THE RURAL WORLD.

King Country Chronicle, Volume VII, Issue 595, 20 August 1913, Page 7

THE RURAL WORLD.

DEVONSHIRE CREAM

The usual directions for making Devonshire cream are to first let the fresh milk stand in milk dishes until the cream rises, usually from twelve to twenty-four hours. No attempt is made to keep the milk at a very celd temperature during the time it stands. In Devonshire they set milk for this purpose in milk dishes holding about nine quarts in a room wh.ere the temperature does not vary much from 60 degrees Fahr. After the cream has risen the milk dishes with their milk are set in a water oven or a shallow tank of water provided with a cover in which holes are cut large enough to allow the dish to pass half - way through, the bottom of the°dish resting in the water. Steam is then turned on the water, which is heated to such a temperature that milk cooks but does not boil; it is held at this temperature for three hours. The temperature and time of cooking are the important points in making a satisfactory product. The operator usually judges by the appearance of the cream on the surface of the dish when it is cooked enough. The cream begins to show a wrinkled appearance around the edge, and small drops of melted butter fat begin to be scattered through the crem when the time or ; stopping' the cooking is reached. At this point the dishes of milk are either taken off and set in cold water, or the hot water is drained off quickly and replaced by cold, a constant supply of cold water flowing around the bottom, as a quick cooling of the cream after the heating is very essential. After the milk has been cooled to the temperature of the water it is allowed to stand over night. The next morning thia cream has a thick custard pudding consistency; it can be cut with a knife like whipped cream and is usually put into small jars and retailed at a high rate. Ido not know that exact temperatures and times for heating and cooling the milk in order to make Devonshire cream successfully have ever been published. In fact, I doubt if it is possible to reduce the operation *o an exact formula. One must learn by his own efforts when to stop the heating and hew long to allow the milk to stand for the cream to riae on it.