CHAPTER XVII 

 CHURNING AND WASHING BUTTER 



Definition. By churning we understand the agitation of 

 cream to such an extent as to bring the fat-globules together 

 into masses of butter of such size as to enable the maker to sep- 

 arate them from the buttermilk. 



The agitation may be brought about in several different ways, 



FIG. 82. Ancient method of churning 

 in skin bags. 



FIG. 83. The Dash churn. 



and by different shaped devices, which are called churns. The 

 methods of churning, like the process of separation, began with 

 primitive methods. The ancients churned their milk, without 

 separation, in bags made from the skins of animals. The next 

 step in advance was to place milk or cream in bottles or jars, and 

 then to shake them. This latter method of churning cream in 

 bottles is yet in use in many of the smaller households of Europe, 

 where the amount of cream is limited to a small quantity donated 



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