The Scientific American cyclopedia of formulas : partly based upon the twenty-eighth edition of Scientific American cyclopedia of receipts, notes and queries 15,000 formulas / edited by Albert A. Hopkins.
- Albert A. Hopkins
- Date:
- 1910
Licence: Public Domain Mark
Credit: The Scientific American cyclopedia of formulas : partly based upon the twenty-eighth edition of Scientific American cyclopedia of receipts, notes and queries 15,000 formulas / edited by Albert A. Hopkins. Source: Wellcome Collection.
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![(Butter Making) the starter should be skimmed off for one- half inch in depth and thrown away. This is to prevent the possibility of dust and the formation of colonies of undesir¬ able bacteria. There are various types of churns, the barrel churn being one of the best. In this form of churn the concus¬ sion of the cream necessary to do the churning is secured by the falling of the cream as the churn is revolved. The faster it is revolved the greater the num¬ ber of concussions per minute will be secured. If the churn is whirled too fast the centrifugal force created holds the cream from falling so that no churning takes place. Wooden churns should be kept scrupulously clean. The process of churning is the gather¬ ing into a mass the butter fats of the cream. Butter fat exists in the cream in minute globules, each independent of the others, and any agitation tends to bring them together, the force of the impact causing them to adhere to each other. As the agitation is continued these small par¬ ticles of butter grow larger by the addi¬ tion of other particles until a stage is reached where they become visible to the eye, and if the churning is continued a sufficient length of time all will be united in one lump of butter in the churn. If the cream is quite warm the butter will come very quickly; if it is too cold the churning may be prolonged for a con¬ siderable period. It is usually considered that about 30 to 35 minutes’ churning should bring the butter. This time will be varied somewhat according to the tem¬ perature of the different seasons. It is necessary in hot weather to churn at a temperature as low as 50 or 55° F., wmle in the winter months, when the cows are on dry feed and the weather is cold, it is often necessary to raise the churning tem¬ perature to 60 or 65°. It is important to know at just what point to stop churning. The butter granules should be the size of beans or grains of corn, possibly a little larger. The churning is then stopped and the buttermilk allowed to drain. After the buttermilk is well drained from the butter granules an amount of water about equal in volume and of the same tem¬ perature as the buttermilk should be added and the churn given four or five revolutions slowly, so that the water will come in contact with every particle of butter and wash out the remaining but¬ termilk. As soon as the wash water is drained from the butter granules salt should be added, depending upon the de¬ mands of the consumer. Usually one ounce of salt for each pound of butter is (Butter Making) all that will be required. In the ordinary barrel churn the salt may be added in the churn. By giving the churn a few revo¬ lutions the salt will be quite thoroughly incorporated with the butter. It should be allowed to stand for a few minutes until the salt becomes more or less dis¬ solved before working of the butter is begun. For working butter some form of table should be used. The old bowl and paddle will never give good results, because the butter will be greasy owing to the sliding motion of the paddle over the butter. If the salt and butter have been mixed in the churn the butter can be placed on the working table and the working begun at once. After the butter has been pressed out with the roller it should be divided in the center, one part being laid over onto the other and the rollers passed over again. The process should be repeated until the butter assumes what is termed a waxy condition. If the working is continued for too long a time the butter will become salvy, having the appearance of lard, and will lose its granular structure, becoming weak-bodied. The firmness of the butter must be taken into account in determin¬ ing how long it should be worked. Usu¬ ally the firmer the butter the more work¬ ing it will stand and the more time it will need to thoroughly incorporate the salt and bring out the waxy condition. Testing Saltiness While Working.— During the process of working, the butter should be tested frequently to determine its saltiness, and if by mistake too much salt has been added it can readily be re¬ moved from the butter by pouring a little cold water over it as the working con¬ tinues. The water washes out the excess of salt. If the butter should contain too little salt, more can readily be added dur¬ ing the process of working. It is best practice to about half finish the working and then let the butter stand for about twenty minutes or half an hour before completing. This gives the salt an addi¬ tional chance to dissolve and there is less liability of mottles in the finished product. Mottles, Remedy for.—If after stand¬ ing a few hours the butter is found to show a mottled appearance, this can be overcome by putting it on the worker and giving it an additional working. The mottled appearance indicates that some step in the working of the butter has not been thoroughly done. It is due to an uneven distribution of salt and possibly to the presence of casein that has not been washed from the butter, the action [28]](https://iiif.wellcomecollection.org/image/b31361523_0042.jp2/full/800%2C/0/default.jpg)
