The American Pictorial Home Book
or Housekeeper's Encyclopedia - online book

A reference manual of household management in Victorian times.

Home Main Menu Order Support About Search



Share page  


Previous Contents Next

458
THE DAIRY.
THE DAIRY.
Beekman, in his "History of Inventions," states that butter was not used by either the Greeks or Romans, nor was it brought upon their tables at certain meals, as is the present custom. In England butter has been made from time immemorial, but the art of making cheese was learned from their conquerors, it being unknown to the ancient Britons.
Butter, The Tartar Method to Preserve and Cure.—P. P, —Melt the butter in well glazed earthen pans at a heat not exceed­ing 180 degrees, in a water bath, and keep it heated, skimming it from time to time, until the butter becomes quite transparent; then pour off the clear into another vessel and cool it as quickly as possi­ble, by surrounding it with water or ice.
Remarks.—The above is the method of preserving butter by the Tartars, who supply the Constantinople market; and if kept in a close vessel and in a cool, dry place, will keep perfectly sweet for 6 months.
Mr. Eaton remarks that butter, melted by the Tartarian method and then salted by ours, will keep good and fine tasted for 2 years; that is by using 1 oz. of salt petre and white sugar, and 2 oz. of the best rock salt (in a very fine powder), well mixed together. When put up, it should be packed so closely together that no vacuum will • be left,—and Mr. Anderson declares that butter so packed, will keep in a cool place for years, and if packed so as not to melt, will stand a voyage to the East Indies.
N. B.—The Tartarian method, as above discribed, will keep but­ter longer than any other yet discovered.
Butter, Russian Manner.—The sweet milk is gently simmered for 1-4 hour, then churned in the usual manner.
Swedish Mode of Making Butter.—Consists simply in setting milk in deep cans, about 7 1-2 inches in diameter by 20 inches long, and placing them in a tub of water filled with broken ice, so as to maintain a temperature as near to 40 degrees as possible, and in taking off the first 12 hours cream for their export butter. This is churned immediately at a temperature of from 50 to 60 degrees, freed from buttermilk and packed in sealed tin cans holding 4 and 8 pounds. Thus made and prepared, it will remain sweet indefinitely. The milk after the first skimming is made into cheese or remains until the cream has risen, and made into butter, known as the "seconds," used for home and domestic use. The Swedes claim that by taking off the cream containing the large globules, which first rise, a more solid and firmer butter can be made; at the same