The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1910-07-06
Making Good Butter.


In order to produce a good quality
of butter, two very essential things
are, good care and good food for the
cows. The COWS must be provided
with clean bedding and the stables
need to be kept clean, we'll. Lighted
and ventilated.
Before the milking begins on my
place the sides and udders of the COWS
ing dirt and dust from falling into the
milk. The milking is done with clean,
dry hands; to milk with wet fingers
would be en- extremely filthy habit.
Just as soon as the milk is drawn
from the COW it is strained through
a wire gauze and three t~hicknesses
Of cheese cloth. All the milk utensils
are thoroughly cleaned after being
used, by first washing them in luke
warm water, next in hot water, and
then they are scalded in boiling
water. Every dish or cloth that is
used in connection with the milk is
put in a clean place, where there is a
circulation Of pure air, after Icing
used.
The cream is separated from the
milk with a hand separator and held
until there is a sufficient quantity to
churn. The churning is done three
times each week with a barrel churn.
In preparing the churn and the but
t~er-Norker for use, they are thor
euehly scalded with boiling water be-
fore the cream is put into the churn
or the butter on the butter-worker.
T. thorough scalding and cooling of
the butter-worker prevents the butter
from sticking to it.
The cream is strained into the
churn through a hair sieve and the
churn is never filled more than half
full of cream. The churn is not
turned very rapidly, and is stopped
several times at the beginning TO re-
move the cork, SO as to allow the es-
cape of gases. When the cream be-
gins 10 break, care is exercised not
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large lump. The churning ceases
when the butter particles are about
the size of wheat kernels. Then the
churn is fastened and the buttermilk
drawn off.
When the butter is we'll drained
from the buttermilk, it is rinsed with
a little water, and after this has
drained away the cork is put in the
churn and cold water added. The
cover is then put On the churn and
the churn revolved slowly six or eight
times; the water is now drawn off and
the butter left to drain for about
fifteen minutes.
When the butter is we'll drained it
is ready to salt, and this is done in
the churn when the butter is in gran
ular form. About one and one-half
ounces of salt are used for every
pound of butter. This insures the
right mount of salt when the butter
is finished.
1t is a very easy matter to work
butter too much and have it greasy.
We never work the butter with the
hands, because the warmth Of the
hands will make it greasy and give
it a salvy appearance. We use the
lever worker and press the lever on
the surface. and occasionally fold the
butter we with a ladle. The lever
of the butter-worker or butter paddle
is never allowed to slide over the
| surface of the butter, but is pressed
! straight down when working the but.
ter.
The butter is pressed into square
one-pound prints and carefully
wrapped with parchment paper which
has been soaked in salt water a few
minutes before being used. The but
ter is sold III u local market, except
what is used at home, and practically
! all the milk is fed to the chickens,
hogs and calves.
BY following the above method in
making butter We never fail to pro-
duce d product OF first quality. which
sells for from two 10 five cents per
S>'F~
i pound more than most that offered
by others. I think that more of
country butter would be far better
tOan it is if care was exercised in
making it. One of the mistakes made
by many is in not churEing the crear
when it has reached the proper stage
of ~ripeness and at the right te-pera-
ture.
A proper handling of the milk is
very important. Too often it is drawn
from the COW in stables in which the
air is filled with dust and put in I'M
| clean vessels. Cleanliness in all
things and at all times is a feature
most essential if good butter is de-
sired.-W. II. Underwood, in the In
diana Farmer.