THE DANISH METHOD OF BUTTER MAKING,

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume I, Issue 74, 24 December 1880, Page 4

THE DANISH METHOD OF BUTTER MAKING,

In Denmark a considerable quantity of sweet cream butter is made but for general purposes most of the butter is made from sour cream. Instead, however, of allowing the cream as we do, to become sour by ordinary means, they take very careful steps to produce the proper amount of souring, and no more. The cream, when skimyned, 5s all sweet, and is used at oace for sweet cream butter ; but for sour cream butter^ it is put into a tub to stand, and being brought to a temperature of 62deg. fahr., a small quantity of sour buttermilk — say \ or f per cent. — is added, and stirred in, and is all covered up, and allowed to remain for twenty-four hours, by which time the proper amount of fermentation has set in, and the whole is soured just so much as was intended, and no more.^ It is found when moderately eoar it imparts a rich nutty flavor to the butter; but when allowed to go too far, the flavor is much injured, and the rank taste so often found in our low quality butters is imparted. The practice in all dairies in Denmark 58 to stop the churning the moment the butter is formed and appears in small grannies, and to take it out of the churn in a drainer or hair sieve before it collects. As regards the washing of butter, there is great difference of practice. For sweet cream butter no washing is allowed j but for bout cream butter some assert that washing in water injures the flavor, and others, who make good butter, wash very amply. After removal from tb.« churn, -which is do»e wbile i» ihe granular state, by means of sieves or strainers, it is generally worked the first round by hand in small lumps against the side of the butter trough, to press the buttermilk out, and to consolidate, the granules into a mass. In doing this the workers are very particular to have their hands clean, and they have pans of ice water close by to dip in. After it has been so worked, it is allowed to stand in troughs set in ice or cold water to harden, and after a time, it ia worked .again on the butter-worker ; the salt is incorporated, and it is put into the tub.