Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1876-03-31

become rancid in a short time. This
one thing, III my opinion, is the real
cause of so much poor butter in all
our markets, whereas, if it were prop
erly churned and handled, it would
be of excellent quality. 'The keep
ing qualities of butter depend entire
ly upon the extraction of the butter
milk and in preserving the grain.'-
The correct principle of churning is
by 'concussion,' which is obtained in
the old dash churn, AS rule it is
necessary to color butter in winter in
order to have it saleable or attractive
on the table. 1t may be done with
the juice Of the deep yellow carrot,
which should be grated, the Juice
pressed through thin cloth, and then
add to the cream, just before churn-
ing.
"Washing butter must be recon.
mended rs the easiest and surest wav
to remove buttermilk. 70 wash it
clean without injuring it, you should
stop chnrning as soon as the butter
has come and the buttermilk will sep.
arate readily. 1t is then in a loose,
open mass, the particles beng not
much larger than wheat, and at this
stage draw off the buttermilk into a
clean pail, SO that if any particles of
butter escape, they may be skinned
off and put back again. Then pre-
pare a pail of water, at the right tenn
perature you wish to keep the butter,
which is about 60 degrees in winter,
and colder in summer, and dash it
over the butter with a dipper, without
moving either butter or churn, letting
the water move all through the but
ter and out Of the churn; then stop
up the churn, put in fresh water
enough to cover the butter, tempered
as before, then give the churn half a
dozen motions, dashlng the whole
mass together, and draw off the wa
ter This washing is generally sutfi-
cient, but if it does not appear to be
free from buttermilk, repeat it. 1t is
now ready to be taken out for sailing;
one ounce of salt per pound should
be used if it Is intended to be packed,
and one-half ounce per pound if it is
to be used Immediately in a city
market.
"After a little practice, you will
know by the amount OF cream about
how much butter there will be when
churned, consequently you can sift
the right amount of salt for the
churning. Then prepare the butter
tray, by wetting it first in hot water,
then with cold. Take the butter
from the churn with ladies', place a
thin layer of butter in the bottom of
the tray, sprinkle salt evenly over it,
then a layer of butter and sprink-
ling of salt, continuing thus until it
is all in the tray, with little salt on
top, and now press the whole togeth-
er with the ladle. Wiring out linen
towel in salt water and spread overit,
to keep the air from it. Let it stand
two or three hours, as may be, for
the salt to act upon it, then lay it on
the butter-worker, press 1t a little,
turn it and press it again. Let it
stand few hours again, when it may
be worked and Jumped or packed,
the whole being done the same day,
in cold weather. The chemical ac-
ton of salt on butter is to Iiberate
the buttermilk, which contains the
caseine, and to harden the grain;-
hence our object in letting it stand
awhile before completing the process
of working. Handling the butter in
this way, the grain will not be bruis-
ed in the least. Do not fail to notice
the care taken not to injure the grain
of the butter before it is salted.-
After it is sailed the grain is some
what hardened, and will therefore
bear judicious working without in
jury.
eff butter comes soft and white,
and the buttcrmilk will not separate
from 1t, what shall be done with it?
is question which is often asked
Take it out of the churn the best way
you can; salt it, using nearly twice
as much salt as you would had it
come in good conditions; then set it
away in cool place till next morn
ing, when it shall be turned over a
few times, handled lightly, and set
away as before. Continue to do so
until the third or fourth morning,
when it can be worked, and you will
have very good butter, with fair col
or, ready for packing or Jumping
The salt must have time to separate
the buttermilk from the butter; it
cannot be hurried out by working
There are various butter-workers in
the market, but a good one that can
be recommended is a box shaped like
cutting-machine, with futed lever.
This lever will not slip on the butter.
Never allow the handle to come in
contact with the butter during the
whole process, but use wooden ladies'
at all times. The preparation of the
tub in which the butter is to be pack
ed, is of more consequence than the
kind of wood of which it is made. 1t
should be thoroughly soaked with a
strong brine. Topack butter intend
ed for keeping, sprinkle little salt
on the bottom of the tub, pack the
butter firmly, in about threc-inch lay
ers, with a little salt upon each layer,
until nearly full; cover the top of the
butter with a thin cloth, on which
sprinkle about teaspoonful of
powdered saltpeter, and q handful
Of graduated sugar; then cover this
one-half inch thick with salt, and
make strong brine, to which add one
half teaspoonful of saltpeter, and
pour over the whole, and keep it well
covered. Put down in this way,
butter will be sure to keep a long
time. Lump butter for immediate
use should be put up in neat, taste
full manner, to please the customer,
but never put through molds expect
ing an extra price. Some who make
what is called "gilt-edged' put up in
two ounce Jumps, others in one-quar-
ter pound Jumps, and still others who
make one pound Jumps, four inches
by two and one-half inches square,
all weighed, and done by hand with
wooden ladies' or spats. This kind
of butter should be sailed just enough
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