A FEW HINTS HOW TO MAKE GOOD BUTTER.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 2, Issue 130, 9 April 1879, Page 2

A FEW HINTS HOW TO MAKE GOOD BUTTER.

[BY J. H. momud.]

It may nevertheless safely be said, as a rule, that if all the above conditions are rigidly observed, butter must be had, say in at least forty minutes. A common fault is to chum too long, whereby the butter becomes " greasy." As soon as the butter globules arc visible, pour some cold water, or better, cold skimmed milk in to the churn, and a few slow turns will gather them into lumps of the sizo of a large pea, The butter is then taken up with a strainer. It must never bo left _ any time in the buttermilk, but taken out at once, neither must the buttermilk be left in the churn for any time, i The "washing" of the butter is commonly used in France, Holland, and other places, but there is no doubt that the peculiar fine flavor is thereby lost. Practical trials seem to imply that when the buttermilk is worked out.well, without " washing," the butter will keep quite as well, if not better; however, the opinions are divided, and when it is hot, and no ice can be got, I will recommend to givq it a few 'seconds washing out in cold water, done by "pressing" it (not "rubbing") with a little wooden spade. Then take it out, work most of the buttermilk out and salt it well with three or four per cent, fine salt. This is done by dividing the whole in lumps of about two or three pounds, press these flat, strew a layer of salt on them, and put them on top of each other, work it well-through so that the salt gets well mixed up; put the butter oil a wooden or china plate in ' a bucket with a lid on, and put this in cold water (if it is hot weather). As soon as the butter is pretty stiff, work it well that the last buttermilk may come out, but not too much, which will make the butter " greasy." Before" working" the butter the hands must be washed, first in hot and then in cold water, or better still, in cold brine. This is not done to clean the Lands—everything connected with butter is supposed to be as clean as it can be—but to prevent the butte l ' from sticking to them. Small butter kneading machines may now be had at a reasonable price, and are to be strongly recommended to those who make more than "a few pounds of butter." I If now the butter is meant to keep for winter use, about two or three per cent, (sometimes in France even six per cent.), more salt is added, and the butter is packed down at once. If a cask cannot be filled in, say two or three churnings, a very good plan is to have several smaller stone jars; these are filled well, and covered with a good layer of' salt (some prefer brine) on top, When a sufficient quantity is gathered, take it out and work it well together, so that the contents of all the jars form a uniform matter, before putting it in the cask.

llie cask must be well washed with boiling water, and rinsed with cold water, and the sides well strewed with salt, while a thick layer of a quarter to half an inch of salt is covering the bottom. A clean linen rag of the size of the bottom is put on top of the salt, and the butter is pressed well down so that no room is left for the air. Cover the top with a like piece of linen, and strew plenty of salt on top. Close the cask well, and keep it in as cool a place as can be had without dampness, and reverse the cask now and then (once a week). If the butter is to be sold fresh, salt it only according to the wish of the customers, and always spend a penny or two on a nice clean bit of linen to pack it in. The same precautions must be taken to keep the butter out of" bad company," as .mentioned for tho cream, and to keep it as cool as possible. Cover the box or jar well up with grass or hay during the transport, and ask the customers to take a few of these precautions for the keepinc of the butter.

1. Always use boiling water for the washing.

2. After washing, dip the whole dish into a boiler with boiling water, and then into a tub with cold water,

JVYash out the churn well, at once.i afterburning, , JM® everything with cold water just before.using it. -5. Wash everything once a week with a solution of soda.

• A round brusli in to be preferred for the washing, as the corners can be got at with it. :'>o I Be especially careful with the cleaning of the strainers. 1 , '

Most of the storekeepers have to blame themselves for not paying, due attention Ito tho preservation of the butter. Certainly it does not look well ;to see the half melted butter in the shops together with all sorts of goods— coffeo, tobacco, &c., &c. ' Why not have a special little coftroom, even if ico caunot be obtained ' If one or two tradesmen wouOTke this •- hint, I am sure they would find it to their own advantage. , ' I have confined myself to as small a " space as possible, and will finish my hints on this system by mentioning the enor-, mous difficulty it gives to the dairyman in ! a hot climate. Even in the cold countries/f like Denmark and Sweden, this system , has generally been abandoned for the cold water or ico system, whereof later, but certainly it is not impossible to obtain a far better result than the present one. ' V ' The chief thing is a cool room, care, and cleanliness, but, on the other hand, I consider it impossible to make a real firstclass butter that could compete with the produce of the Scandinavian Preserved Butter Company, which travels round the globe, and returns in an unexceptionable state,

[To Ic Continued.]