http://www.lhf.org/cgi-bin/gygactivity.pl?50
1900 Butter Churning
It was common for most farmers in 1900 to own 4-5 “milch” cows. Each cow needed milking every morning and evening. Milk was stored in a cool place until it could be separated. By 1900, cream separators such as a cold-water cream separator were available for purchase.
After milking the cow, the milk is strained to remove any debris. It is put into a separator and left in a cool place, often in a root cellar, where the cream rises to the top of the mixture. Next, the fatty cream is skimmed off the top, leaving behind “skimmed milk.” The cream is poured into a churn where it is agitated by a wooden dasher that it is pumped up and down. The cream turns into frothy whipped cream and then butter.
The new butter will spoil if it is not separated from the buttermilk. The buttermilk can be saved and used for baking. The butter must be rinsed with water several times to remove the buttermilk. The butter is then salted and stored for future use.
Try this activity at home!
Ingredients needed:
-small clear jars with lids
-whipping cream
-cheesecloth
-bowls, spoons
-bread, salt, crackers (optional)
1. Fill each jar about half full with room-temperature heavy cream and fasten the lid on securely.
2. Take turns shaking the jar with a steady motion. After about 20-30 minutes of shaking, a lump of butter should form. (Note: Don’t shake the jar too fast, or the butter will not form).
3. Once the butter has formed, pour the mixture through the cheesecloth into a bowl; this liquid is the buttermilk.
4. Rinse the lumps of butter under cold water until the water runs clear.
5. Press the butter with spoons to make it smooth. Mix-in about 1/4 teaspoon of salt.
6. Sample the butter on bread or crackers!
My grandmother’s butter churns sits here in my living room along with her butter firkin. How I loved to go next door when grammy was making butter and turn the crank. (mine is the round churn with revolving paddles). Gram used to store her dried apples in her butter firkin. Even today 50+ years later, if I take the cover off, I can smell the apples.