SOFT BUTTER.

King Country Chronicle, Volume VI, Issue 425, 23 December 1911, Page 7

SOFT BUTTER.

During the summer months com plaints of soft butter are frequent. Experienced dairymaids, of course, know well how to avoid the fault, but it proves a trouble to many a less expert buttermaker. The cause lies in the high tepmerature of the dairy, and unfortunately many a farmhouse dairy is indifferently fitted for its purpose. Every effort must be made to keep the apartment cool, as unless this can be done there is little hope of overcoming the difficulty. During the heat of the day, when the outside air is warmer than that inside, the corridors should be kept closed, "v their place may well be taken by white canvas kept constantly moist. When the air outside is cool, it should be admitied freely. In many cases a cool dairy for churning can be obtained only by doing the work very early in the morning or late in the evening. In any case it is essential that the cream be at a low enough temnerature when placed in the churn. If not, the resulting butter will by an oily mass, with no grain to speak "of, difficult to wash and to salt, and impossible to work properly. The right temperature for the cream in summer is between 50deg. and 56 deg. Fahr., but if it does not rise above 56 deg. it may be considered fairly satisfactory. The cream may be bought down to this temperrature by standing it in cold water or ice. Water from a deep well is always cold, and is a great help in the dairy. If both cream and churn are cool when churning starts, there is every chance uf turning out firm butter, for if it leaves the churn in good condition it is not difficult to keep it right. One great assistance in getting firm butter in summer is brining instead of drysalting. Not only does dissolving the salt in water bring down its temperature, but the method also facilitates the uniform salting of butter that tends to be soft, which is otherwise a very difficult matter. The brine may he prepared by dissolving one pound of salt in a gallon of water. The degree of saltness of thebtuteris determined by the length of time it remains in the brine. If it is left for ten minutes the butter will receive about a quarter of an ounce of salt to the pound, and for heavier salting it may soak up to 30 minutes. The brine is put into the churn as the last of the washing waters, all of which must be cool and the churn given two or three turns. The butter can then be left in the brine while the worker is got ready.