LANCASHIRE AND VARIOUS MODES POTTING. 217 



the cow is placed in mugs till it becomes sour, when 

 it is churned ; and thus is produced butter, accord- 

 ing to the provincial opinion, at least equal, if not 

 superior, to that of any other part of Great Britain. 

 The butter milk, thus produced, is perhaps superior 

 to skimmed milk, and forms a wholesome and nutri- 

 tious beverage for the poorer classes of that populous 

 county. Though this practice is ancient in Lanca- 

 shire, and partially in the vicinity, the farmers of 

 our chief dairy counties which supply the metropolis 

 do not seem to approve, by their neglect of it. At 

 any rate, it must occasion much additional labour. 



The following Recipe for making butter without 

 churning, I have never tried. It seems calculated 

 for small quantities. Put the milk into a flat earthen 

 dish, let it stand twelve hours, put it over a slow 

 fire until scalded, not boiled ; then let it stand twelve 

 hours, take off the cream, and put it into a round 

 earthen dish, stirring it round with a clean wooden 

 spoon, and it will come to butter in about five or 

 ten minutes. The cream cannot be kept too cool 

 during the time you are stirring it, whence it is best 

 to place the dish in cold water. As soon as the 

 butter shall be so forward that you can take off a 

 little butter milk, continue putting in cold water and 

 washing out the milk. The cream may be kept 

 after scalding, three or four days, before making the 

 butter, without injury. 



" To put BUTTER down for KEEPING let the salt 

 be perfectly fine ; a layer of salt at the bottom of 

 the firkin or jar ; beat the butter down with a hard 

 wooden rammer, not hot fists, and cover the top 



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