as the final texture of the butter. The properly
aged cream is then warmed a few degrees
Fahrenheit and churned.
Churning Churning is accomplished by a
variety of mechanical devices that may take
15 minutes or a few seconds to damage the fat
globules and form the initial grains of butter.
The fat crystals formed during aging distort
and weaken the globule membranes so that
they rupture easily. When damaged globules
collide with each other, the liquid portion of
their fat flows together to make a continuous
mass, and these grow as churning continues.
Working Once churning generates the desired
size of butter grains, often the size of a wheat
seed, the water phase of the cream is drained
off. This is the original buttermilk, rich in free
globule membrane material and with about
0.5% fat (p. 50). The solid butter grains may
be washed with cold water to remove the
buttermilk on their surfaces. The grains are