NEW 
“ TO IMPROVE THE SOIL AND MIND.” 
SERIES. 
Vol. IV. 
ALBANY, MAY, 1847. 
No. 5 . 
MAKING AND PRESERVING BUTTER. 
Every farmer may have noticed that the price ob¬ 
tained for whatever he has to sell, always depends more 
or less on the quality; but in nothing, perhaps, is this 
so particularly conspicuous as in the article of butter. 
Double or treble the price is readily obtained for some 
butter, that poor or ordinary butter will bring. In the 
New-York and Boston markets, the price of butter 
ranges from eight to twenty-five cents per pound. We 
could name dairies, the butter from which has brought 
from twenty to twenty-five cents per pound, for years 
in succession. Now this difference is caused by quality, 
and how important it is that this principle should be 
duly regarded. 
The first important requisite in the manufacture of 
good butter, is, that the milk be kept in a proper tem¬ 
perature, and this, experience has proved to be from 50 
to 60 degrees. To secure this temperature, the milk- 
room must be protected as much as possible against the 
violent heat of the sun, and it should at the same time 
admit of a free circulation of air, as this facilitates the 
separation of the cream from the milk. A cool upper 
room, an airy cellar, or a 11 spring-house,” may be 
made use of, according to the location. If running wa¬ 
ter of sufficient coldness can Be had, it would be pre¬ 
ferred, in warm weather,to set the pans of milk in troughs 
of stone or wood, through which the water should con- 
tantlyflow. The writer is aware that a prejudice is en¬ 
tertained by some against “ spring-houses,” but the unfa¬ 
vorable opinion in regard to them was probably derived 
from those which were badly constructed, or not properly 
ventilated. A committee of a Vermont agricultural so¬ 
ciety, in an elaborate report on butter-making, drawm 
up a few years since, recommended that the pans of 
milk be set in troughs of cold running water, till the 
animal heat had passed off, and after it had cooled, to 
place the pans in water heated to the temperature of 
170 degrees, taking care that the milk should not 
boil or simmer—the pans to be afterwards set back on 
or over the troughs— not in the water. It was stated 
that this process had been found to so hasten the rising 
of the cream that it would all rise, and could be taken 
off in half the time ordinarily required, and that it also 
improved the quality of the butter by preventing the sour¬ 
ness of the milk and cream. The time occupied in heat¬ 
ing the milk of twenty cows, is said to be twenty-five 
to thirty minutes. We cannot from experience, speak 
of this mode of managing milk and cream, but having 
some practical acquaintance with butter-making, we 
should not doubt its success. 
We believe it to be well established, that to produce 
the very best butter, and especially that which will j 
keep longest, the cream should be perfectly sweet when 
churned. Some experiments, very carefully conducted, I 
some years since, by Dr. Traill, of Edinburgh, and 
published in the .Transactions of the Highland Agricul¬ 
tural Society, clearty lead to this conclusion.* and we 
believe it is supported by the observation of the best 
butter-makers in this country. 
The practice of churning, the milk and cream together 
is followed in some sections. Its advantages are. that 
in warm weather, or when the milk is kept in a high 
temperature, more butter is obtained than if the cream 
only was churned. We are not aware that any other 
advantages are claimec^ for this mode; and those who 
have tried both, churning the milk and cream together, 
and the cream alone, state that if the cream rises well, 
it affords as much butter as is obtained from the milk 
and cream. It is true that in regard to the experi¬ 
ments of Dr. Traill, before referred to. he concludes 
that churning the milk and cream together after they 
have become slightly acid, seems to be on the whole the 
most economical process; but the reason ho, gives for it 
is, that “ it yields a large quantity of excellent butter¬ 
milk ,” which is largely used as an article of diet in 
Scotland, and is of considerable consequence as a source 
of profit, being constantly sold in the markets. Where 
the milk and cream are churned together, it is usual in 
this country, to allow the milk to stand till it is cur¬ 
dled, but not till whey rises to the top. The best but¬ 
ter-makers are very particular in regard to this, and are 
always careful to have the milk churned at the particu¬ 
lar stage mentioned. 
Working Butter. —The object in working butter is to 
free it from the butter-milk, and the caseine or cheesev 
particles, which, from their tendency to putrefaction, 
prevent the butter from keeping sweet. To effect the 
separation to the best advantage, it is important that 
the butter should have, when it first “ comes in the 
churn, a considerable degree of solidity, and that the par¬ 
ticles should have a tendency to cohere.* This will 
generally be the case, provided the milk and cream has 
been kept in a temperature sufficiently cool, and is not 
too much heated in churning. And it may be well to 
observe here, that the cream or milk should not bo 
raised in churning higher than 75 degrees, and that it 
will be necessary to bring it to about 55 degrees, before 
churning will be attended with much advantage. The 
use of the thermometer in making butter, as well as in 
making cheese,-is now regarded as almost indispensable. 
Some butter-makers, whose butter is note 1 for its ex¬ 
cellence, pursue this course in working it: as soon as 
the butter is taken from the churn, it is beaten together 
* “ Butter from sweet cream has the finest flavor, and appears 
to keep longest without acquiring rancidity.”—Conclusions of Prof. 
Traill, in reference to his experiments n butter-making. 2Ya»« 
tactions Highland Society , for 184-3, £>■ 23. 
