The practical handicraft of these imported expert dairymaids was
supplemented and regulated by the scientific work of Professor Segelcke
and his pupils and from the Sixties buttermaking became an art in
Denmark which was subjected to the most searching study and
improvements. Danish butter soon captured the English market where
previously Isigny (from Northern France) and Dutch butter had commanded
the highest prices, and Danish sweet butter put up in sealed tin cans
also became known all over the world as the only butter that would stand
export to the Tropics.
In this country Orange County, N.Y., first produced a high-class article
and, later, Elgin, Ill., became the center that stood for the top of
perfection. Thence the industry soon spread over the middle western
states, largely populated by Scandinavian immigrants many of whom were
skilled buttermakers, educated in the old countries. Even up to this day
it is noticeable that the list of prize winning buttermakers at the
National Dairy Shows and other exhibitions is largely made up of
Scandinavian names. In Minnesota, for instance, as fine butter is now
made as anywhere in the world.
_Dairy Butter._—In the early days of the industry butter was made at
home on the farm. The milk was set in shallow vessels,—in the Holstein
and Danish dairies in wooden tubs 24 inches in diameter placed on the
stone or concrete floor in the milk-vault, a cool cellar partly
underground,—or in tin pans on the pantry shelf. After 36 to 48 hours
the cream was skimmed off with a flat scoop, often both cream and skim
milk being sour.
About 1860 the deep tin can was introduced, set in cold running water
or, where ice was available, in ice water. This was a great improvement
over the shallow setting system. It was now possible to raise most of
the cream in 24 hours leaving not to exceed ½% butter-fat in the skim
milk, and to have both cream and skim milk sweet.
_Centrifugal Creaming._—But the climax of perfection was not reached
until the separator (see under Cream) was invented about 1879 and cream
was raised instantaneously. For a long time it was the object of the
manufacturers to produce _power separators_ of larger and larger
capacity, handling from 6,000 to 10,000 lbs. of milk an hour.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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