The Wellington enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 1867-188?, 1881-06-23
Preserving Butter.

One of your readers asks whether
sugar and saltpetre added to salt pre-
serves butter any more perfectly than
when salt is used alone, and. if so, in
what proportion they should be worked
into the butter, or placed between the
layers. For myself among the many
who will reply TO the question. will
say no, most decidedly as to the first
part of the question. There is already
sugar sufficient in butter when made
from natural butter-making cows, which
have had good pasture in summer, and
early cut and well cured timothy and
clover hay and bright cornstalks, with
corn meal and wheat bran in winter,
with clean, warm, well ventilated
stables. The milk and cream and but
ter must be properly cared for after the
COW has done her part. There can be
no good resulting from the use of salt
petre in any way; only an injury, being
foreign entirely to anything in the food
of the COW. 1t is nitrate of potash
"sweat of rocks" The idea of buying
saltpetre, annatto, or any other prepa-
ration to preserve butter or to change
its color from a natural to an unnatural
shade, must have originated in the
minds of those who are unskilled in the
true principles of making choice butter
You must in all respects have your but
ter perfect when ready to pack. and
salted with one ounce of salt to the
pound of fresh butter. Select the best
| perfectly glazed stone crooks. On the
bottom place a small quantity of salt
Over the salt place a thin, we'll
bleached, muslin cloth that has been
| saturated with brine. Upon this cloth
place the butter. carefully pressed SO as
| to have no hollow places. FIJI within
half an inch of top. Over the butter
place cloth, tightly fitting around the
| edge of the butter. On this. when
| cold, pour pint or more of as strong
brine as can be made by the use of hot
water and dairy salt. Cover with
heavy paper or a board. Have ready
| a common box, large enough to receive
the crock, with space on all sides of
about two inches. At the bottom put
an inch or two of salt. Put the crock
in and fill all around with salt, sufficient
to cover the crock about two inches.
Over all place board. The box may
be only large enough for one crock, or
| for a dozen or more. The object of
burying in salt is to keep the butter
from all impure atmosphere, sudden
changes of the weather and in an even,
cool temperature. When thus treated,
provided the butter is perfect when
| placed in the crock, it will remain so
for many months, as there is nothing to
disturb it. Butter treated in this way
retains all its original purity. and goes
through a natural ripening, increasing
that agreeable aroma so much desired
rich. nutty taste.
/ / adopted this way of creating my
butter some five years ago. My butter
of june of one year thus handled re-
mains perfectly good until the next
June, or later. During the two years
past 1 have received many letters max
ing inquiries rs to my mode of saving
butter-heavy dealers of Chicago among
the number. 1 am asked by some if the
strong brine does not make the butter
too salt. My answer is that it does not.
If packed in wood the brine needs re-
plenishing, as much of it passes of
through the pores of the wood. When
this occurs, so that the butter is not
surrounded on all sides with the brine,
the butter becomes dry and soon rancid.
Dry butter, with the dampness all
drawn out in wooden packages, soon
becomes strong in the hands of ship
pers and dealers. For convenience in
handling and keeping the brine from
wasting, firkins are better than tubs.
do not say that bad butter can be made
good by this method, as butter once IN
iured in any way cannot be restored.
The life of pure butter is prolonged by
keeping it cool and safe from all atnios-
pheric influences, even from electricity.
Cor. Country Gentleman.