
A creamery is a place where milk and cream are processed and where butter and cheese is produced.
Cream is separated from whole milk;
pasteurization
Pasteurization or pasteurisation is a process of food preservation in which packaged and non-packaged foods (such as milk and fruit juices) are treated with mild heat, usually to less than , to eliminate pathogens and extend shelf life.
The ...
is done to the skimmed milk and cream separately. Whole
milk for sale has had some cream returned to the skimmed milk.
The creamery is the source of
butter from a
dairy
A dairy is a business enterprise established for the harvesting or processing (or both) of animal milk – mostly from cows or buffaloes, but also from goats, sheep, horses, or camels – for human consumption. A dairy is typically located on ...
. Cream is an
emulsion of fat-in-water; the process of
churning causes a
phase inversion to butter which is an emulsion of water-in-fat. Excess liquid as
buttermilk is drained off in the process. Modern creameries are automatically controlled industries, but the traditional creamery needed skilled workers. Traditional tools included the
butter churn
A butter churn is a device used to convert cream into butter. This is done through a mechanical process, frequently via a pole inserted through the lid of the churn, or via a crank used to turn a rotating device inside the churn.
Etymology
The ...
and
Scotch hands.
The term "creamery is sometimes used in
retail trade as a place to buy milk products such as
yogurt and
ice cream. Under the banner of a creamery one might find a store also stocking
pie
A pie is a baked dish which is usually made of a pastry dough casing that contains a filling of various sweet or savoury ingredients. Sweet pies may be filled with fruit (as in an apple pie), nuts ( pecan pie), brown sugar ( sugar pie), swe ...
s and
cake
Cake is a flour confection made from flour, sugar, and other ingredients, and is usually baked. In their oldest forms, cakes were modifications of bread, but cakes now cover a wide range of preparations that can be simple or elaborate, ...
s or even a
coffeehouse
A coffeehouse, coffee shop, or café is an establishment that primarily serves coffee of various types, notably espresso, latte, and cappuccino. Some coffeehouses may serve cold drinks, such as iced coffee and iced tea, as well as other non-ca ...
with
confectionery
Confectionery is the art of making confections, which are food items that are rich in sugar and carbohydrates. Exact definitions are difficult. In general, however, confectionery is divided into two broad and somewhat overlapping categories ...
.
See also
*
List of cheesemakers
*
List of dairy products
References
*
* Kanes K. Rajah & Ken J. Burgess editors (1991) ''Milk Fat: Production, Technology, Utilization'', Society of Dairy Technology.
* R.K. Robinson editor (1994) ''Modern Dairy Technology'', 2nd edition,
Chapman & Hall, .
* R.A. Wilbey (1994) "Production of butter and dairy based spreads", in Robinson (1994).
{{Butter
Butter
Food processing
Industrial processes