Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1894-11-16
PACKING BUTTER.
Claimed 1t VIII kcrp a Ncar'Preparcd
a. Below Dtscribri.

completely without faGlt IL must br
made from the best grass, Eoipcd by the
cleancst, sweetest corumeal 1t j. al
attribute of good grass that itcomnui-
Gates its sweetness to the butter. and
this is because the odor Of grass OF tho
best kind exists, rs the odor of other
fragrant herbs does, in the oil contaired
in it, And, rs has been SAID and insisted
upon here 80 often and porsistently, in
spite of opposition, ii l. the oils in tho
food that go 10 make the butter and
give it its lost flayors 50 that only the
very best Of food can produce the very
best butter.
The kind of package used in the dairy
is quito a. important a. anything he-
sides 1t must he alright and of such
material ms Will hold the moisture and
exclude air. Air and water together viii
spoil ANYTHING, because those are the
worst agents of decomposition. And for
this reason tho air must be kept from
the butter, and there must I've no water
in il that is not saturated with salt, and
this of the best and purcst kind and
finely ground, so that it will not permit
any decomposition TO go on in the pack
age OF all the materials used for the
packages the best white oak il the most
10 he preferred, And the pals thus
made, perfectly fitted together and hay
ing alright fitting covers and of oak
not less than half an inch in thickness
and vanished outside, should DO selected
for this use. 1t is quite possible to pack
the finest butter in such a package and
keep it q whole year without detCriOra-
ton. And if kept no more than six
months the butter may easily bc better
than when il was packed, because it
will have become ripened and acquired
that delicate aromatic odOr and flavor
which we'll ripcncd fruit will DO when
kept as it should be, but which has not
developed while on the tree.
The packages are selected with care
and are free from knots or decayed
spots, perfectly sound and uncontami-
mated by any impure matter They have
been kept in clean, well ventilated
apartments, free from dust or damp
that might cause mold. When used,
they are first soaked with pure water
for few hours and then filled with
brine until the salt has saturated the
whole wood. This soaking takes off the
woody flavor and kills any germs of de-
cay that might have been on the wood.
The butter, then all ready Is packed in
the pail still wet with the brine. ii tue
dairy is large enough to make whole
pail-50 pounds-at once, it is filled at
s.l.s l. Il l.
where there are 20 COWS and the churn-
ing is done twice week. in smaller
diaries the pail is partly packed, and
the butter is pressed down solidly to OK
clude any excess Of moisture and l. then
covered with fresh made brine. The
pail Is then covered with clean towel,
and the cover is loosely put on, and it
is set away III the dairy.
The next churning is then added to
it, first sprinkling OH the last packed
butter little finely ground pure salt.
The butter is pressed down is before,
and if the pail is not filled it is treated
as before, using only fresh brine to Gov
ca il. This is repeated until the pail il
filled solidly up TO within half IN inch
IF the top, and the butter is pressed
down with the clean maple wood prcsser
quite evenly. Anew cloth, closely wov-
en- CHE best quality Of new shirtin:
goods j. the bcst), Is then laid on the
top and is cut all around on the outside
Of the pail, hu, first il should have lpcn
washed in boiling water but uo soap,
and then stepped in brine, and finally it
is covered with the same kind e salt
no cheap, coarse kind, bat the bcsS
quality finely ground-and the edge is
turned over on the salt The top Is
smoothcd even with the edge Of tn" pail.
in this way there is no shrinkagc OF Ito
butter, and this is very important, for
if any vacancy occurs ia the pail twill
fill with air in spite Of all we may do,
and this air must not enter.
This il the reason why the butter is
pressed down Solidly and all the 'lois-
mre taken ont Of it aud drained off.
The salt is then covered with parchment
paper 10 the outer edge OF the pail. Then
the cover, having boon well scrubbed
with pure water and then with brine, is
put on and pressed down firmly, 80 az
10 squeeze the salt hard together. 1t is
then secured with clasps and theoutside
wiped clean with damp cloth. 1t is
then taken at once 10 the storohouse or
cellar. where itrcmains until it is to he
shipped
it j. obvious that after all this caro-
the place where the butter is stored
should be dry and clean and quite free
from mold and as cool as may be posi-
bic a basement collar under the milk
house is the best place for keeping the
bnttCr. Then ~ the wine or the cider
maker leeps his product for the purpose
of ripeniHg it and securing the fine
flavor due to age and internal change,
without the slightest exposure to the
air, which would certainly spoil it, 50
the butter maker keeps his butter, and
in the course Of the weeks on months it
remains in store il is undergoing that
ripening by which the flavor Is develop.
cd, and when it is sent TO the purchaser
aad is opened then we may experience
what tho real flavor of butter is or
shOnld bc. And rs . reward for all this
care and Trouble II a. uulV duo TO the