Hardness of Butter. I. Influence of Season and Manufacturing Method

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Abstract
Ardness was measured by penetrometer and sectility methods on weekly samples of conventional and continuous butter taken over a period of one year. Continuous butters were consistently harder than conventional butters. Similar seasonal variations were found for both butter types. Hardness of conventional butter was less influenced by the experimental tempera-ture difference than was that of the continuous butter. A major portion of the setting of continuous butter occurred during the 1st 3 hours after manufacture and was attributed mainly to crystallization. Subsequent hardening was attributed to thixotropic changes. Extensive hardness increase, assumed to be caused by thixotropic changes, occurred in conventional butter. Setting was prevented in both butters during storage at low temperature (-20[degree]C), but resumed a normal course on subsequent removal of the butter to higher storage temperatures.