The Ashland union. [volume] (Ashland, Ashland County, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1859-01-12
Asblano o.. farmer.
ABOUT WINTER BUTTER.


"Small profit in trying to make butter at this
season" said Uncle Joe, as he paused from his
churning and wiped the sweat from his fore
head; .'shere it is, nine o'clock, this churn has
been going full three hours, and no signs of
butter yet" fs
1t surely was a hard case. I pitied uncle,
but said nothing, for 1 knew nothing very per-
tinent to the occasion. g3
But "Rome was not built in a day" "We
live and learn" and ow-tw years later-I
sit down, having churned a respectable churn-
ing while wife was getting tea, and had time to
spare to play with "baby." Experience has
taught me several things since the day Uncle
Joe questioned the profit of making butter in
winter (mind, I don't say it is profitable
Hold! I must study brevity. "Be short"
should be the motto of every one who writes
for "the papers" and particularly for "our pa
per" the Farmer.
Last winter, I had a days job at churn1ng,
and 1 found out what the great trouble was
the cream was too cold. Since that, when /
have anything to do with churning, I try to
have the cream just warm enough. Then the
butter comes to from fifteen to twenty minutes,
or at most, thirty or forty.
There are various methods of warming cream.
A good way is to set the cream-pot in a warm
room, and stir it occasionally. Or, in a vessel
of warm water; or near a fire, turning and stir
ring frequently. Don't melt the cream,-if
you do, it will never make butter. Sometimes,
finding, after churning a while, that the cream
is too cold, I set the churn near the fire, leav-
ing itfor a short time,-or, if in a hurry, and
rather lazy withal, pour hot water intNe churn,
keeping the dash going all the while, SO that
none of the cream gets scalded.
When the cream 'froths VI" as you churn,
you may generally be sure 1t is too cold. You
may churn, if you like, but "the mischief is
in it," and the butter will refuse to appear un-
til it is warmed. Possiblyyou may warm it by
churning; but 1t is a great saving of patience.
time, and "elbow-grease," to warm it some 9th.
er way.
In the days churning mentioned above, the
cream "frothed up" badly. We set the churn
in a tub of hot water, finally; but had to gel
the cream much warmer than when it is "just
right at first. The butter-milk fairly smoked
as the churn was opened to take out the butter
and was blood-warm, if not more.
That was the only time 1 ever used a thermo
meter to measure the temperature in churning
According to the books" it was too warm al
the while. We tried putting in snow to COO
it. Eut it was really too cold,-and I think
ones finger the best thermometer Have the
cream so it feels just a little warm to the finger
and it is right.
IF one has good cream in winter, they car
make good butter. To get the first, one mus
have good, well-fed, and comfortable COWS, al
even temperature to raise the cream; and churr
often, before it gets bitter and sour, But
will not e1patiate on this branch of the sub
ject.
One word more. Butter can be colorec
without injury to the favor, by putting caro-
juice into the cream when churning. Crate
the carrot, soak in milk, and squeeze the juice
through a cloth into the churn. But, I dom
mind saying it, Summer butter" suits me the
best for my table, and 1 am willing to let the
city folks have what "winter butter" I make
as the grocerymen will generally pay just a
much for it.-Genesee Farmer.