2. ECONOMICAL USE OF BUTTER.--In the home, butter is used on the table
and in the cooking of many foods. Hardly any article of food has such
general use as this one; in fact, a meal is usually considered to be
incomplete without it, both as an accompaniment to bread, rolls,
biscuits, or whatever variety of these is used, and as an ingredient in
the cooking of some foods that require fat. But butter is not cheap, so
that the wise and economical use of this food in the home is a point
that should not be overlooked by the housewife. This precaution is very
important, it having been determined that butter, as well as other fats,
is wasted to a great extent; and still it is true that no other material
can be so economically utilized. The very smallest amount of any kind of
fat should be carefully saved, for there are numerous uses to which it
can be put. Even though it is mixed with other food, it can always be
melted out, clarified--that is, freed from foreign substances--and then
used for some purpose in cooking. The chief way in which butter is
wasted is in the unnecessary and improper use of it, points that a
little careful thought will do much to remedy.

3. FLAVOR AND COMPOSITION OF BUTTER.--That the housewife may have an
understanding of the food substances found in butter and also learn how
to determine the quantity of butter needed for her family, she should
become familiar with the composition of this food. The flavor of butter
depends to a great extent on the kind of cream from which it is made,
both sweet and sour cream being used for this purpose. Of these two
kinds, sour cream is the preferable one, because it gives to the butter
a desirable flavor. Still, the unsalted butter that is made from sweet
cream is apparently growing in favor, although it is usually more
expensive than salted butter. The difference in price is due to the fact
that unsalted butter spoils readily.