Production of Butter

Production of Butter
Since the beginning of the US dairy industry until the later part of the nineteenth century butter was produced solely in the farm.

Milk that was not immediately consumed was separated and churned by hand into butter.

While butter was an important part of the farmer’s diet, making it was a laborious task that was often performed by the farmer’s wife.

The usual routine was to milk the cows and set the milk in cellars or in cool springs until the cream rose.

The cream was separated from the skim milk and then ripened by the bacteria present in the cream.

After ripening the cream was churned by hand until the butter was formed. The churned butter was then worked and kneaded by hand to press out the buttermilk. The buttermilk that was left was either drunk as a farm delicacy or fed to livestock.

The butter as then salted, packed in wooden crates and stored in a cool cellar for later use.

The butter industry faced its most serious threat during World War II when per capita consumption began to fall. There reason for the decline in butter consumption was due in part to greater consumption of oleomargarine, a non dairy table spread.

Much of commercial butter manufactured today derives from whey cream. Whey cream has a more pronounced flavor than that of fresh cream and its use is thus favored in lower quality, more flavorful grades of butter. However, it is also commonly used in the production of Grade AA butter.

Butter is often flavored with lactic acid, cultures, diacetyl, or started distillate.

Butter processing begins with the clarification and separation of milk. Cream with a concentration of 30 to 45 percent milkfat (depending on the method of churning) is then pasteurized and cooled.

For vat pasteurization the cream is normally pasteurized at 74 degree Celsius for 30 minutes; for the high temperature short time method cream is pasteurized at 85 degree Celsius for 15 seconds.

These pasteurization temperature are higher than those for fluid milk because of the higher fat content of the cream, and to help lengthen butter’s shelf life.

The cream is not homogenized since that would make churning more difficult.

After the cream is cooled, it is pumped into a conventional churn where it may be mixed with anotto yellow coloring. The cream is then churned until butter granules are formed.

The butter milk is drained and washed from the butter granules, salt is added and the butter is worked to a smooth, creamy consistency.

The butter is then packaged by a print machine, which mold it into sticks, wraps it, and packages it.
Production of Butter