Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1901-07-18

- lo1, VI luc btpdIt-
ment OF Agriculture, says: Renovated
or process butter, having been before
the public for few years, is little
known as to the methods employed in
making II. The better grades of 1t
are made from miscellaneous assert
ments of country butter, mainly rolls,
produced by farmers wives remote
from creameries and sold or exchanged
at the country stores, this material be-
ing treated while relatively fresh. The
poorer grades result from the treat
ment Of inferior raw material; for ex-
ample, the aforesaid country butter"
by unfavorable conditions has suffered
great deterioration. Experience has
shown that only poor article Of rem
ovated butter can be produced from
rancid stock.
The process may pc briefly outlined
as follows: Melting of the butter and
settling of the curd and brine, skim
ming off of froth and scum, drawing
off and discarding of the curd and
brine blowing Of air through the mol
ten fat to remove faulty odors, mixing
Of milk very thoroughly with the
molten fat. rapid cooling and ''granu-
lating" of this mixture by running Il
into ice-cold water. draining and ripen-
ing of the granulated mass for a num-
Der OF hours, sailing and working out
of the excess of milk, packing or max
ing into prints. By this process, when
used upon comparatively fresh raw
l,,,, ial hut ,>fl nxu a a. ms
terially improved. the farmers reve-
nue. is increased, values are enhanced
In short, a good thing is done. Harm
begins only when the renovated is
sold for the genuine Chat is, the
Originally article. for they are not the
same thing. While the fats in the two
are practically the same chemically.
the heterogeneous portions are not. More
over, since the article known now and
for ages past as butter" is an article
the last step in whose manufacture is
the churning of cream, it Is evident
that the product of an elaborate sub
sequent process, a process entirely for
eign to the manufacture of butter"
should be designated by distinctive
name.
To Tell Butter. Process Butter and
Oleomargarine.-Several OF the states
have already enacted laws requiring
the distinctive branding or labelling Of
the new product when offered for sale,
and as a consequence chemists have,
during the last year or two, devoted
considerable study to methods for dis
tinguishing between the genuine and
the renovated article.
The Boiling Test.-An important
means employed in distinguishing be-
tween genuine and renovated butter is
the boiling test. This test was first
mentioned in scientific literature by
DR.. Henry Lehman, who states that
1t was shown to him by Mr.. Morris,
a detective in oleomargarine prosecu-
lions. 1t has been in use about ten
years, and was originally used only
for the detection of oleomargarine;
but after the advent Of renovated but
ter the test was found to serve almost
equally well in distinguishing this
product from genuine butter. There
fore, this test distinguishes between
genuine butter ON the one hand and
oleomargarine and renovated butter on
the other; and, fortunately, 1t is so
simple of execution that 1t can be en-
ployed in any kitchen almost as well
as in the laboratory, and requires no
special skill on the part Of the opera
tor. 1t consists merely IN boiling brisk
ly small portion of the sample and
observing its behavior the while.
In the kitchen the test may be con-
Quoted as follows: Using as the source
of heat an ordinary kerosene lamp.
turned low and with chimney of, melt
the sample to be tested Ia piece the
size of a small chestnuD in an ordi-
nary tablespoon, fastening the process
by stirring with splinter of wood
(for example, a match). Then in
creasing the heat, bring to as brisk
boil as possible, and after the boil
ing has begun, stir the contents of the
spoon thoroughly, not neglecting the
outer edges. two or three times at in
tervals during the boiling-always
shortly before the boiling ceases. In
the laboratory test tube, spoon,
or sometimes small tin dish, is used
in making this test. From the last
named utensils the test is often called
the spoon test" and sometimes the
pan test"
A gas fame, II available. can be used
perhaps more conveniently than
kerosene lamp.
Oleomargarine and renovated butter
boil noisily, suffering (more or less)
like a mixture Of grease and water
when boiled. and produce no foam, or
but very little. Renovated butter pro-
duces usually a very small amount.
Genuine butter boils usually with
less noise. and produces an abundance
of foam.