In Pursuit Of Purity

I wonder how many women still know how to separate butter from milk. I remember the procedure because I watched my mother perform this chore routinely. Sometimes, whenever she was busy, I too had to do this. It was not a simple task, by any means. Firstly, the milk was heated and boiled on a low fire. Then it was set to make curds, at the right temperature, neither too hot nor too cold. The creamy top layer of the set curd was stored aside. The cream from 3 to 4 days was pooled and then began the process of making butter. She would sit on the floor and patiently churn the buttermilk. In winter she would add hot water and ice cold water in summer to facilitate the separation of butter from the aqueous component. After churning for a lengthy time, dramatically the butter would separate from the buttermilk. Lo! Fresh butter was ready, to be consumed as such or to make ghee from it. She would also be immensely pleased that her family got to enjoy a pure preparation.” My mind had wandered into the past as my hands mechanically churned the buttermilk to separate the butter. I also remember my baby sister extending her palm with a lovely, pleading, expression on her face and my mother lovingly giving her a dollop of butter. Finally, there would be so much grease on mom’s hands, that she would she would rub it off onto the cheeks, hands, and feet of my baby sister. It was the best and purest cosmetic that one could find. Finally, the butter would be cooked on low fire to make Ghee. The memory of the aroma coming from the ghee under preparation, filling the entire house is still there fresh in my mind. 

Now, why am I making butter at this age when everything is available across the counter? That too at this “old” age? Well, there is another story behind it, also. After my mother could no longer go through the tedium of making butter, my late father, the gourmet he was, carried out considerable research and identified a local brand of ghee to have met all the standards. He proclaimed it fit for our consumption. This was about 35 years ago and till a few months ago we were consuming the same brand. But recently, there was news that the particular brand of Ghee we were using, was found to be adulterated. Our trust in the brand was shaken.

That was the time when I decided that a change was necessary and looked for options. I could buy butter from the market and make ghee or procure full-fat milk instead of toned milk and prepare butter and ghee at home, as I learned from my mother. To be honest I was also not very comfortable with the quality of milk supplied by most of the available brands and wanted to change to a new brand but lacked initiative. 

Luckily there was an upcoming brand that claimed to be supplying unadulterated milk, also devoid of traces of hormones which are used to increase milk production. Many women in our neighborhood endorsed it. So I chose the second option as I could overcome some of my doubts about the quality of milk that we have been consuming. So, I could kill two birds in one shot. I remember the only threat that used to be there for milk quality in the good old days was the addition of water to increase the volume.

 The local milk vendor, generally owning few buffaloes, would home milk morning and evening. Once in a while my mom would feign anger and accuse him of diluting milk with water. He may or may not have added water, but Mom’s warning would put a check on him and act as a deterrent. His poverty or need for money would have compelled him to dilute the milk with water. Big dairies were not yet organized in those days. The dairy industry and distribution of milk got streamlined over time. Today, some unscrupulous business owners, out of greed or the lure of money, resort to preparing milk artificially, using urea, vegetable oil, detergent, and many other things. Essentially, except for the color and appearance, it has nothing in common with milk and is used for adulteration of the milk. Milk is the food consumed universally by people of almost all age groups like babies, children, sick people, recovering patients and healthy adults. Adulteration of such a food item amounts to crime. If safeguarding our loved ones from probably adulterated dairy product is fraught with so many complications, how about all the different food items that we consume daily? I wondered.

Almost every food item can be adulterated. Artificial colors and saw dust are added to turmeric powder and chilli powder, papaya seeds are added to pepper seeds, stones are added to pulses, rice and wheat. Fruits are ripened using harmful chemicals. This list can be very lengthy. These substances are in addition to the contaminants like preservatives, pesticide residues, and chemical fertilizers that are used indiscriminately in agriculture. Can I grow every food item that we consume daily, to be sure that my children are eating healthy and safe food? How are the perpetrators of adulteration sure that the same food is not consumed in their homes by their children?

Unintentionally, I seem to have trodden into the area of sustainable growth and development. Usually, we talk about sustainability concerning the impact of a development on the environment and ecosystem including the flora and fauna. Even meeting an increase in demand should be addressed considering sustainability. Otherwise, there could be adulteration and compromise in the quality or substandard production. We cannot endanger our future generation. certain things are non-negotiable and the safety and health of our children tops the list. As a housewife and a mother, I am justified in worrying about the impact of increased demand/consumption on sustainable food production.

Suddenly the doorbell rang pulling me out of the deep thoughts. I looked into the vessel and was delighted to see that the butter was separated from the butter milk with a light heart and a smile on my face, I thought that at least I could reduce the consumption of adulterated food in my family to some extent. In an attempt to further reduce the contamination in the food, the latest trend is to buy organic food. Such foods are available now at a premium and not within the reach of many. We abuse, spoil, and misuse things and try to make corrections, only to make them expensive. Strange are our ways…..