CHURNING SOUR MILK

Otago Witness, Issue 1031, 2 September 1871, Page 10

CHURNING SOU R MILK

In churning sour milk, is it necessary, or best, to let the milk become sour or thick before churning .' Is the simple Square box, to revolve, as good as the dash churn .' I propose to use "' horsepower" and have a dairy of fifteen cows, and am furnishing an eating-house in New York Avith butter at a yearly contract price, and am desirous of learning the best method of making a nice article.

Wyatt W. Pierce, Vei-gennos, Vt.

It 'it, not necessary for milk to become "sour or thick" before churning, to make good butter. There is difference of opinion among butter makers in regard to the projier condition of milk beat suited for churning. Some contend that milk but slightly acid makes the best butter, others that the milk should be allowed to thicken. Good butter is made by either plan, if the milk be good and all the conditions for keeping it be properly attended to. We know certain noted butter linkers who insist that the best condition of the milk for churning — to got a superior quality of butter- is when the milk becomes thick and moist on fhe t«'p of the cream. Where this plan is adopted, however, great care should be taken not to let the milk stand too long before churning, as in that case in hot weather it becomes too sour, and the butter will be sour also, and in cold weather it becomes bitter.

As skilful butter makers make good butter by churning milk when slightly acid, and also when it is thick or loppered, we are hardly prepared to decide as to the better system of the two. "NVo hold, however, that the best system of butter making is to set the milk where it may be kept at an even temperature of OOdeg. for the cream to rise, and which should be taken oil" before the milk sours. The cream then maybe allowed to become slightly acid before churning. Tills is the plan usually adopted by noted butter makers of this country and Europe who make an extra fancy article and obtain for it extreme prices.

The square box chum, revolving upon axles, is a good churn where power is used, and some think it quite equal and even superior to the dash churn. The dash churn is more extensively used, and its

efficiency in producing a fine quality of butter has never been questioned by our best butter makers.

In butter making it is essential to have good clean milk, to keep it ma pure atmosphere, or ;vt least out of the reach of foul odors — holding it at even temperatures and getting up the cream quietly. Vi hen milk is set in A'essels surrounded with cold spring water, the temperature is more easily cntrolled, and by getting up the cream on this plan and churning it., instead of the milk, there is less liability of making mishaps and of getting a poor article. We do not say hut that good butter may be made by other processes, but they require more skill and watchfulness on the part of butter makers, and result in less uniformity of product than by the plan named. — Hand Krw Yorker.