Hatted kit
The fresh milk used in the recipe must be warm and traditionally it was made by milking straight from a cow[1] into a pail or other vessel (the kit)[2] containing fresh buttermilk and sometimes rennet.Recipes variously instruct to mix well or to refrain from stirring.The resultant "hat"[3] that floats atop the whey is then skimmed off and mixed with sugar, nutmeg or cinnamon and sometimes wine.[4][5][6][1] The hatted kit tends to become more acid, so limewater or charcoal may be added with later use of a batch.It may be served with cream, stewed fruit or with brown bread and salt, instead of butter.