MARCH 2 ISSUE ANSWERS (photo to right): Vegetables-YUCK! Contrary to popular belief, the food in the 1800’s was not always that good. People often ate as much as they could afford. A great diet of animal fat was consumed and green vegetables were often despised and felt to be “grass” or “fodder.” One account in a menu of a prosperous home includes two dishes of butter. Joan Beringer, Romeo Historical Society staff The milk of most mammals contains a mixture of fats, proteins, sugars, vitamins and minerals suspended in water. The water is denser than the fats. If whole milk is allowed to sit for a time, the fat globules, in the form of cream, will rise to the surface where they can be skimmed off. The thin fluid that remains after the cream is removed is called skim milk, and it was once fed to calves and pigs. Today it’s fed to diet-conscious humans. When a quantity of cream or whole milk is agitated, the yellowish fat globules join to form a solid mass of butter. Of course, there was more to making butter than churning. It had to be rinsed several times to remove all the buttermilk. Then it was lightly salted and worked (or kneaded) to evenly distribute the salt, remove excess water and make the texture smooth. The butter was then ready to pack into a container. A dairy farmer The above butter churn is on display in the Church Street museum for the “Romeo Before Electricity” display. Note the worn handle from thousands of churns to make butter for local families.