feed and the approaching end of their lactation
period. Certain breeds, notably Guernseys and
Jerseys from the Channel Islands between
Britain and France, produce especially rich
milk and large fat globules. Sheep and buffalo
milks contain up to twice the butterfat of
whole cow’s milk (p. 13).
The way the fat is packaged into globules
accounts for much of milk’s behavior in the
kitchen. The membrane that surrounds each
fat globule is made up of phospholipids (fatty
acid emulsifiers, p. 802) and proteins, and
plays two major roles. It separates the
droplets of fat from each other and prevents
them from pooling together into one large
mass; and it protects the fat molecules from
fat-digesting enzymes in the milk that would
otherwise attack them and break them down
into rancid-smelling and bitter fatty acids.
Creaming When milk fresh from the udder is
allowed to stand and cool for some hours,