The Accidental Smallholder Forum

Food & crafts => Food processing => Topic started by: Rosemary on March 13, 2008, 08:42:45 pm

Title: Making butter (or not)
Post by: Rosemary on March 13, 2008, 08:42:45 pm
I bought "Home Farmer" magazine this month and in it was a recipe for butter. In anticipation of having a cow, I decided to try it tonight.

The recipe said put 500ml double cream in an empty, rinsed 2l milk carton and shake it vigorously until the fat and the buttermilk seperate. I did this (I thought) but all I seem to have is very thick cream i.e. no seperation.

I intended to make scones with the buttermilk and spread on the butter but I'll just have jam and cream on the scones instead, so no harm's done.

But what did I do wrong?
Title: Re: Making butter (or not)
Post by: rustyme on March 13, 2008, 08:53:01 pm
hello Rosemary, 
                   how long did you shake it for ? It can take a very VERY long time sometimes. I am no expert as I have only made butter a few times , and that was a very long time ago , but , I remember that it took maybe 30 minutes or more before anything happened, and that was using a glass butter making jar . Thats the type with a handle on the lid , and paddles inside the jar.  It really does take a long time , that 30 mins seemed more like a day the first time I did it.  I would think that you didn't do anything wrong , just didn't keep going long enough !!! Does that help ? or did you try for hours? lol... Russ
Title: Re: Making butter (or not)
Post by: ducky2108 on March 13, 2008, 10:13:15 pm
From that recipe, it does seem you'd make whipped cream first and foremost.
Title: Re: Making butter (or not)
Post by: Rosemary on March 14, 2008, 07:52:22 am
Oh, Russ - about 10 minutes maybe less. I thought one it had gone solid whipped cream I'd done something wrong. Do you think it's worth shaking the same cream again or should I just eat this cream and start again?
Title: Re: Making butter (or not)
Post by: rustyme on March 14, 2008, 12:42:11 pm
I only did it a few times , and never with a break in the proccess !    So, if it were me I would start with fresh,   but that is also due to the fact I would be thinking  " if it doesn't work , all this hard work is wasted !! " . I know with the glass jar churn , you turn for ages and ages without anything happening, then something feels different and then very quickly it happens . I know that isn't very helpful to you in your situation, but I would think there will be a point when the split happens and you will feel it or even hear it ! .  It will look and feel like milk thats gone off for a week or so .....you will feel all the bits /lumps in the bottle , does that make sense ? I very much doubt that 10 minutes would be enough though ....it would take another 20 or 30 , to split I think !!!  You really earn what you get , it is hard enough work with a churn ( large or small ), but by hand ...phew ..... oh and ..eat the cream you will need the energy!!! ;) ;D  Russ
Title: Re: Making butter (or not)
Post by: whitby_sam on March 15, 2008, 12:40:43 am
I'm willing to bet that your initial reaction was "I can't believe it's not butter!"
Title: Re: Making butter (or not)
Post by: Rosemary on March 15, 2008, 11:44:44 am
Ho, ho, Sam, very good!

Actually, I have a confession to make. I got my imperial and metric mixed up and used a 1l / 2 pint carton rather than a 2l carton, so the cream might not have had enough room to move around. Going to try again today with the proper equipment.
Title: Re: Making butter (or not)
Post by: Fluffywelshsheep on March 18, 2008, 07:50:12 pm
keep us posted
I remember from a a young child i used to do it all the time with  milk bottle and jam jar (with the anoyance of my mummsy i must admite lol)
Title: Re: Making butter (or not)
Post by: Rosey on March 19, 2008, 12:29:30 pm
Hi Rosemary

I make butter the lazy way, I put the double cream into the Kenwood and let it do it. The Kenwood takes about ten minutes to change to butter.  I make it most weekends then bung it in the freezer to use to eat or bake with.


Rosey
Title: Re: Making butter (or not)
Post by: Rosemary on March 19, 2008, 07:48:09 pm
Hi, Rosey

Just in the bowl with the beater? Just ordinary shop double cream? Does it have to be at room temperature?

Tried it again last night and got more whipped cream. I'm having to have hot chocolate with a dash of Cointreau every night just to get the cream used up.

Will give it one last go using the Kenwood.
Title: Re: Making butter (or not)
Post by: Rosey on April 16, 2008, 04:36:57 pm
Hi Rosemary

Yes I use plain double cream with the whisk shaped beater (not the K one), stick with it after double cream it willl suddenly turn, I just use the cream from the fridge but if it is room temp it is faster.

Rosey
Title: Re: Making butter (or not)
Post by: Rosemary on April 16, 2008, 06:05:30 pm
Thanks, Rosey

I'll give it another bash (literally) at the weekend!
Title: Re: Making butter (or not)
Post by: Townie on April 16, 2008, 06:16:12 pm
I'd love to give this a try too.... will have a go at the weekend.

Do you need to put anything into it other than double cream?

If you wanted slightly salted butter would you add some sea salt?

So many questions sorry :)
Title: Re: Making butter (or not)
Post by: Rosemary on April 16, 2008, 07:15:10 pm
You don't add anything to the double cream. Once the butter is made, you can add salt if you want to.

The recipe I have says to wash the butter to get rid of all the buttermilk - do it in a colander, so you don't lose it!

Rosey will know better than me though, 'cos she's actually done it successfully!
Title: Re: Making butter (or not)
Post by: Rosey on April 17, 2008, 10:23:49 am
I don,t use salt as I prefer it plain, but mum puts a bit of salt to taste. I do not wash it, I just drain the buttermilk into a jug, then use a couple of wooden spoons and keep squeezing it after that I put it into a little pot and push down with a wooden spoon and drain of a bit more. My 12 year old daughter often does this bit as she enjoys it.  The dogs love the butter milk but I put it in a quick recipe for butter batch rolls which I got from an Aga cookbook (mine's a rayburn though, my £1 bargain).

Many, many years ago, I worked at a social history museum and we did that there, only we used a glass butter churn instead of a kenwood, everything else was the same though.

I can photograph what I do if it is any help to people.
Title: Re: Making butter (or not)
Post by: Townie on April 17, 2008, 12:53:53 pm
Sounds good Rosey...   How long does the butter "keep" for in the fridge?
Title: Re: Making butter (or not)
Post by: Rosemary on April 17, 2008, 02:35:50 pm
Rosey, photos would be great. Or video?
Title: Re: Making butter (or not)
Post by: Rosey on April 17, 2008, 04:54:29 pm
As long as normal butter I think, salt is a preservative so it may make it last longer. I have never had any for more than a week though.

Little tip: my mum bought  Elmlea by accident and it does not work, it has to be double cream.

Rosey
Title: Re: Making butter (or not)
Post by: Rosey on April 17, 2008, 04:55:29 pm
I will do a little video this weekend and try and put it on.
Title: Re: Making butter (or not)
Post by: Rosemary on April 17, 2008, 06:33:58 pm
Excellent - thanks. Delia and Nigella, look out!
Title: Re: Making butter (or not)
Post by: Rosey on April 18, 2008, 11:50:56 am
I love cooking so spend lots of time doing it.  My daughter and her friend's do not like shop bought cakes much so I whip the odd one up, i find it relaxing. Try a quick tomato soup.

Either peeled tomatoes (about half a kilo) or for winter a tin of value plum tomatoes
stock cube
a few bits of onion if you have it, if not ignore.


Blend together, heat up and serve, yum!

Good thing is you can add other things as well.
Title: Re: Making butter (or not)
Post by: Townie on April 20, 2008, 01:52:01 pm
I made my butter today and it turned out great... I have a picture of it, but I cant seem to get it to upload, its telling me the upload folder is full..  I have uploaded it onto flickr .. here is the link http://www.flickr.com/photos/8296413@N05/2427950958/

Rosey.. I love cooking too, and I find it theraputic also... the kids love cooking with me too, which will tand then in good stead for later on in their lives when they have their own homes and family's.

Rather spooky tho, I have had vine tomatoes and garlic slow roasting in the oven for the last hour or so, plan is to make soup too  :)

Title: Re: Making butter (or not)
Post by: woollyval on June 01, 2008, 05:17:54 pm
Butter making is fab! I have just bought a butter churn from ebay.....wicked!

For those of you that got the whipped cream..........it goes thick, then thin then seperates!

Squeeze the buttermilk out by hand under very cold water then mash in salt if required....!

photo on my blog www.smallholdinginsomerset.blogspot.com
Title: Re: Making butter (or not)
Post by: Fluffywelshsheep on June 01, 2008, 05:59:20 pm
thanks for letting us know I was planing on doing it the other day but totally forgot to get any cream when i went shopping
lol
Title: Re: Making butter (or not)
Post by: dave on June 05, 2008, 06:07:05 pm
Excellent - thanks. Delia and Nigella, look out!

Gasp!!! thats blasphemy how can you say that about goddess delia and earth mother nigella *rushs to light candles in their shrines*lol.

Dave
Title: Re: Making butter (or not)
Post by: SalMac on September 08, 2008, 08:45:32 pm
I used my ice cream maker to make butter from cream, just didnt freeze the base before hand and let it get on with it. Figured it looked identical to the butter churns in principal but was a fraction of the price, oh and I already had it :-) Takes about 25-30 mins as the blades turn a good deal slower than a food processor. Dont try and do it until its come up to room temp a little bit. Tastes great btw!
Title: Re: Making butter (or not)
Post by: ballingall on September 09, 2008, 12:27:24 am
I make goats milk butter the lazy way too, with the kenwood. I use wooden paddles to squeeze out the buttermilk and to shape it into a pat- the paddles should be available from most smallholder stockists. I'm sure I've seen them on Oxmoor smallholder supplies website.

Beth
Title: Re: Making butter (or not)
Post by: shetlandpaul on November 05, 2008, 11:51:36 am
but not the platic bladed kenwood mixers i bust the wifes machine she was not happy. but the butter worked.  :)
Title: Re: Making butter (or not)
Post by: razor18 on April 22, 2009, 03:34:50 am

I used my ice cream maker to make butter from cream, just didnt freeze the base before hand and let it get on with it then it can easily use too..





_________________
Manitowoc Ice Machine (http://www.nt-ice.com/)
Title: Re: Making butter (or not)
Post by: VSS on April 22, 2009, 09:49:12 pm
making stacks of butter at the moment - we are getting about 1/2 gallon of cream a day - thick enough to stand a spoon up in - literally. In fact the cream is so thick that I am actually having to thin it down with milk before I can churn it.

At the moment, because the cows are early in their lactation (butter comes quicker early on - takes longer later on)it is only taking about 12 minutes. As Wooly Shepherd say, it goes really thick, so stiff that I can hardly turn the handle on the blow churn. Keep at it - then it will go thinner again. Keep going and then it will go stiff again and you should have butter. Drain out the buttermilk, and then rinse the butter with cold water unil the water comes clear. Tip on to a wooden board to drain for twenty minutes or so. Then work the butter to squeeze all the liquid out. Traditionally use scotch hands, but a pair of wooden kitchen spatulas do just as well. Add salt if you want to when you have nearly got all the juice out. Shape in to a pat and enjoy. If freezing, wrap in greaseproof paper and then cling. Keeps well in the freezer.

Use more quickly that purchased butter as you won't be able to get all the liquid out, and it it this that goes smelly.

 Flapjack made with homemade butter is ambrosia - quite a different beast to the margerine version.

We will have only home made butter for all needs now, until perhaps, January. Making about 2.5 lbs a day at the moment.
Title: Re: Making butter (or not)
Post by: donny on August 02, 2009, 08:44:17 pm
I had a go at this today, 300mils of double cream was put into an old hand operated food processer and after about 10 mins, I poured out all the liquid and was left with to my surprise, butter. After a bit more squashing and a lot more fluid gone, it was spread on toast. Wow, wonderfull stuff.

I will be making more, yum.
Title: Re: Making butter (or not)
Post by: doganjo on August 02, 2009, 11:29:26 pm
Hope you kept the whey for any animals you have?
Title: Re: Making butter (or not)
Post by: Janette1970 on September 26, 2009, 12:09:34 am
Do you have any more suggestions as to what I can do with the whey?
Also, can cats have it? You're not supposed to give them cows milk but i'm not sure about the whey?
I've also got chickens. Do you think they might like the whey?
 
I know my mum has had a go at making butter and always used to tell me not to beat the cream too much or you get butter.

I will be trying this next time I go shopping.  :P
Title: Re: Making butter (or not)
Post by: doganjo on September 26, 2009, 12:23:20 am
I give my ex batts a special treat when they first arrive.  Porridge oats, boiling water poured over them, add some honey (and poultry spice if you can get it), and some milk and leave to cool. They love it  I don't see why you couldn't use whey instead of whole milk.
Title: Re: Making butter (or not)
Post by: GordonsGarden on October 25, 2009, 10:47:53 am
We made butter using the Kenwood Chef and the paddle fitting,it took about 10 mins, but be very careful as it goes from cream to butter suddenly,the longest job was washing the butter clean of the buttermilk.Made beautiful butter though.