BITTTER. 179 



For curing butter, take two parts of the best com- 

 mon salt, one of brown-sugar, and one ofsalpetre ; beat 

 them together so as to blend them completely, apply 

 one ounce of this to every pound of butter ; and work 

 it well into the mass. It should be put into firkins, and 

 so closely packed and crowded, that no air can be in 

 contact with the butter ; which should be carefully 

 covered with a piece of fine cloth, after diping it in 

 melted sweet butter. When more is to be put into the 

 tub, take up the cloth ; and after that is well crowded 

 in and levelled, put on the cloth again so nicely as to 

 shut out, if possible, every particle of air. Butter salt- 

 ed in this manner and put down in close tubs, with a 

 little melted butter poured over the surface, to fill up 

 every vacuity, before the top is put on, will keep much 

 longer, and be worth at least twenty-five per cent, more 

 than that which has been cured with salt alone. It must 

 not, however, be used sooner than three or four weeks 

 nfter it has been laid down, as it does not fully acquire 

 its rich marrowy taste, until about that length of time. 

 The tubs, during summer and fall, should stand on the 

 coldest part of the cellar. 



For keeping butter sweet that is salted in the usual 

 way, it should be salted with an ounce and a half, or 

 more, of the strongest and best salt, finely powdered, 

 to each pound, and so thoroughly mixed that every part 

 may be equally salt ; made into rolls, and then put into 

 a cask of pure strong brine, and, for keeping the rolls 

 completely immersed in this Hquid, there should be a 

 cover, suitable to the dimension of the inside of the 

 cask, to be laid on the rolls, and sunk beneath the sur- 

 face of the brine by a weight, which may be a block 

 of wood, fastened to the cover, that will sink only a 

 given depth. The brine does not penetrate the butter 

 so as to give out any additional saltness. For clarifying 

 the brine it should occasionally be scalded, the scum ta- 

 ken off, and more salt added if necessary. Butter made 

 in May is observed to be best for keeping. 



Milk or butter should not be put in stone jars, as they 

 communicate a poisonous quality extremely injurious to 

 the human constitution. Wooden vessels are the most 

 proper for containing salted butter, and oak the best 

 kind of wood. Iron hoops should not be used, as the 



