| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| lonestargal |
Posted - Sep 19 2005 : 9:42:56 PM
I just received my copy of the book and I must say, I'm sooooo glad that I got it. I haven't been all the way through it yet but what I have sure is wonderful. I know I will use it a lot. I noticed in the kitchen section (don't have the book handy right now for a page#) she explains how to make your own butter. Have any of you tried it in a jar like she explains and how did it turn out? I have cream sitting out like she says but I'm kinda scared due to the cream has to sit at room temp for 8-12 hours. This is the first time I'll have attempted making butter and milk/cream sitting out that long just worries me. Thank you all!!! |
| 21 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| lonestargal |
Posted - Oct 07 2005 : 07:07:20 AM
I made biscuits with my buttermilk. You could use it in pancakes or breads. I had my neighbor make butter the other day. She is a definite 'city girl' and thinks half the things I do are crazy but she told me she had a ton of cream left over from a recipe and that she didn't know what she would do with it all. I simply said 'make butter'. Of course I got the crazy look and I told her how to do it. She told me that she had never had real butter before!!!! Can you believe it???? I mean I always bought mine but still butter over margarine...come on that's an easy decision. Anyways all that to say...she made chicken fried steak with her buttermilk and said it was awesome. I've seen several recipes that call for buttermilk..I'll have to see if I can dig some of mine up but biscuits, pancakes, waffles,and other breads is what comes to mind right now. |
| mdotterer |
Posted - Oct 06 2005 : 4:31:26 PM
Thanks! I'll try the ice trays. I'm not allowed in Michael's until after the holidays 
I feel really silly since, of course, I knew that real buttermilk had cultures in it, like yogurt. I just didn't think about that. So, is the leftover "buttermilk" good for cooking? What do you do with it?
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| BlueEggBabe |
Posted - Oct 06 2005 : 1:27:17 PM
Marlene,
about the buttermilk...commercial buttermilk has culture added to it to make it thick(sort of like sour cream ) and the buttermilk you "made" is not cultured. They are two different animals.
Here is a cool link to describe how to make the buttermilk your husband likes. http://biology.clc.uc.edu/Fankhauser/Cheese/BUTTERMILK.HTM#old_fashioned_buttermilk
As for the molds, there are decorative molds but I find them somwhat difiicult and tempermental. They have to be soaked in water, then the butter pressed in, and then frzen to shrink the butter so it will pop out.
You might try like Clare suggests, ice cube trays or perhaps those small plastic candy molds you can find at Michael's craft store
"If more of us valued good food, cheer and song above hoarded gold,the world would be a merrier place."
J.J.R.Tolkien |
| Clare |
Posted - Oct 06 2005 : 1:05:54 PM
Marlene, would ice cube trays work?
May the sun bring you new energy by day, may the moon softly restore you by night, may the rain wash away your worries, may the breeze blow new strength into your being, may you walk gently through the world and know its beauty all the days of your life. ~~Apache Blessing
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| mdotterer |
Posted - Oct 06 2005 : 12:56:19 PM
Susan - thanks for the detailed instructions! I didn't know anything about making butter, so everything you said was new to me. I made some butter last night and it worked great! I'm so excited! I bought a couple of pints of organic whipping cream, poured it in a jar and let it sit on the counter for a while. I don't think I waited long enough, but it was getting late and I wanted to get it done before going to bed. So, I shook and shook until I got a clump of solids in the jar, then did like you said with the cloth and colander and rinsing it under water. I'm so impressed with the results, I could pop a button!
I measured the butter out with a tablespoon and put in the freezer in little balls. This morning, I put the balls in baggies. It's all ready to go and if I need to use a measured amount in cooking, I know each ball is a tablespoon. This is so cool! And, the buttermilk! You guys will laugh, but I never knew how they got buttermilk, before this. Well, that's part of the problem with our food system, you know?
I have a couple of questions. The buttermilk is very thin. The stuff in the cartons at the store is much thicker. Did I do it wrong? Can I use it just like regular buttermilk? I'd love for my husband to put it in his buttermilk pancakes on Saturday, but I know he'll be freaked out because it doesn't look like the buttermilk from the store!
My other question is, is it possible to buy molds for butter? If I could put it in pre-measured molds this would be a lot easier than measuring it out one tablespoon at a time.
Thanks for your patience and help. I'm going to make my own butter from now on!
Marlene |
| lonestargal |
Posted - Sep 25 2005 : 10:09:20 AM
Thank you very much for explaining it to me. I will have to chill the cream for sure next time. |
| Shirley |
Posted - Sep 24 2005 : 11:44:47 PM
Susan,
thats how my mom used to do the butter, brings back some memories,cheese cloth and squeezing. :)
shirley in oly |
| BlueEggBabe |
Posted - Sep 24 2005 : 8:21:30 PM
I would think that would 'waste' a lot of the butter because it's stuck to your hands.
If the cream is chilled (to 60-65 degrees) before it's made into butter, the solids will be more...well, solid and won't stick to your fingers. The butter will not smear. It will be hard and will make your hands oily but not coated with butter.
Like you said, I simply put the cream into the processor, 1 quart at a
time, and turn it on! I let it run until the solids separate and turn into a pretty solid ball.
In the sink, I have waiting:
A big bowl and a colander that fits inside of that bowl.
Over the colander, I put a clean piece of muslin or white flour sack rinsed in cold water first.
Then I squeeze the solids together(inside the cloth) and wring the cloth until more buttermilk is squeezed out and the butter turns into a solid ball. At this point, you have a bowl with some buttermilk in it, a solid ball of butter and a wet/buttery cloth.
I save some buttermilk in a jar and put it straight away in the fridge.I give the rest to the cats! Now, in the bowl you just emptied ( wash it out so that it's clean and while the water is hot, also rinse out your muslin to melt any butter residue & then wring out)
Put the colander back inside the bowl. Put the clean cloth back
over the colander. Now put the butter ball into the cloth (inside the colander) and run under cold water while you squeeze the butter through your fingers.(If you use warm water, you will be back to buttery hands!) You will notice the water in the bowl will be a little cloudy from the buttermilk you wash out. Every so often, empty the milky water and keep washing your butter until the water in the bowl is clear.
I just continue to squeeze and wash the butter and when I am sure that the water rinses clean, I roll it into a loose ball, then use the cloth to wring out the butter and form it into a solid ball .
I add salt at this point and work it in well with the back of a spoon.
The secret is the chilled cream and washing it in cold water. I think you will see a big difference.
 happy butter making
"If more of us valued good food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world place."
J.J.R.Tolkien |
| Julia |
Posted - Sep 24 2005 : 7:53:52 PM
I have the same question as Kristi. Doesn't using the processor turn it to whip cream? I have a friend who puts the cream in her Kitchen-ad with the paddle, on low speed, and makes butter.
I bought some organic whipping cream the other day and after I poured it out I noticed a clump of butter in the carton. It was really good, must have been a bumpy ride from the dairy.
"...the setting sun is like going into the very presence of God." Elizabeth Von Arnim |
| lonestargal |
Posted - Sep 24 2005 : 3:35:24 PM
Oh and also, can you explain how it works in the food processor? I'm assuming that you just let it run and it separates right? Thanks!!!! |
| lonestargal |
Posted - Sep 24 2005 : 3:34:19 PM
Susan,
I used a jar. No I didn't chill the cream once it sat out I just went ahead and made it then placed in a strainer over a bowl to catch the buttermilk. I gently pressed with a large spoon to get the excess milk out but do you use your hands to sqeeze it out or am I misunderstanding how you do yours? I would think that would 'waste' a lot of the butter because it's stuck to your hands. Please explain to me how you 'knead' your butter. Thank you sooooo much. I don't know how often I will do this only because I have to buy the cream and it doesn't seem any cheaper and if anything more expensive to make it but it sure does taste good!!! |
| Utahfarmgirl |
Posted - Sep 24 2005 : 2:40:30 PM
Butter makes it better, as they say. I never was much of a margarine girl. We Italians like the real thing. I don'ta hava food proccessori...I'ma usa blender? Yes?
Now I sound like my Grandma. Ha ha!
Drooling in Utah,
Patricia (and Stu, by the way. He wants to know if you can just whip it, whip it good, in the mixer.
Happy Wishes! |
| BlueEggBabe |
Posted - Sep 24 2005 : 12:24:55 PM
Hi Kristi,
Congratulations on your newly mastered skill!!
I am not sure if you mentioned if you used a butter churn jar or a food processor? I had better (and faster)luck with the processor.
Did you chill the cream a bit after it sat on the counter to sour slightly? I have found that the warmer the cream, the more difficult the buttermilk is to separate from the solids.
After the butter is worked in a machine, it has to be "worked" or kneaded and rinsed under cold running water until the water is clear and free of buttermilk. I made this mistake on my first batch or two.
Working the butter with your hands will expose hidden pockets of buttermilk that will cause the butter to weep when at room temp.
Hope this helps.
"If more of us valued good food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world place."
J.J.R.Tolkien |
| lonestargal |
Posted - Sep 24 2005 : 10:44:10 AM
Ok so I've made several batches of butter and the taste is awesome but I'm still having a problem getting all the milk to drain off. What is the best way to do this? I mean if I leave the milk in the fridge it's fine. We like to take a small chunk and keep on the counter and when it's room temp there is a small amount of milk on the bottom, so is there any way to drain it better? |
| lonestargal |
Posted - Sep 20 2005 : 6:00:45 PM
Ok girls...I made some this afternoon and all I can say is WOW!!! It tastes SO much better than the store bought. After eating this I'm thinking if I will ever be able to eat the store bought again!!! I haven't even added salt to mine yet so when I do I bet it will be just heavenly!!! Thank you all for your tips..I appreciate it. |
| MeadowLark |
Posted - Sep 20 2005 : 1:47:27 PM
I have made butter using my Dexter's milk. It is rich and high in butterfat. Wonderful!!!!
If I keep a green bough in my heart, the singing bird will come. |
| bramble |
Posted - Sep 20 2005 : 1:35:48 PM
The kids always make butter at Thanksgiving and it has never gone bad.We freeze any excess and it has never been a problem as long as you use fresh, fresh, fresh. Good luck, it's alot of fun!
with a happy heart |
| BlueEggBabe |
Posted - Sep 20 2005 : 12:14:21 PM
It neverlasts long enough to go bad in my house ,
I have noticed a tendency towards a slightly different taste ( Not going bad, mind you, just different) if I havent added enough salt.
Sea salt really does help preserve it.But I did have some butter go south on me once...when I was just learning to make it.
I didnt work all of the buttermilk out(I said whey earlier, didnt I??
Duh Sorry, I make cheese too), I didn't salt it enough, AND I let it sit on the counter for a few scorching summer days.
It sort of got this slight Blue Cheese kind of smell and flavor although I still think it wasn't bad...But like you, I didn't trust it, so away it went!
I weigh mine in quarter pounds (roughly shaped like a stick) and then freeze them on a cookie sheet. When they are frozen I individually wrap each one in parchment paper and then put the whole lot inside ziploc gallon bags. I take one out of the freezer at a time and thaw on the counter or in the fridge.
You'll get it.......
have fun with it.
"If more of us valued good food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world place."
J.J.R.Tolkien |
| lonestargal |
Posted - Sep 20 2005 : 11:31:19 AM
Thank you so much for easing my mind a little. I'm just so terrified of getting my family sick with bad cream. I'm the kind that even if the milk is from that morning, as soon as it's room temp (my kids tend to forget that they had milk out) I throw it out, don't want to take any chances. But I will try this. I was wondering about freezing it so I'm glad BlueEggBabe you had answered that for me. After I've made it and have some in the fridge, does it last as long as store bought as long as it's kept in the fridge or will it go bad faster? Thank you so much ladies...I'm excited to try it. |
| Aunt Jenny |
Posted - Sep 20 2005 : 07:10:15 AM
I just hand each of my kids a quart jar half full of cream and let them shake and roll them until I get butter..it works well!! It does taste way better than storebought..and yes, it does give it better flavor to let the cream sit out awhile. I usually only leave it out a few hours though.
Jenny in Utah
The best things in life arn't things |
| BlueEggBabe |
Posted - Sep 20 2005 : 07:00:39 AM
Kristi,
I have made butter using raw, unpasturized cream.
It does make better butter if the cream is slightly soured.Sitting at room temp. for a few hours won't harm it.But the whey will actually pull away better from the solids if it is chilled a little bit (to 60-65 degrees) after it sits at room temp.
When I make butter, I cheat a little bit and use my food processor.
I just whip it until the whey separates from the solids and then work it some more by hand to get the remaining whey out and then work in some sea salt. I freeze my butter until I need it and keep it in the fridge rather than keeping it at room temp, especially in warm weather.Making butter is such a simple pleasure and my family feels like I am feeding them pure gold! Don't worry too much, it is really quite an easy process.You will never want to have store bought again!
"If more of us valued good food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world place."
J.J.R.Tolkien |
