A necessary chore for many women in the nineteenth century was to make their own butter. On occasion, women could get their children to churn the butter for them; however, women were required to do it most of the time.

Butter was a condiment that almost every family made for itself because it was a cheap commodity. All of the necessary ingredients needed in making butter could be found around a typical home. Many families had at least one cow from which they got their cream, and the salt used in the butter was a common seasoning.

When beginning to make butter, the woman of the house placed the required amount of cream in the churn and allowed it to reach room temperature. Larger wooden churns were commonly used and could hold as much as five gallons of cream. The cream was then pounded in the churn for about ten minutes or longer, depending on the quantity. When cream is pounded, the fat membranes are broken and the liquid fat is released, allowing the fat to cement together, making the cream solid. When the butter was done, it was washed in a dish of water and salt added for taste.

The butter made would not always be used within the family. Sometimes it would be sold to the local store as a source of income for a family with little money. In the 21st century it is rare to see anyone making butter. Here at Sherbrooke Village it is commonplace to see someone in the Jail making butter for visitors to sample. Step in and try our fresh bread and butter.

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