[Sca-cooks] Butter

[euriol]

Since I am just delving into the cheese & butter making myself, I thought I
would try to dig for some information. I found a book on google books
titled "Milk, Cheese, and Butter: A Practical Handbook on their Properties
and the Processes of their Production". It was published in 1894, so the
whole text is public domain and available on books.google.com

On page 303 it says "But when the butter has been separated it may rapidly
become a prey to its enemies, hence the imporance of ridding it of all
other matter fermented or capable of fermentation.... But even if these
were entirely removed,t here would be nothing to hinder the actio nof air
ferments." And it goes on further. This would seem a good source on getting
information of butter storage.

On page 305 under item f it is labeled "Keeping quality". It says "Fine
butters, lightly salted, have been kept under the best natural conditions
for five or six weeks without passing out of the good stages; the majority
of butters would not keep so well for ten days, and many are spoiled within
half that time."

Page 322 has a discussion on the washings of the butter.

I hope this is helpful,

Euriol

On Mon, 23 Jun 2008 10:00:24 -0400, "Kerri Martinsen"
<kerrimart at mindspring.com> wrote:
> So I am making butter and researching butter storage.  I've come across a
> few "facts" that I'm not sure I believe.  Can anyone help?
> 
> 
> *Salted butter* for storage was patted without rinsing, to remove all the
> buttermilk, it was then heavily salted. This salt was washed out before
it
> was used for eating.
> 
> Intersting theory...but I though removing buttermilk was essential to
> longer
> storage - the milk remaining in the butter is part of the reason it goes
> rancid.
> 
> *Butter for cooking* was first melted and strained before putting into
> pots
> a process known as clarifying.
> 
> clarifing does remove all residual liquids, producing pure
> butterfat...does
> make sense...
> 
> *Butter for health purposes* was left in the sunlight for 12-14 days,
this
> bleaches it and removes the Vitamin A, whilst adding Vitamin D. This was
> given to children to help prevent rickets.
> 
> Ok, now that just seems odd.. Lets give children butter left out longer
> than
> it takes to go rancid.  hummm....sounds like spiced spoiled meat to me...
> 
> source: http://web.onetel.net.uk/~booksearch/walpurgis/bread.htm
> 
> And the search goes on...
> 
> Vitha
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