My friend, Richard Palmer, contributor of the stories in my Maritime Memories Section, sent along an article on buttermaking in the 19th century. This is a topic dear to me heart in that I remember my mother making butter for our family back in the 1940’s. Richard appears to have written this article, and I’m happy to give his piece some additional exposure:
Tracks of Local History:
Butter Making was Serious Business in 19th Century
By Richard Palmer
Specific instructions on the proper way to make butter long before today's mass production processes was found in a farmer publication called the "Country Gentleman" in 1869.
For making good butter, the first thing was to have a "good sweet" pasture, free from weeds or any growth that might give a bad taste to the milk. Good, upland grass was considered better than coarse grass growing in wet areas.
The instruction said: "Some dairymen think that limed is better than unlimed land, but this is a matter of minor importance. Others regard the practice of sowing plaster in the spring, and repeating it early in the autumn, as tending to sweeten grass."
Good, well-selected cows were the next requisite.
"Perfect cleanliness, from beginning to end, is indispensable - the most so, perhaps, of any one thing. No dust or dirt must drop into the milk, for which reason the animals should have a clean place to lie on, and never be allowed to stand in mud or ‘manure’ vessels all thoroughly washed - scalded whenever necessary to preserve perfect sweetness - including pails, pans, pots, churns, workers and tubs or firkins." The instructions recommended washing the utensils in cold water; for if hot water was used first, it would curdle the milk in the cracks or corners, and prevent it from being washed out. Perfect atmosphere was important. Bad odors will taint butter. The dairy barn therefore should be far away from manure piles and everything else of the sort. "Keep tobacco smoke off the premises. Let the butter be well worked, so as to press out all the buttermilk. It is impossible to have a good article if this is not done. Perhaps this is the most common cause of failure. If milk is left in, it soon ferments and makes rancid and worthless butter."
In getting things ready for winter, it was recommended to use new firkins (cheese containers). The should never be used a second time. "Pots or jars must not be used if they've had butter in them, or pickles or
anything else that will taint them - the taint can never be wholly removed."
The instructions concluded:
"The best dairy salt is important. Butter in hot weather must be covered and excluded from the air with saturated brine."