The influence of cream-processing methods on the rate of setting and final hardness of sweet cream butter

Abstract

SummaryCream-cooling rates, cream-pre-cooling treatments (Alnarp) and seasonal changes in the chemical composition of butterfat were found to influence the setting rate of butter. Vacreator pasteurization, however, especially at high steam intensity, had the greatest effect. Comparative hardness values of butter made from platepasteurized and Vacreator-pasteurized cream were 1·5 and 2·9 kg and 4·4 and 8·3 kg at the end of ½ and 5 h, respectively, after the completion of working. The highest setting rate, which resulted in a hardness of 6 kg at the end of 30 min, was recorded for butter made from Vacreator-pasteurized cream which was rapidly cooled to 5 deg F below normal churning temperature and churned after holding for 30 min. Abrupt breaks noted in the setting curves of this rapidly setting butter lead to speculation that changes in the butterfat crystal form may be involvedIn general, the final hardness values of butter stored at 45 °F for 30–50 days were not greatly influenced by the setting rates observed at 55 °F during the 5-h period immediately after the completion of working. Exceptions to this observation were obtained when the cream was rapidly cooled to or slightly below churning temperature and also when the cooling of plate-pasteurized cream was delayed at 65 °F for 3–4 h before final cooling to the churning temperature.The causes of the differences observed in the setting and final hardness values of butters made from plate- and Vacreator-pasteurized cream were not determined and warrant further investigation.