Butter

Butter is solidified milk fat. Years ago, and for those who still make it by hand, butter was made by skimming the cream off the top of a container of fresh milk and churning it by hand. In the commercial manufacture of butter, the cream is skimmed from the milk or separated by machine. It is then placed in a mechanical churn, and the butter is solidified by agitation. The process is basically the same, simply performed by machines and in greater quantity. The butter is then kneaded and simultaneously washed with water to remove as much of the milk solids as possible. Color and vitamins may be added, as well as salt. In the United States, federal regulations require that finished butter contain not more than 16 percent water and not less than 82.5 percent butterfat. The remaining percentage is mineral matter, such as salt and milk solids.