Country Kitchen:
Buttermaking Today & Yesterday
By Mary Emma Allen
Butter churning was an eagerly anticipated event in my childhood when I
visited my grandmother and aunt at their farm. There I learned the
patience needed to turn milk into tasty butter.
(I hadn't realized how this event dated me until I talked of butter
churning to a group of fifth graders and discovered they had never seen a
churn nor were aware of how one worked.)
Buttermaking With Auntie
My aunt would set pans of top milk out the night before. After breakfast,
she poured the milk into the tall, wooden dasher churn. This had a hole
in the lid for the four-bladed dasher.
Then up and down, up and down the dasher was driven by hand. I'd start
out full of energy, thinking the butter would come soon. But after awhile
my arms got tired and my aunt took over.
Butter started to form eventually, small specks accumulating on the
dasher and slides of the churn. Then the load became heavier and heavier
as more butter formed.
Working the Butter
Auntie scooped it out into a wooden bowl. Here she washed and washed the
butter with cold water, working it with a wooden ladle to get all the
whey out. Any whey left in the butter could cause it to have a rancid or
strong taste eventually.
Once the whey was rinsed out, she lightly salted the butter.
History of Buttermaking
Buttermaking goes back for hundreds of years. The exact origin of this
culinary art is not known but this product made from milk is mentioned in
the Bible.
In Hindu marriage ceremonies, dating back to the 8th and 9th centuries
B.C., butter also was important. Butter, honey, and milk were served at
the bridal feast. Also the bride's carriage might have the axle greased
with butter.
Various Churns
The exact beginnings of th ebutterchurnalsoareunknown.Butinthis
country, at least, the dasher churns like my grandmother and aunt used
were the oldest. The crank churns came after the dash ones.
Some of these crank churns usually were glass containers with a screw-on
lid. Wooden paddles were hooked to the handle by a series of cog wheels.
Other Butter Implements
Each homemaker usually had a "butter stamp." With this she stamped
designs on the mounds of butter. It is believed "butter stamping"
originally came about when farm wives took their butter to market. Each
woman stamped her own design on her butter to identify it.
If you have an old-fashioned butter mold, you might like to try using it
to form squares of butter when serving a dinner. I have one which I've
used for decoration on my kitchen wall. On the bottom are impressions
which would form on the top of the square of butter.
Flavorings for Butter
Here are some flavorings you can add to any butter to give it a unique
taste for sandwiches, toast, or hors d'oeuvre.
*Poppy Seed Butter - To each 1/2 cup butter, add 1/4 cup poppy seeds.
Caraway seeds may be used instead.
*Chive Butter - To 1/2 cup butter, add 1/4 cup chives and 4 drops
Worcestershire sauce, if desired.
*Cheese Butter - To 1/2 cup butter, add 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese or
1/2 cup sharp cheese spread.
*Mustard Butter - Stir together 1/2 cup butter and 1/4 cup prepared
mustard.
*Olive Butter - Mix together 1/2 cup butter, 1/4 teaspoon lemon juice, 2
tablespoons chopped olives.
*Nut Butter - To 1/4 cup butter, add 2 tablespoons finely minced nuts.
Article (C) 2004 Mary Emma Allen
About the Author
Mary Emma Allen has been writing cooking columns for 40 years. She and
her family compiled a cookbook to preserve their food heritage. She
teaches workshops to show others how to do this, along with scrapbooking
their family recipes.
Visit her web site for more cooking
articles. Contact her at me.allen@juno.com
