Scotch hands

Wooden spatulas used to make butter

Scotch hands (also known as butter beaters, butter hands, butter workers or butter pats) are wooden spatulas used when making butter. They are used to press freshly churned butter to remove the watery buttermilk during the butter finishing (working) process, as well as to distribute salt through the butter. Removing the buttermilk and adding salt helps to prevent rancidity in finished butter. ^[1] One side of the paddle will be ribbed or grooved to allow the buttermilk to drain away from the butter during pressing. The ungrooved side may be used for shaping the butter into final form. The highest quality Scotch hands are made out of sycamore wood, but they can also be made out of metal.

Scotch hands and other butter working tools can be found in ethnographic museums. ^[2] ^[3]

Newer versions are used by some small-scale and home butter makers.

References

^ "Butter crocks, moulds, stamps, butter dishes, paddles, pats, Scotch hands". www.oldandinteresting.com.
^ "Scotch hands". Horniman Museum and Gardens.
^ "Butter workers, hand rollers and trays, mechanical butter workers — Home Things Past". www.homethingspast.com.

Butter

Types of butter

Bog butter
Clarified butter
- Ghee
- Manteiga-da-terra
- Niter kibbeh
- Smen
- Urfa
Vologda butter
Whey butter
Yak butter

Dishes featuring butter

Butter-based sauces	Beurre blanc Beurre monté Beurre noir Beurre noisette Café de Paris sauce
Compound butter	Beurre à la bourguignonne Beurre Maître d'Hôtel Truffle butter
Other	Butter tea Egg butter List of butter dishes