Jeffersonian Republican. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1840-1853, 1851-08-21
An Inquiry Answered.

A subscriber, of Dauphin county, in,
quires, through the Newspaper" the
best manner in putting up frkin butter,
to prevent it from getting strongf In
reply | would say to him that butter is
nothing more or less than grease, and if
the milk and water is all extracted, it
will keep as well as lard or tallow. For
sailing the butter, use the best kind of
Liverpool sack salt; the quantity varies
according to the state in which the butter
is taken from the churn-if soft, more, for
it works out with the milk; if hard, less
always taking the taste as the surest
guide. The best mode ofpreserving but
ter in and through the summer and win
ter, is as follows: The vessel should be
a stone jar, clean and sweet. Put in a
churning of butter, and put on strong
brine. Let it remain on until the next
churning is ready to put down, and so
on till the jar is filed; then cover it with
fine salt, the same to remain on till used
Mr.. McWilliams, of Orange county, the
celebrity of whose butter is unsurpassed,
thus details hismethod of butter making;
his practice is not to churn the milk until
it becomes thick, or leopard; the milk
and cream is then churned together
The temperature of the milk is about
fifty degrees. In warm weather about
quart of cold water is put into each pan
before the milk is strained, so as to keep
it sweet as long as possible The churn
is filled about half full with milk, with
the addition of cold water sufficient to
bring it to the right temperature. In
cold weather the same quantity of warm
water is applied. When the churning
is finished, there are then two pals of
cold water applied to raise the butter
and cool it. The butter is then taken
out of the churn and then put in large
tray; this is Immediately filed with cold
water, and the butter carefully washed;
after which the water is thrown off,
The butter now undergoes the process of
sailing; it is then placed in cool situa-
tion where it stands about an hour, and
is then worked carefully over. This fin
ished, it is placed in the same situation as
before, where it stands three or four
hours, and is again worked over; again
replaced for FIVE or six hours, when it is
worked over for the third time. 1t is
now replaced where it stands until the
next morning, and worked over for the
fourth time. A small quantity of nitre
is then put in the butter.
Thus finished, it is placed in frkins hol-
ding about eighty pounds.
Previous to packing, the frkin scalded
with hot water; then rubbed all around
with fine salt; this prevents the butter
from adhering to the sides of she frkin.
When the frkin is full, linen cloth is
placed over the top of the butter; on this
cloth a covering of salt is put, one inch
deep, and cold water enough added to it
to form brine. 1t then stands till it is
sent to market, when the salt and cloth
are removed, the firkln turned down, the
top of butter in the keg washed with cold
water, and the pickle drained off. The
frkin is then neatly headed up and sent to
market.
All the buttermilk must be thoroughly
extracted by repeated washings, and
when completed, the butter should be i'm
mediately packed, and not a particle of
air allowed to come in contact with it till
opened for the table. S. c. A.
Bradford County, Pa. 1851.