Investigation of the effect of cream cooling temperatureand acidification method on butter properties

In this study, the physico-chemical, textural and sensory properties of raw cream used in butter production were evaluated by modifying crystallization and acidification properties. For this purpose, the cream obtained from raw milk was pasteurized for 17 seconds at 95ºC, allowed to physical ripening at 6 and 8ºC for different periods (10 and 15 hours), and then butter was manufactured by using different acidification methods via addition of lactic acid permeat and natural butter culture (Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis biovar. diacetylactis ve Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis). In butter samples, moisture, titratable acidity, colour (L*, a*, b*, ΔE*), fatty acid profile, textural firmness value and sensorial (i.e. appearance, structure and texture, aroma density, colour, taste, hardness, spreadability, yellow colour density, presence of diacetyl and total acceptability values) were determined. In addition, the chemical composition of the buttermilk obtained during butter production was investigated. In the study, it was observed that cream cooling temperature and time as well as acidification method effected the physico-chemical and technological properties of butter, however had no significant impact on sensory properties. In butter samples, palmitic acid, stearic acid and myristic acid were the predominant saturated fatty acids, whereas oleic acid content was the highest among the unsaturated fatty acids. Textural properties and hardness values of control butter manufactured by conventional method were higher than other samples. These values displayed an increase during storage for all samples. Consequently, it could be concluded that since the amount of diacetyl, which is one of the characteristic components of butter, in the sample produced with the cream matured at 6°C and the addition of butter starter culture was higher and the hardness values of the butter samples manufactured from the cream matured for 15 hours was lower in comparison to other samples, the application of method of maturing cream at 6°C for 15 hours with addition of starter culture could provide a technologically positive impact for both producers and consumers.