352 DAIRY BUTTER MAKING 



Working is done for the purpose ( 1 ) of distributing the salt 

 thoroughly and evenly throughout the whole mass of butter, (2) 

 of pressing out the superfluous water and (3) of forming the 

 granules of butter into a solid mass. The worker which will 

 do this with the least amount of grinding or smearing and 

 which is also inexpensive and easily cleaned is the best worker. 

 That known as the lever butter worker, made in various sizes, 

 is unquestionably the most satisfactory all-around instrument 

 where a small quantity of butter is to be made. 



Here the butter should be spread evenly and worked by 

 means of the five-sided lever. The working consists in a fold- 

 ing and pressing process. The loose crumbs of butter must 

 be gathered in from time to time and the near and far, not right 

 and left, edges of the flat layer of butter turned inward. This 

 folding in and pressing out process is to be continued until the 

 salt is dissolved and evenly distributed and the butter has 

 assumed a compact mellow, waxy consistency, when working 

 should cease. Too much working causes oily texture and flavor. 



Where butter is to be made from a herd of twenty or more 

 cows one of the small-sized combined churn-and-worker (Figs. 

 116 and 117) is to be recommended. They are now made in 

 sizes sufficiently small to churn and work 25 to 50 pounds of 

 butter very satisfactorily. The principle involved in the roller 

 within must conform with those indicated as necessary for the 

 outside worker, namely, that the butter shall be folded and 

 pressed rather than ground and sliced. Care should be taken 

 in selecting a combined churn, as some are superior to others. 



Packing. — Earthen jars are still recognized as the most satis- 

 factory receptacle for butter so far as the keeping qualities of 

 the butter are concerned. Butter made from mildly ripened 

 cream in September and October, carefully washed, moderately 

 salted and solidly packed in clean earthen jars, covered with a 

 quarter inch of salt paste, and placed in an ordinary fann cellar 

 will keep so well as to be very usable throughout the entire 

 winter. It would be desirable, however, under such circum- 

 stances to freeze the jars of butter at the beginning of the winter 

 and to thaw out one at a time when needed for use. Jars have 

 the disadvantage, however, of being somewhat expensive unless 



