Buttermaking is the process by which butter is made from milk or cream. It consists of cream ripening, churning, washing and working. Cream ripening involves a series of temperature treatments, with or without incubation with butter starters, that affect the consistency and flavour of the final product by controlling fat crystallization and acidity. Churning breaks up the milk fat globule membranes, allowing formation of butter grains which eventually separate from the buttermilk. The butter grains are then washed to remove adhering buttermilk and worked into smooth, finished butter with uniform moisture and texture.