[Sca-cooks] Re: Making butter

[Mark.S Harris]

Lady Brighid ni Chiarain presented a wonderful quote on butter:
> Here is an excerpt from Markham's _The English Housewife_ on
> the subject of making butter.  As the first edition was published in
> 1615, it is post-period, but I don't think butter-making techniques
> changed all that much.
>
> "after your butter is churned, or churned and gathered well together
> in your churn, you shall then open your churn, and with both your
> hands gather it well together, and take it from the buttermilk, and
> put it into a very clean bowl of wood, or pancheon of earth
> sweetened for the purpose, and if you intend to spend the butter
> sweet and fresh, you shall have your bowl or pancheon filled with
> very clean water, and therein with your hand you shall work the
> butter, turning and tossing it to and fro till you have by that labour
> beaten and washed out all the buttermilk, and brought the butter to
> a firm substance of itself, without any other moisture"

Any idea what a "pancheon of earth sweetened for the purpose" is?

My guess might be a low-sided clay pot, but I don't understand the
"sweetened for the purpose". It already said "a very clean bowl". They
may not have had knowledge of microscopic organisms, but here is
another example of understanding the effects of cleanliness.

Somehow, I don't think my first idea of a hole in the ground sprinkled
with sugar, is the correct interpretation. :-)

Stefan li Rous
stefan at texas.net