MOTTLED OK STREAKY BUTTER

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1104, 18 April 1911, Page 8

MOTTLED OK STREAKY BUTTER

SOUTH AFKICAN EXPERT'S 7IEWS, In tho course of a lecture, Mr. Challis, the South African State dairy expert, said: There are two distinct kinds of streaks in butter, viz., caseous streaks, always readily recognised by the streaks themselves'being much whiter in colour than the butter itself, and dark streaks, caused by ..the uneven distribution, of the salt and subsequent insufficient working. Both streaks of.this nature :give,the butter a mottled-, appearance, and are very objectionable i.rbm'a market- point of view, such butter usually realising'a very much lower price | than if no streaks wero present.' Butters containing caseous streaks should always be looked upon 'with suspicion from a keeping point of view, so we will enumerate some of tho causes which produce these streaks: (1) Neglect to stir the cream frequently, . especially ivhqn raising different creams together, thus causing uneven ripening. ■ (2) -imposing cream to dircct sunlight. (3) Churnitig'at' a high temperature, and subsequently using the. first washing_ water at too low' a temperature. (■!) Neglect to remove the buttermilk from the butter by insufficient washing. (5) Neglect to strain the. cream, especially if same is thin and 'over-ripe, as such cream usually contains caseous lumps or curds., which if not removed arc-bound-to! appear in the resulting butter in the form of white specks. ■Another''-reason 'for straining: cream, apart from- removing extraneous matter, is tl;e breaking up of any lumps-which may be in the. cream, which, if churned in this-state, not only cause a loss, in the butter yield, but also cause unevenness in. colour. .Salt.streaks are the most common, and at the.same time-most easily .remedied. When, adding dry salt to butter, this should be done by means of a hair sieve or flour dredger, as .the. salt when added .in - this <way is more > evenly distributed, and all lumps are avoided. The. salt should not all be added at one time, but be sprinkled on,- the' butter, somewhat gradually. After sufficient salt .has been added. according to market requirements,' arid worked into the butter, the butter should bo put away for a few hours to allow'the salt to dissolve, and then be TewOrked. . . . In winter the salt takes longer, to dissolve, but at the same time the butter heing firmer, will stand more working, which to a certain extent obviates' this difficulty. To facilitate the salt, dissolving in cold weather, it may be slightly warmed before, being usad.