Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1870-09-07
Butter Making.


Z
PRACTICAL HINTS on MAKING AND pREsERy-
ING BUTTER.
The process Of making butter commences
at the milking. If the mixers hands and
the cows bag are unclcan, your butter is
spoiled before the milk is strained Clean
illness is most surely esscntial to SUCCESS in
butter making, from its commencement until
il is served on the table. One.half of the
butter which is brought to market is ruined
| for lack of this great virtue. Badly washed
milk pals, pans and cream jars are fatal to
good butter making When these utensils
are washed, it is not well to turn boiling wa
tor upon them at first, but scrub the tins
with n soft cloth in warm suds keeping one
especially for the purpose, never using cloth
that has washed any other dishes aud then
scald with rinsing water 1t is well TO place
large kettle Of water on the stove, and
when boiling dip in the pans, pals and jars.
The boiling, if applied at first, cooks the drops
Of milk or cream, but the warm suds dissolves
them.
If the seams in the pans and pals are not
attended to and well scrubbed, they will soon
become foul on that account the seamless
pans or yellow naples are much more desira-
bic. Chemists tell us that one drop Of water
loft in a milk pan will cause the fermentation
of the whole mass, a rather doubtful state
nent but we should prefer the milk without
the drop. In summer the pans should al.
ways be aired in the sun until about four
O'Clock, p. m. In winter they must be dried
near the stove
The milk should be allowed to stand ten
minutes after it is brought to the dairy, so the
froth may settle and each pan should be FL.
depth. Why Because the given quantity
of cream in that amount Of milk rises quick
or than if the depth were from three to four
inches, and it collects before it sours. This
has been learned by the experience of years.
1t is very desirable that the milk-room
should be placed in the coolest situation in
SUMNER The shelves should be made of mar
row Stats an inch or two apart, to admit the
air. They must be, if in the cellar, SO high
that no rats, mice or cats can approach them
and if copperas is thrown about the floor, and
in the corners Of the room, the two former
will not trouble you, as it is disagreeablc tc
them, besides, it purifes the air Of the room
acting as a disiniectant, and rat protector
A good draft through the milk-room is to be
desired
sKIMMING THE CREAM.
Thirty-six hours in summer and forty-eight
in winter is the proper time to allow the mill
10 stand before skimming. 1t is better t.
take off the cream, without fail, before tn,
milk loppers. Many good butter makers will
dispute this rule, but repeated experiments
have proved that more butter, and Of better
quality, is obtained from cream separated
from the milk just as the Tactic acid has de-
veoped itself, and before the milk has becom,
thick. Though the cream seems thicker after
fermentation has taken place, it does not pos
sess much richness. From given quantity
Of milk--one SKINNED just after it soured
the other when loppered--two pounds more
of butter were made from the former method
giving quite gain to the purse, though il
may entail little more trouble upon tn,
dairymaid. " Eternal Vigilance" applies t,
butter making. 1t also requires intelligence
some brains are essential. One must exer
else Judgment in the matter. If the day ha
been chilly, the milk can set twelve hour
longer if thunder shower approaches, skin
it at an earlier hour
TO KEEP THE CREAM.
? Stone jars are sweeter for cream in on
estimation, than tin ones. When the frs
skimming Of cream is deposited, add ON
tablespoonful Of salt and one heaping tea
spoonful of saltpetre At every fresh skim
ming, mix the whole contents of the jar thor
oughly, taking care that no particles shall
collect around the edges A clean clotl
should be used every morning to wipe the
inside perfectly dry down to the cream. Halt
j of the cream is spoiled before il is mad,
into butter by ncglecting this precaution--
The saltpctre prevents any tendency to mold
or bitterness We consulted the highest
chemical authority in the State as to its pro.
porties, and were assured that teaspooniu
in six quarts of cream could not be in the
least degree injurious. 1t makes no differ
ence in the taste of the buttermilk, which il
used for many culinary purposes and drank
by several members of the family. but it doe
improve the sweetness and purity of the but
ter. Small stone jars are preferable to larg,
ones. They can be kept in the ice house
when filled, and if one skimming filled
jar, we should think it better to use a small
one.
When the jar is cleaned, tablespoonful
of saeratus is added to the warm suds, anC
sweetens it perfectly A cheesy smell abou
milk utensils is utterly fatal to sweet butter
A rancid smell is abhorrent. -Moore's Rura
Neto Yorker.