Butter Making.
The quality of the butter will depend largely upon the care of the milk and cream. It will help the butter-maker to use a thermometer. One suitable for dairy work can be purchased for twenty-five cents at any store where they keep such goods, or where they keep dairy supplies. The cream should be slightly sour, and when put into the churn the temperature should be from 58° to 60°. In cold weather place the cream jar in a pan of hot water, and stir frequently until the cream is raised to the desired temperature; in hot weather use ice water, if necessary.
In churning it is important that the stroke shall be slow and steady. Rapid churning causes the cream to froth, and spoils the texture of the butter. It should take at least from thirty to forty minutes’ churning to bring the butter.
As soon as the butter begins to form into small masses, draw off the buttermilk and pour cold water into the churn. After a few strokes of the dasher, draw off the water and pour in fresh cold water, adding a teaspoonful of salt to every quart of water. Work the butter for a few minutes, then draw off the water. Put the butter in a wooden bowl and salt it, allowing one ounce of salt to each pound of butter. Many butter-makers allow four extra ounces of salt to every ten pounds of butter. If the butter is to be packed for future use, this is necessary.
Let the salted butter stand in the bowl over night. In the morning work all the buttermilk and water out of the butter, and then shape into any form you please. Wet pieces of thin cotton in salt and water, and wrap the rolls in them.
The less milk there is in the cream, the sooner the butter will come. The amount of butter to a quart of cream will depend upon the quality of the cream. A quart of thick cream will give a pound of butter, whereas it may take more than two quarts of thin cream to produce the same amount.
If only one cow be kept for family use, a small stone churn will be found valuable for churning the small quantities of cream which one will have. Of course, a patent churn is better for large quantities, as the work can be done more easily with it.
Too much working makes the butter tough and waxy. Work it only enough to free it from water and buttermilk. Never have the hands touch the butter; use wooden paddles for the work.
If the cream be very cold it will froth, and the butter will be a long time in coming. When it does come, it will be light and spongy, instead of being smooth and firm. Most winter butter lacks color. If you wish to impart a yellow tinge to it, grate the dark orange part of the carrot, and simmer it in sweet milk for twenty minutes. Strain the milk, and, when cool, add to the cream in the churn. Use half a pint of grated carrot and a pint of milk for every eight quarts of cream.