The Colfax gazette. [volume] (Colfax, Wash.) 1893-1932, 1901-06-07
A COMMON MISTAKE.
High Flavor at the Expense of Keep
ing Quality.

ing quality.
The following paper was read by NJ
Sondergaard at the Minnesota butter
and cheese makers meeting: All but
ter, even the very finest, is more or less
apt to lose its delicate flavor and by
this some of its value, for every day it
gets older. The keeping quality of but
ter Is therefore a very important mat
ter to dealers as well as consumers. 1t
is a fact that butter with a high flavor
has for a good many years been the
leader in the American butter market
Close study, however, proves that the
demand has been moving constantly In
the direction Of a milder, sWeeter and
more delicate favored article. Wheth-
er now this movement Of the demand
is due or not to the fact that butter
with comparatively mild flavor proves
to be better keeper, one thing is sure,
that q number of creameries and deal
ers also have already established rep
utation by this grade Of butter: 1t Is
very evident, providing the milk is
right and all other processes are cor
rectly carried out, that flavor in butter
depends largely on the degree of acid
ity of the cream when churned. Yet
the species Or kinds of bacteria, the
mission Of which is to carry out the
Preventative changes, are surely fac
tors Of no less importance in obtaining
high or mild favor. The science OF
producing a certain desired flavor is
first to develop the desired bacteria for
a starter and then to protect them
against all the undesirable ones by at
tending strictly to cleanliness and regu
lating the temperature. Whether it Is
certain bacteria or a chemical process
that gives butter made from r1pened
cream it's delicate aroma, one thing Is
known, that as soon as the Tactic acid
bacteria have produced a certain quail
ity Of Tactic acid, the limit Of their &C
ton has been reached. They do not
die, but simply discontinue their action.
This is the danger point in the ripening
process. From now on there is nothing
to keep the undesirable bacteria In
check, and as some Of these foreign or
ganisms develop very rapidly it re-
Quires but little to affect the butter by
giving 1t strong or unclean flavor.
This illustrates clearly why it is so
dangerous to ripen cream above it's
proper degree in order to gain a high
flavor. 1t also gives US an idea Of why
butter with an abnOrmally high favor
In most cases turns rancid in a few
ho
just commenced their action in the
cream, continue their work Of destruc-
ton in the butter. We learn not only
from experience gained In our dairy
schools and a few creameries, but also
from what has become customary in
other countries, that by taking up the
Pasteur system we would be able to
produce a much healthier, more uni
form and especially a better keeping
quality Of butter. What holds us back
is not lack of knowledge Of the re-
suit nor Is 1t because our creamery in
dustry or our butter makers are not up
to the high level of other countries but
merely because the present demands
of the American butter market do
not favor the mild favored butter
made from pasteurized cream. When
the Danes, some ten years ago, started
to pasteurize, they then met with
the very same trouble in the English
market. However, before a year had
passed, the English people were will
ing to pay a premium on pasteurized
butter, on account Of it's better keep
ing quality and more uniform grade all
through.