The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1904-09-13
HINTS ON BUTTER MAKING.
n.-Ripening the Cream and churning.

ho1to FroSressINe
The ripening of the cream is the next step and
a very important one in the manufacture of but
ter. 1t is during the ripening process that those
favors so characteristic of good butter are de-
veloped. Undoubtedly the very best results can
be obtained by cooling the cream and holding it
at a low temperature for several hours immedi-
ately after it is separated; then gradually raising
the temperature so as to bring the required ripe
ness by the time it is wanted for churning. An
other method that requires less labor and e-
pense, and one that gives very good results, is to
keep the cream at a low uniform temperature
from the time it is separated until it is ready for
churning.
THE PROPER TEMPERATURE
Of course no set rules can be given that will
apply to all cases, but under our conditions a uni
form temperature of So to 60 degrees, without the
use of a starter, brings about the proper amount
of ripeness in cream twenty-four to t~hirty-six
hours old that has been kept well mixed. IF
cream does not ripen fast enough, the addition of
a small amount of sour skim milk or butter milk
is much to be preferred to raising the ripening
temperature. Butter made from cream ripened
at a high temperature does not have good body,
and its texture is poor. This is very important,
especially during warm weather when we want
our butter to stand shipping and make a good
appearance on the table. The degree of ripeness
that the cream should have is dependent largely
upon the taste of the consumer. Some people
prefer the taste of butter made from sweet cream.
others the acid taste produced from over-ripened
cream. Butter of a mildly sweetish taste is made
from ~mediumly ripened cream. Such cream has
a thickened, velvety appearance. When cream is
ripened to the point when the whey begins to
separate, there is danger of a rancid and strong
favored butter. And unless care is taken i'll
straining the cream, there is danger of white
fecks in the butter.
Churns without any float or other contrivances
inside the churn give the best results; such as
box, barrel and wing churns.
FOR SUCCESS IN CHURNING.
The ripened cream should be put into the churn
at about So degrees in summer and 60 degrees In
winter. Now that does not mean IS degrees to
20 degrees. A difference of a few degrees In
churning temperature not only means a loss OF
fat, but a poor quality of butter, and there is
no pride or profit in the making of such butter.
If there is one thing more than another that
we would impress upon our readers, it is this,
that outside of cleanliness, there is nothing about
the care of cream and the making of butter that
will have as much influence on the results as a
proper regard of temperatures. Guess work should
no longer be tolerated in dairying; it belongs to
another day. A thermometer costs only a triae,
and when properly used, and coupled with an at
~tractive package for our butter, means anywhere
from five to fifteen cents more a pound than
the general market price. If conditions are as
they should be the churning should take about
thirty minutes. Difficulty in churning can usual
~ be traced to some of these causes: Cows near
" dry, or fed almost exclusively on dry food;
churn filed too full; or the temperature too
low. An extremely high Temperature will also