The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1909-06-23
Some Butter Defects.

At a recent butter contest where
butter was entered as much to find
out its faults and how to remedy
them as to compete for the prizes
that were offered for different classes
of dairy butter, there were found
some very good examples of common
defects in butter, writes Professor j..
=. Kendall in Practical Farmer. One
otherwise very fine sample of butter
entered in the. farm dairy class, when
cut down through the middle of the
cake by the judges was found to be
streaked. Light streaks running
crosswise and extending about two
thirds of the width of the cake, give
to the exposed surface a very bad ap-
%pearance. This is a common occur
renee with farm butter, and results
from the method of manufacture en-
ployed on the farm. 1t is caused by
the action of the salt on the casein
Of the buttermilk left in the butter.
The salt precipitates the casein, and
then when the butter is worked it is
rolled out in layers Of white streaks
as was found in the above sample.
Buttermilk must be thoroughly re-
moved from the butter, and can be
accomplished best by stopping churn-
ing when the butter grains are about
the size of a half pea, and allowing
the buttermilk to thoroughly drain
from the butter. Then wash the but
ter only enough to rinse off what but
termilk still adheres to the butter
grains. Care should be taken not to
use too large an amount of water,
nor permit the butter to stand in the
wash water, as it tends to produce a
tasteless butter. If this is pursued
there will be no trouble from
streaked butter.
Another and more common trouble
with country butter is to find irregu-
lar white specks distributed all
through the butter. This trouble is
usually accompanied by its strong
taste and the butter very soon goes
loft favor This unsightly condi.
ton is caused by the cream becoming
too ripe or not keeping the cream
well mixed during %ripening. The dry
particles of cream or casein, which
have become hard by the action OF
too much acid, appear mixed with the
butter fat as little angular white
pieces. This trouble is more common
during warm weather when the
cream ripens so quickly, and perhap:
canning days or some other days in
terfere with the churning day, with
the usual result that the churnine
has to wait. If this is the case the1
hold the cream at a low temperature
to retard the ripening and there will
be no i'll effects. When the cream !!
too sour it should be CAREFUL.
strained through cheese cloth. Thi!
will remove part of the trouble. Stop
ping the churn when the grains ar
small will permit some more Of thos'
little white pieces to be washed out
but the best and purest way to avoit
this trooble is to prevent the cream
from passing beyond the DANCE;
point" which is hat stage of ripen
ing when the whey or water begin
to separate from the cream. For
mildly acid, good favored butter. d.
not let it pass beyond the point wher'
the cream has a smooth, glistenin:
appearance, and is OF a uniforml.
thickened condition.
- Another trouble often found il
butter, and a good example OF whicl
was shown at this butte" contest, wa
a more or less evenly notified appear