;!08 JoiuAAL OF riiK ])ki'ahtmknt of A(;i!i( ulture. — Oct., 1922. 



Preserving Butter for Home Use. — Numeious iiKniiiies have 



hccii lecfivcd l)y this DivJM'oii ioi ]iit's('iYiii<^' bn+lci' for lioiiio Tise on 

 the i'ariH (iiuin<>' tlie S(';is(»ii of scarcity, '^rheic arc two inctliods of 

 kee])iii<>' butter, viz. : — 



l'res(>rviiig' same in glazed eart lieiiiw aie jars, or enaiii(dled ves- 

 sels, and the other, by niakiiio- the Initter into pou]id pats and keeping 

 same submersed in brine. The main point whicli the butter-makei- 

 has to observe, is to have the cream in a sound condition for churning 

 purposes, as without this })recaution, neither method of preserving 

 butter will be of any use. Cream used for keeping i)nrposes slnnild 

 not contain too high a lactic acid content, but should have just a 

 slight, clean, acid flavour at the time of churning, (ircat care must 

 be exercised in washing every i)article of butter-milk out of the butter 

 when same is in the granular stage, and the last washing of such 

 butter should be in the form of brine, allowing same to remain on the 

 butter for ten minutes; the butter is then worked in the usual way, 

 and from three quarters to one ounce of fine dairy salt should be adiled 

 to each pound of butter. After working the salt into the butter in the 

 usual way, the butter slnnild be put aside for an hour ov so in order 

 to allow the salt to dissolve, and then again re-worked, Avhich i)]events 

 the butter being streaky, and gives a more even distribution of the 

 salt in the butter itself. The butter is then placed in tMther glazed 

 earthernware jars, which have previously been well scalded (and of 

 course allowed to cool before the butter is placed in same), or un- 

 chipped enamel vessels which must be treated in the sanu' nnumer 

 as the jars; whichever class of vessel is used the butter must be firmly 

 pressed in, allowing no crevices for air to collect, which deteriorates 

 the keeping quality of the butter. The jar or vessel containing the 

 butter should be filled M'ithin a half or (|\iarter of an inch from the 

 top, and the surface of the butter shcmld then be covered with grease- 

 ])ro()f butterpaper, cut slightly larger than the circumference of the 

 jai-, in order that the ends can be turned up round the sides of the 

 jar. The surface should now be com])letely covered with a layer of 

 fine dairy salt pressed firmly down on the butterpaper, and the top 

 of the jar again covered with grease-proof paper tied tightly round 

 the jar; this hermetically seals the butter, and provided the cream 

 at time of churning was in a i)ro])er condition, the butter so treated 

 should keep good for several months. 



The system of keeping butter in brine has its advantages but it 

 is questionable whether the butter will keep so Avell. In the brining- 

 systeni the butter is treated as described above, and then made into 

 pound pats and submersed in brine, which has previously been boiled, 

 and of sufficient strength to float an ordinary sized v'^^^'. Great care 

 must be exercdsed in keeping the butter properly sulnnersed, otherwise 

 it will not l)e hermetically sealed; pound pats of butter can be wrajiped 

 in giease-])roof paper before being placed in the brine, l,ut a thread 

 shoTild be tied lengthways I'ound each pat to prevent the paper fiom 

 coming loose whilst in the brine. The advantage of this system is 

 that the housewife c-an take a pound of butt(n- out of the brine for use, 

 and at the same time the remainder of the butter still renuuns her- 

 metically sealed in the brine. Tf the butter is to be kept for a lengthy 

 period, it may be advisable to use a fresh lot of brine after a coui)le 

 of months. 



