Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1869-09-30
THE GAZETTE.
THURSDAY EVENING. SEPT. 30.

To MAKEAND PACK BUTTER FOR WINTER
UsE.-First of all, the milk must be skinned
at the right time. The best butter makers do
IL when it is the least bit sour to the taste,
which is easily ascertained. When milk sours
before it is skinned the cream appears thick.
er, bat in reality it is not. Sannet tried the
experiment with two equal quantities Of milk.
The one that was skinned just before sounng
that IS, in thirty hours-made thirty pounds
of butter; the other, allowed to stand sixty
hours, yielded twenty seven pounds. When
milk room has an even temperature, say sixty
degrees, all the cream that is desirable Tor
butter will rise Ia thirty to thirtysix hours. 1t
never should stand an hour longer. The cream
after this period is deprived of the delicious
flavor and aroma so essential to the taSte OF
good butter OF one thing we are certain,
from various experiments, the, sooner the
cream can be made to rise, the better Is Its
keeping qualities. All travellers inform US
that in London aud Paris the butter far ex-
ceeds ours. One of the chief points with their
dairy women is to skim the milk at the right
time. The most celebrated butter in the New
York market is from Orange county, and they
adhere strictly to the thirty-six hour rule
Cream must be sour to make butter; this is a
toams and bubbles In the churn, and refuses
10 come TO butter, it is because it has not ex.
perenced a change. The weather has been
too cold to allow Of it, and we add tablespoon
full of powdered alum to produce the desired
result. The cream which boiled and ragged
like mad creature is subdued, and In lew
moments the welcome splash announces the
butter.
Cream is easily affected by the atmosphere.
Something must be done to keep that cream
fresh. On due elaboration, we decide that II
a tablespoonful OF powdered saltpetre must be
added to every four pounds OF butter put down
for winter use, why not put one teaspoonful OF
it into the first cream we put IN the pot ana
stir it wcli up with every fresh addition! lt Is
DONE and the results are most happy. we seek
medical inform alton. Are its effects injurious
Not at all; taken in large quantities, like epson
salts, it Is poisonous, but, like most poisons,
efhcacious in infnitesimal doses. All corned
beet, hams, etc, arc picked with its aid. 1t
cannot hurt our butter, 80 we continue the
process, and our cream contains Its fine aroma.
The buttermilk is pronounced by conuolsSeurs
delicious. The churns of the present day are a
great aid in working out the buttermllk, st,ll,
butter paddles are needed, few women having
hands or wrists strong enough to refuse their
aid. We think that butter paddles might be
manufactured like large fork, or in imitation
of four fingers and thumb, which would
greatly hasten the flow OF the buttermilk. When
the butter is waxen in texture, as all Adcrny
butter is after little moulding, and it ceases
to color the water which drips IRON the ice Two
never wash butter; the sugar OF milk is soluble
aud the water takes away the sweetness OF the
buttcr-tnat is our experience, then we work
it into cakes, which are placed into a stone Jar
containing brine made thus:
To one gallon Of water and three quarts OF
fue SALT orc pound of saltpetrc, ono pound OF
white sugar. Boil aud skim well, strain through
acoth, and when cool turn upon the butter.
This brine has kept butter for us the year
round. We are now using butter for cooking
purposes made last September, put down in
hrkiu, with tablespoonful OF powdered and
slfted saltpetrc, and of sugar, to every
four pounds, and it is better than much OF the
butter which will be marketed this year. 1t
has no odor or taste which would Indicate its
age. 1t has been kepti in 40 ice house since
June entirely covered with brine. -Hcarh Il
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