Bonners Ferry herald. [volume] (Bonners Ferry, Idaho) 1904-current, 1917-02-20
Something About Butter.

cient days. Greeks and Romans used |
it only as an ointment. The greater
part of the butter sold today is made |
by creameries.
The old-fashioned farm method of
making butter was to allow the new
milk to stand "a to SO hours, and then
to skim the cream from the top. BY
the creamery method, the cream is
separated when still sweet, by run
ming it through separators and adding
skinned milk previously curdled by
bacteria. If churning is to begin at
once, enough bacteria is added to
make the necessary curdling. If time
be given for ripening the cream, then
very little bacteria is used for curd-
ling purposes.
Standard butter contains S2.5 per
cent or more of milk fat; never less.
More than ordinary care should be
taken if one wishes to establish rep
utation for selling good butter 1t is
always better to sell butter above the
average mark. A retailer should know
the best butter by taste and smell.
One addicted to the use of tobacco or
liquor should never test butter imme-
diately after using them.
Butter to be avoided is that which
is Hardy" "oily," or "woodeny" in fla
vor or appearance. Neither should
there be "holes" in it, as though it
resembled the human skin when the
pores are open. A porous looking but
ter attracts moist air and favors fer
mentation. When pressed, the butter
should exude a clear, watery liquid;
this is indicative of pure butter. If
the butter, when pressed, presents
milky, sometimes greenish fluid, then
it isn't the kind of butter to use for
table purposes.
Equally important with the selection
of butter is the proper care of it when
it reaches the retailer. Butter easily
absorbs the doors of other articles,
thereby losing it's delicate flavor.
Meats, cheese and fruit are especially
detrimental to it, The refrigerator
should be kept clean always.
One of the most vexing problems
that confronts those who sell butter
is how to prevent losses by the growth
of mold. The big losses in butter by
, growth of mold upon the tub lining,
wrapper, or in the butter, have caused
the United States department of agri-
culture to look into the subject.
Mold in butter is usually found in
; three forms: First, orange-yellow
areas with some growth under the sur
face; second, dirty green area, either
entirely inside the butter or with some
surface growth; third, green-surface
colonies, either upon the butter, caus-
ing decomposition, or upon the con
: tainer or wrappings which will injure
the appearance of the butter.
Experiments in creating molds arti
ficially in butter samples show that a
r growth of mold in or about butter is
J favored by an excessive curd, by
5 'leaky" butter, wet surfaces, wet wrap
+ pings or very moist air If butter
5 molds too quickly, it shows the lack
! of sufficient sailing. Salt up to 2.s
+ and per cent is enough to prevent
I mold or reduce it to a negligible
Q amount. The growth of molds, how
I ever, can be largely reduced by keep
ing the butter at low temperatures
! Unsalted butter is more likely to de
teriorate from micro-organisms thar
sailed butter. Successful storage Of
such butter is therefore dependent
! upon dry, clean refrigeration. Cellars
and ice refrigeration rarely supply
' conditions which will prevent mold il
! unsalted or slightly sailed butter
I though it may be delayed or reduced
6 somewhat.
Butter properly made and normally
$ sailed Cup to 2.5 to per cent, equa
9 to the use of 10 to Is per cent brine,
:. will not show mold under reasonable
c careful handling. Investigators il
n making a summary of their results
! lay stress on the fact that we'll washed
n butter is less subject to mold thar
4 that with an excess of curd, and tina
4 the main factor in molding seems t
r. be water and not protein.
/ Butter which is 'leaky'' and from
! which milky water exudes and collects
|. on the wrapper or container, furnishes
!. the most favorable condition for thu
G development of mold growth. From
n these wet areas colonies spread to thu
II butter itself
1t has been ascertained that mole
will not grow upon the surface of {;
piece of butter exposed to air at ordi
nary temperatures. The water in tn
"a butter is not sufficiently available t,
% the mold to support the development
n Of a colony, unless evaporation be re
e duced by the high moisture of tn
Is surrounding air. Green molds ma,
n damage normally sailed butter b,
IS cracks and open spaces as the result
" Of bad packing. Some butter expert
have found that paraffining the tub
and boxes prevent mold on the con
tainer and the liner by the escape O
water which would leave the air spac
70 necessary for mold growth.
- The above data shows the care tina
u must be taken to keep butter in goo
IL condition at all times; but as is ofte
le the case, all care of the retailer is los
lie by the customers lack of care afte
purchasing the butter.