Homemade butter

Wifezilla

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We had the same lesson :D

Shaking jars takes a lot of time. I just use my food processor!
 

Emerald

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I made butter by the "shake the jar" method with the kids and we even got the ultra pasteurized stuff to make butter. And it does taste so much better than store bought.
Now I even made something called Cultured butter- I added a bit of plain yogurt that I had made to the cream and let it sit on the counter for about 6 or so hours(it was warm in the kitchen, if not warm I would put it in a towel or preheated thermos) just when it was getting a bit thicker then we shake it to make butter--very nice flavor and I guess that this type butter is much more common in Europe.
 

old fashioned

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I didn't think it was possible to do goat butter either (like Tanks) and have never seen or heard of it being done.

Thanks Bethanial for the heads up! Maybe I want goats after all :lol:

Has anyone tried leaving it in the fridge for a week or more & doing butter from it that way???
 

lwheelr

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I tried letting goat milk set in the fridge for a week to skim it. I got rancid butter. Of course, that was early on when we had just got the goats, and might have had bacteria problems we don't have now, but not going to chance that again! NAAAASTY!

I have a friend across town (that means half a mile away) who skims it after letting it set for two days. She shakes it every couple skimmings.

Me, I'm gonna get a cream separator. I need more cream than 1/4" from the top of the gallon. Found an adjustable metal hand crank one for $200 - bunch of them on eBay. Can get electric ones for less, also can get plastic ones for less, but I can't do plastic.
 

Homemaker

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I was reading about making butter earlier today. And I came across a passage about goats milk.
In "Back to Basics" they say"When using goats cream, it helps to add a tablespoon or two of cold skimmed cow's milk at this stage (churning stage when the cream begins to feel heavy). After another 10 to 20 min. the cream should separate into buttermilk and grain-sized pellets of butter. Once the granules have formed , stop churning, drain the buttermilk from the churn, and thoroughly rinse the butter with cold water. The buttermilk should be saved for later use...place it on a cheesecloth in a colander and let cold water run over it. Next, work the butter grnules together with a butter paddle or wooden spoon. You will probably want to add salt at this time -1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon per pound of butter- since unsalted butter spoils quickly. Wrap the finished butter in waX paper and place int inside a refrigerator to protect it from light and air"
I was going to ask about this since I may have a way of getting some raw goat milk. Do you all know if they mean to add raw cows milk or do you think it can be pasturized?
 

california_grown1962

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Hi, I'm new to this forum. I make the homemade butter by shaking heavy cream in a jar while watching TV in the evening. It's a fun thing to do with your kids & you can use it as an opportunity to teach yourself AND them about the science of butter and where it comes from.

I use the whey/buttermilk that is poured off of it to feed to my chickens with hot oatmeal when it's freezing cold outside. They like the treat, and the protein is good for them. I am also told that if you add it to your dog's food, it's good for their coat, as well.
 

lwheelr

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The reason we have cultured buttermilk, is because the farmers used to let the milk set out for a few days to separate the cream. It is easier to pull it off of cultured milk than fresh. This helps with goat milk also.

When you leave out raw milk, it cultures and tastes about like cottage cheese. It does not get nasty.

If you leave that same milk in the fridge for a week, it might end up nasty - because different bacteria cultures at low temps than at room temps.

If you pasteurize the milk, then it will DEFINITELY turn nasty instead of culturing, because you killed all the helpful little microflora that create good buttermilk.

This is also the best way to make chevre - the flavor is much tangier if you let the milk set out just until it separates (you'll see clear yellow fluid in between the milk solids). Then make your cheese, and it tastes better.

We've lost a lot of these skills, because of our paranoia about germs.
 

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