Why did they “wash butter”? - Family de Freitas

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Why did they “wash butter”?

The contents from a cream-whipping process were typically poured through a cheesecloth. Globs of butter were retained by the cloth and the liquid rest passed through. However, small amounts of butter-spoiling buttermilk could remain, lodged with the butter. So, they massaged the butter in a bowl filled with water to eliminate any buttermilk still trapped inside the butter. The water was changed three or four times until it ran clear. To get rid of any water trapped with the butter,  the butter blob was manoeuvred back and forth between two wooden paddles with grooved surfaces — known as butter pats. The butter rested on one paddle and was smacked by the other, forcing water out – repeating until no water ran out.

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