BUTTER MAKING.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1807, 25 October 1888, Page 3

BUTTER MAKING.

Now that the butter-making season is at hand Mr Alexander Aitken wishes to give farmers a few hints on making their dairy products marketable, and sending such in a state that will command payable prices. Too much care cannot be used in making and salting butter, and where it is intended to keep it over until next winter, nothing but new kegs should be used, and these should be well made and thoroughly air tight. Old and damaged kegs are often used for cheapness, but always prove to be very dear when the contents are spoiled. Butter must be thoroughly worked before salted, or it will not keep. This is the great fault with most of the butter made in the province. As an instance, 441 bof fresh butter sent in last week and considered first-class quality, on being salted in the ordinary manner, no less than 51b of milk and water were worked out of this small amount. Such as this cannot be expected to keep. Spring water should be used when obtainable for washing purposes. Bad water often affects butter. Salt to a mild flavour and line the keg with butter muslin. In case should calico be used. Kegs should be filled to within one inch of the top; Draw the muslin tip and fold over the top. By doing this the butter is freed from the side of the keg, allowing room for the pickle to get all round the butter. Before putting on the pickle, if possible, the butter should be weighed and marked 1 gross tare and net weights. After this is done the pickle should be put on and the kegs made thoroughly tight and kept well corked. Bad butter should not be put in kegs at all, but sold during the summer months for the best obtainable prices. Farmers should not use too much salt, and in no case should coarse salt be put in butter. It will not dissolve. Last season a large quantity of keg butter received was so heavily salted that, although thoroughly sound, it

would not sell even for pastry purposes. Well-made butter does not require much salt if pickle is used. Pickle is always preferable to dry salt on the top of kegs, for when butter is sent to a warm climate where it becomes similar to oil the salt cannot be taken off, hut the pickle can. Dairy utensils cannot be kept too clean, and butter and cheese should not be made or kept in the same place. A little more care is also necessary in the making of cheese. This should also be made of the best quality only, when prices csuld be expected to keep higher for the local trade. 201 b cheeses and under are most saleable. Cheese should not be sent to market until thoroughly set. A large quantity of cheese has been spoiled during the last season by using bad rennet. Too much care cannot be given to this part of the manufacture. —Auckland Herald.