaustively and
ChUrns with more difficulty. The
flavor of the butter is not necessarily
bad, but there is a decided lack of that
fine, quick, aromatic Odor which the
best markets demand and are willinl
to pay for. The difference in flavor be-
tween fresh COWS and shippers is SO
marked that some dairymen will not
pay as much per 100 pounds for milk
from a herd where most of the cows
are well advanced in their period of
lactation, even though it be richer in
fat, as they will for milk from herd
the most of which are fresh cows.
Another condition which affects the
flavor of butter before the milk is
drawn is the kind and condition of the
as this is, it is difficult with our
present knowledge, to state definitely
what foods should or should not be fed.
Such food as silage, potatoes, turnips,
if sound, are safely fed with modera-
ton, if care is taken not to feed them
Immediately before milking Consider
able fault has been found during the
present year with the use of gluten
and linseed meals, and if fed it should
be with considerable care and watch
fulness. There is no question but that
of the many by-products upon our
markets there are some that will af-
feet the butter produced from them
adversely.
The period of lactation and the food
of the COW do not play as important
part in butter flavor, generally speak
ing, as the conditions under which the
milk is cared for after it is drawn
from the COW. These, too, may be di-
Vided into two general heads. First,
the conditions which surround the
milk or cream before it is manufac-
tured into butter, and, second, the
kind of bacteria favorable or unfavor-
able that ripens the cream While
milk or cream is cooling to the temper
allure of the surrounding atmosphere
it is giving off its own odOrs, and
does not take up others, but when it
has reached a constant temperature it
begins to absorb any odors that may
be present from any source, and if
these are unpleasant, as they are
quite apt to be, the flavor of the but
ter will be affected accordingly. Hence
the Importance of keeping milk and
cream in a separate, clean, and well
ventilated room, and entirely away
from anything like meats, cooking, or
decaying vegetables, the laundry, etc.
One of the interesting features Of
butter making is the effect of different
bacteria upon the flavor. The study
of bacteria in this connection has en-
gagged, and is still engaging, the atten-
ton of leading Investigators in this
and foreign countries. Although a
favorite kind of bacteria is absolutely
essential in the ripenirg of cream for
the production Of the fir est favored
butter, so far experiments in this
country have shown that a starter
made from selected skim milk will
probably give as uniformly good re-
suits as the use of the expensive COM
mercial butter cultures that are ad-
vertised on the market as improving
the flavor of butter. While the prin-
ciple is undoubtedly correct, as yet
nothing seems to have been found that
is an Improvement over the ferments
IN good pure skim milk properly
handled