Preservation

Butter is commonly preserved by working into each pound one or two ounces of salt, until they be thoroughly incorporated. The best salt for the pur pose is in large crystals, and it should be thorough ly dried and coarsely powdered. But Dr Anderson recommends for the curing of butter, a mixture of two parts of the best great salt, one of sugar, and one of saltpetre, beat into a fine powder. One ounce of this mixture is sufficient for a pound of butter. He says that butter cured in this way does not taste well till it has stood at least a fortnight af ter being salted, but after that period it has a rich marrowy taste, that no other butter ever acquires, and tastes so little salt, that one would imagine it would not keep ; and yet Dr Anderson has seen it perfectly sound and sweet when two years old.

Butter spoils and becomes rancid, chiefly

from the milk, which is not entirely expressed from it, and in consequence of the albumen, which is con stantly present. These may be separated by melt ing the butter and keeping it over the fire until all the water be evaporated, when the albumen will al so be coagulated, and sink to the bottom. To pre vent all risk of producing an empyreumatic taste, the vessel containing the butter should not be ex posed directly to the fire, but placed in a larger vessel filled with water, which is made to boil, forming what the chemists call a water-bath. While the butter remains fluid, it resembles a perfectly transparent oil, and on cooling it becomes opaque, and is firmer and a little paler than the butter be fore it was clarified. It will keep for a consider able time without salt; but if it be salted as com mon butter, it will continue much longer sweet in hot climates, than if it had been cured in its origi nal state. (Anderson's Recreations, Vol. IV. p. 87.) The natives of Hindostan never use butter, but prefer what is called ghee, because it keeps bet ter, and has snore taste and smell. Their but ter is prepared from coagulated acid milk ; and in order to collect a sufficient quantity, it is often kept two or three days, by which time it is highly rancid. It is melted in an earthen pot, and boiled until all the water be evaporated. After being ta ken from the fire, a little coagulated acid milk and salt, or betel leaf and reddle, are added. It is kept in pots, and eaten when even a year old. (Buchan an's Journey/rom Madras, Vol. II. p. 15.) Vinegar, m itself a very destructible substance when exposed to the air, tends greatly to preserve vegetable substances, when both are carefully ex cluded from it. In general, however, the vegetable is previously salted. After the pickles are prepar ed, the bottles are to be carefully corked, tied up with bladder, and sealed ever with wax or rosin.

For the making of pickles, the vinegar now distil led from wood, as in itself containing no principles of decay, must be preferable to common vinegar.

NL Parmentier has given a minute description of the process of making sour krout on the great scale. The heads of winter cabbages, after remov ing the outer leaves, are to be cut into fine shreds, by means of an instrument made on purpose, and then spread out to dry upon a cloth in the shade. A cask is to be set on end, with the head taken out. If it formerly contained vinegar or wine, so much the better, as it will promote the fermentation, and give the cabbage a more vinous taste; if not, the inside may be rubbed over with some krout harm. Caraway seeds are to be mixed with the shreds of cabbage, a good layer of salt placed at the bottom of the cask, and then cabbage shreds to be evenly pack-. ed,tothe depth of six inches. A man having on strong boots, well washed and nicely clean, must now get into the cask, and tread down the shreds to half their original bulk. The same process is to be re peated, with additional layers of salt, and shreds, till the whole be packed. They are then to be co vered with a layer of salt, or till the barrel be filled within two inches of the top, over which the out side leaves of the cabbages are to be spread. About two pounds of salt are required for twenty cabbages_ Thehead of the barrel, which should have been previously well fastened together, is lastly to be put within the barrel above the leaves, and loaded with stones, to prevent the mixture from rising during the fermentation. The mass thus compressed sub sides, and the cabbages give out their juice, which rises to the surface, is green, muddy, and fetid. It is to be drawn off by a spigot placed two or three inches down, and replaced by fresh brine every day, until it come off clear, which will take twelve or fifteen days, according to the temperature of the place. The essential point for keeping sour krout good, is to take care that it be always covered at least an inch with pickle. For home consumption enough may be made at one time to serve the year, and the pickle is then renewed at the beginning of spring, and at midsummer. When intended as ship provision long voyages, the sour krout must be repacked very firmly into other casks, which are then to be filled with fresh pickle, and closed as accurately as possible. When well made and pre served, it has a very pleasant acidity, and is not only very healthy, but agrees with many persons who cannot use fresh cabbages. It is also consider ed to be a very excellent antiscorbutic ; and Cap tain Cook attributed his success in preserving the health of his crew in his voyage, partly to its use.