Jo. 8. 



Butler Making. 



243 



rst, and then scald them thoroughly, if you 

 'ould have sweet butter. 

 There are certain filthy practices which 

 atterns fall into, that should be corrected — 

 ich as wetting the cow's teats with milk, 

 nd permitting it to drop into the pail — 

 diking- in the morning without washing 

 le hands, &c. 



8. Milk-house and buttery. — In hot wea- 

 ler a good spring-house is necessary for the 

 inking of butter. It must be constructed 

 F either brick or stone, and in no instance 

 F wood, as that article never fails, in such 



situation, to become mouldy, and impair 

 le flavour of butter. It must be built so 

 lat it can be thoroughly ventilated. A 

 'indow should be placed on the north, east, 

 tid west sides, which must be furnished on 

 le outside with wire gauze screens, and on 

 le inside with tight shutters. During the 

 ay, the shutters must be closed, and at 

 ight must be raised. 



A spring may be dispensed with — and it 

 i even problematical whether it does not, 

 pon the whole, do as much injury by im- 

 arting dampness, as it does good by lower- 

 ig the temperature. A well constructed 

 ouse without the spring, will answer the 

 urpose. It should be shaded with trees, or 

 rbours of grape-vines. All mouldy and de- 

 aying wood-work, boards, boxes, barrels, 

 lc, must be kept out of it — also all foreign 

 ubstances, as meats, fish and vegetables, 

 "he air of my spring-house was ruined for 



week or more, merely by placing in it a 

 2w mackerel. 



At the approach of autumn, a cool and well 

 entilated buttery, shaded well without, and 

 ept clear of all foreign substances that can 

 npart a bad flavour, is preferable to a spring- 

 ouse, as the latter becomes too damp, at that 

 eason, to allow the cream to form well. 



9. Straining the milk. — This should be 

 ttended to without delay, after milking, 

 ^he new fashioned tin strainer (a tin pail 

 nth a wire gauze strainer) is far preferable 

 d the old fashioned cloth strainer. Either 

 in pans or stone crocks may be used for 

 .olding the milk ; I know of no preference, 

 xcept the tin work is liable to rust in a 

 amp spring-house. Earthen crocks should 

 lever be used, as the lead in glazing may 

 ct chemically with the cream or butter, so 

 ,s to poison it. 



10. Skimming the milk. — In hot weather 

 he milk may be allowed to curdle before 

 his operation is performed, but if it be de- 

 ayed any longer, a thin, watery fluid will 

 brm between the milk and the cream, after 

 vhich the good qualities are inevitably de 

 troyed. It is necessary, in mid-summer, to 

 kim the milk every morning and night. 



This point must receive the strictest atten- 

 tion. Neglect of it often gives a streaked 

 or mottled appearance to butter, as well as 

 impairs its flavour. 



11. Cream. — As soon as it is collected it 

 should be placed in a stone crock, which 

 should be either hung into a well, or set up 

 to the brim in the spring within the milk 

 house. 



It has been thought by some that the 

 cream improves, or matures, by exposure to 

 the air after it is collected, and that placing 

 it in a situation as cool as a well, or spring, 

 is unfavourable for that change. This view 

 may be correct late in autumn, when it be- 

 comes sometimes necessary to mature it by 

 artificial heat, but during our hot and dry 

 summers, we believe the course recom- 

 mended is to be preferred. 



12. Churning. — This operation must be 

 resorted to as soon as a supply of cream ia 

 obtained, and in hot weather cannot safely 

 be delayed beyond the third day. 



A variety of patent churns have been 

 palmed upon the public, none of which, we 

 believe, is to be preferred to the old fashioned, 

 upright dasher, or the barrel. We at pre- 

 sent employ the former, and by the aid of a 

 well adjusted spring pole, connected with 

 the top of the dasher-rod, can fetch 12 or 

 15 pounds of butter, in from fifteen to twen- 

 ty-five minutes, without any violent efforts. 

 The barrel-churn is not as easily cleansed. 



13. Working of butler. — This must be 

 repeated until every drop of the buttermilk 

 is expelled ; twice or three times will be 

 necessary, nor must it be delayed too long, 

 till a change begins to take place in the re- 

 maining buttermilk, as that will impair the 

 flavour of the butter, which no subsequent 

 treatment can restore. 



The operation must be done in a bowl, by 

 the aid of a wooden spatula, or paddle, and 

 in no instance should the hand come in con- 

 tact with the butter, if it can be avoided, as 

 the warmth of the individual renders the 

 butter oily and bad flavoured. 



Some persons destroy its sweetness and 

 richness by washing out the buttermilk, by 

 means of cold water, a practice always to 

 be avoided. 



14. Salting. — The salt should be added 

 at the commencement of the first working. 

 Much of our western butter is injured by 

 the employment of the common New York 

 salt. The finest ground article should be 

 used. It can now be obtained in sacks, of 

 our merchants, at a reasonable price. 



15. Preserving butter. — That made in 

 the spring and summer, may be laid down 

 in stone crocks, and the surface covered 

 with brine of strength sufficient to bear up 



