The Daily state journal. [volume] (Alexandria, Va.) 1868-1874, 1872-09-19
Butter Making.

The following extracts are from an article
in the St. Johnsbury, VT, Times, written
by David Goodall. After speaking OF the
importance of good cows, good feed, and
careful, workmanlike milking, he says nasil
The nextrequisite is a cool. sweet, clean
cellar for summer, and clean, sweet
milk room for the rest of the season.
Here the milk should be kept at about SIX. I
iy degrees, and when colder than tiftc, the !
milk should be scalded, as it will keep the |
butter yellow and save labor in churning. |
Both cellar and mik-room must be light
and well ventilated, and all the utensils
kent sweet and clean. Strain and set the 4
milk immediately after drawn from the
cows. At sixty, it will usually be ready
to skim in twenty-four hours. Milk not
scalded set in cool, dark place, may be
a week in rising the cream, but had better
be given to the pigs without skimming, as
butter made from it is hardly fit for hui
man beings. No invariable rule can be
given as to the time Of Swimming, yet IT IS
very important that the cream be taken
of in ali cases before the milk becomes
,h,ck, because the microscope shows us
that at the very time tho milk begins TO
coapula,e, decomposition and decay COM
mences in the cream, and that an apparent
" great and thick growth of mould and
fungus rapidly springs up and covers me
cream and spoils it. The butter mace
from it may be barely eatable when new,
but it soon acquires dirty, smoky, onter
taste and is unfit for table use. Alter me
cream is put into the pot or can, 1T should
be thoroughly stirred every twelve hours
and be sprinkled over the top with me
salt. Bring the cream to about sixty ue-
grees whcn ready to churn. Wheh tne
butter has come and is gathered, draw OH
the buttermilll, then put into the churn ICE
water or cold water, wash and work the
butter thoroughly, changing the wafer
until entirely free from the buttermiik ;
then draw off the water and work it out oil
the butter, and take it out of the churn
If too much water remains in the butter,
so that it is crumbly and spongy, work IT
over by hand and spat 1t out. The latter
beino weighed. add three-fourths to one
ounce. as YOU please, to each pound OF
butter. of good fine salt. Some add to
the salt the same quantity of granulated
white sugar and thoroughly mix with but
ter. In spatting and sailing the butter
treat care and judgement must be used
as there is danger of heating the buttel
and iniuriug the grain and rendering !
greasy on the other hand, if not sufficient
" worked, the butter will be crumbly.
The sugar is no aid in preserving the put
ter. but it is used to improve the fiavor
some preferring and some disapproving
While the butter is warm, and as soon
salted. put it into the tub and pound It dow
solid. and lift does not fill the tub, cover wit
cloth and put on it a pint of brine. Flil tn
tub within one inch ofthe TOP, cut cloth on
inch larger than the butter and spread IT
ton of It /: then cut another cloth one inc
larper than the last and fit it on the to
snreadjng evenly and turning up each ede
Of, the inside of the slaves, but it must M
hang over as il would draw the brine on
Cut bar Of sweet wood, two inches b
half an inch, and fit it on the butter; BOZ
throuoh the staye into each end OF the bs
and nut in a wooden pin tight to keep Il
bar in place, fill the tub with fine salt, ar
FIJI again with brine and keep it full. Son
nut IN one-tourth inch of fine salt at the DO
tom of the tub and cover with cloth.
think the cloth without the salt sufiiclen
Butter made ard packed in this way W
keep sweet aud perfect wherever salt POI
can be kept, and as long. When the bu
ter is sold a small saving could be made
removing the salt and part OF the brln'
but would advise, instead to put the m
ker's name and residence on each tup al
let it 90. salt and all, and make the buy
promise to keepit all on, and the tub full
brine; because, if exposed to warm ar, u
butter will depreciate rapidly, yeti won
not change if kept frozen. Such butter
this would be cheap at forty cents
pound while our good diaries would be col
paratively dear at thirty-iive cents j. a
such butter is always wanted and Sc
quickly, while ordinary butter cannot
.old. The difference in market oetwe
really Good and common butter is two ht
bred dollars per ton, and the difference
the cost ofmaking and keeping won q
exceed five dollars per ton, Ice Is not P
haps an Indispensable requisite IN max
butter, but it is a great convenience
aid, and but little expense required to
M an ice-house. lfponds and rivers
distant, take an old barrel or box, wi
the weather is cold, and dash on water
snow. and it is soon water tight; then
with water and freeze up. Or a box
boards and stakes, like mortar-bed, II
be cheaply made in the iee-heuse or GU
il. and water and new ice thrown In, WI
could be carried up to any thickness desh
poH,ica, Eyents-Diary for the KeInainde
the Year 1872 aagf 81 IS