BUTTER. 



Buittr. 



batter will imbibe ft vV?ry disagreeable flavour. This, 

 in some districts of Scotland, is known by the phrase 

 bursting the churn. 



Machinery, as before observed, of an ingenious 

 and convenient construction, is in some districts now 

 employed, and found to have the advantage, not only 

 of abridging labour, but of securing a more regular 

 and uniform motion. 



When the operation is properly conducted, the 

 butter, after some time, suddenly forms, and is to be 

 carefully collected and separated from the butter- 

 milk. But in doing this, it is not sufficient merely 

 to pour off this milk, or withdraw the butter from 

 it ; because a certain portion of the caseous and se- 

 rous parts of the milk still remain in the interstices 

 of the butter, and must be detached from it by wash- 

 ing, if we would obtain it pure. In washing butter, 

 tome think it sufficient to press the mass gently be- 

 twixt the hands ; others press it strongly and fre- 

 quently, repeating the washings till the water come 

 off quite clear. The first method is preferable, when 

 the butter is made daily for immediate use, from new 

 milk or cream ; because the portions of such adhe- 

 ring to it, or mixed with it, contribute to produce 

 the sweet agreeable flavour which distinguishes new 

 cream. But when our object is to prepare butter for 

 keeping, we cannot repeat the washings too often, 

 since the presence of a small quantity of milk in it, 

 will, in less than 12 hours after churning, cause it 

 sensibly to lose its good qualities. 



The process of washing butter is usually nothing 

 more than throwing it into an earthen vessel of clear 

 cool water, working it to and fro with the hands, 

 and changing the water till it come off clear. A 

 much preferable method, however, and that which 

 we believe is now ahvays practised by those who best 

 understand the business, is, to use two broad pieces 

 of wood instead of the hands. This is to be pre- 

 ferred, not only on account of its apparently greater 

 eleanliness, but also because it is of decided advan- 

 tage to the quality of the butter. To this the 

 warmth of the hand gives always more or less of a 

 greasy appearance ; and butter washed by means of 

 the wooden flappers, as they are called, will always 

 fetch at market a higher price than if thr hand had 

 been employed. The influence of the heat of the 

 hand is greater than might at first ave been sus- 

 pected. It has always been remarked, that a person 

 who has naturally a warm hand, never makes good 

 bulter. 



After washing, the butter should be cut and sli- 

 ed in every possible direction, with a serrated or 

 rough-edged knife, in order to bring out from it the 

 smallest hair, bit of rag, strainer, or any thing that 

 may have chanced to fall into it. It is then to be 

 spread in a bowl, and such a quantity of salt added 

 as may be judged proper. I f the butter is to be used 

 immediately, or kept only for a short time, a small 

 proportion will be sufficient ; and in this state it is 

 usually denominated fresh butter. But if it be in- 

 tended to be long kept, or transported to a distance, 

 an ounce or two of salt will be required to the pound 

 of butter. The salt used in curing butter should be 

 of the purest kind, well dried, and broken down, but 

 not completely pulverized ; and it must be so tho- 



roughly worked in, al to b equally incorporated 



with tlu- mass. 



When butter it to be told on the spot, or in the 

 neighbouring mark, ts, it is divided into rolls of a 

 pound, or half a pound ; or into lumps of 24 ounces, 

 called dishes in some parts of England ; but when it 

 is to be kept, or carried to a distance, quantities of 

 81, 56, or 28 pounds, are put up together in caski, 

 usually called tubs, firkins, and half firkins. 



When the buttrr has been gufficiei;tly impregnated 

 with the salt, by being spread out in thin layers, 

 sprinkled with it, and thoroughly wrought, it is then 

 to be gently pressed into the tub or firkin, which 

 must not, however, be filled quite up, but room left 

 at top to receive a layer of salt, half an inch or an 

 inch in thickness. In seven or eight days, the salted 

 butter detaches itself from the sides of the firkin, 

 shrinks, arid occasions interstices. These, if allowed 

 to remain, would injure the butter, by admitting the 

 contact of the air. They are, therefore, to be filled 

 up by a saturated solution of salt in water, or brine 

 strong enough to carry an egg. The butter is then 

 to be covered by a new layer of salt, and the head 

 of the vessel put on. 



Before the butter is put into the firkin, care must 

 be taken that the latter be well seasoned : and this 

 is effected by exposing it for two or three weeks to 

 the air, and frequent washing. The readiest method, 

 however, is by the use of unslaked lime, or a large 

 quantity of salt and water well boiled, with which it 

 should be scrubbed several times, and afterwards 

 thrown into cold water, to remain three or four days 

 till wanted. It should then be scrubbed as before, 

 and well rinsed with cold water; and before receiving 

 the butter, every part of the inside of the firkin must 

 be carefully rubbed with salt. Indeed, the surest of 

 all methods to preserve butter from spoiling, after it 

 has been properly salted, is to keep it constantly im- 

 mersed in a saturated solution of this substance. A 

 friend of the writer of this article informs him, that 

 he has preserved butter in this manner at sea for a 

 very long period. It might deserve attention, to try 

 to discover a species of wood that would not commu- 

 nicate any taste to the butter. 



An excellent composition for preserving butter 

 may be prepared, by mixing one part of saltpetre, 

 one of common salt, and two of sugar. This tho- 

 roughly wrought into the butter, will keep it sweet 

 for a very long time, and communicates to it no salt 

 or disagreeable taste. 



When butter is to be exposed to the heat of a warm 

 climate, it should be purified by melting, before it is 

 salted and packed up. Let it be put into a proper 

 vessel, and this into another containing water ; let 

 the water be gradually heated till the butter be 

 thoroughly melted ; let it continue in this state for 

 some time, and the impure parts will subside, leaving 

 at the top a perfectly pure transparent oil. This, 

 when it cools, will become opake, and assume a co- 

 lour nearly resembling the original butter; being 

 only a little paler, and of a firmer consistence. 



This refined butter must be separated from the 

 dregs, salted, and put up in the same way with other 

 butter ; and it will keep much linger sweet in hot 

 climates, as it retains the salt better. It may also be 



Butem 



