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Author Topic: Making butter (or not)  (Read 29811 times)

Rosemary

  • Joined Oct 2007
  • Barry, Angus, Scotland
    • The Accidental Smallholder
Making butter (or not)
« 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?

rustyme

  • Guest
Re: Making butter (or not)
« Reply #1 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

ducky2108

  • Joined Feb 2008
  • Glasgow
Re: Making butter (or not)
« Reply #2 on: March 13, 2008, 10:13:15 pm »
From that recipe, it does seem you'd make whipped cream first and foremost.

Rosemary

  • Joined Oct 2007
  • Barry, Angus, Scotland
    • The Accidental Smallholder
Re: Making butter (or not)
« Reply #3 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?

rustyme

  • Guest
Re: Making butter (or not)
« Reply #4 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

whitby_sam

  • Joined Feb 2008
Re: Making butter (or not)
« Reply #5 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!"

Rosemary

  • Joined Oct 2007
  • Barry, Angus, Scotland
    • The Accidental Smallholder
Re: Making butter (or not)
« Reply #6 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.

Fluffywelshsheep

  • Joined Oct 2007
  • Near Stirling, Central Scotland
Re: Making butter (or not)
« Reply #7 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)

Rosey

  • Joined Jan 2008
  • Lincolnshire UK
    • UKNaturepics.com
Re: Making butter (or not)
« Reply #8 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

Rosemary

  • Joined Oct 2007
  • Barry, Angus, Scotland
    • The Accidental Smallholder
Re: Making butter (or not)
« Reply #9 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.

Rosey

  • Joined Jan 2008
  • Lincolnshire UK
    • UKNaturepics.com
Re: Making butter (or not)
« Reply #10 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

Rosemary

  • Joined Oct 2007
  • Barry, Angus, Scotland
    • The Accidental Smallholder
Re: Making butter (or not)
« Reply #11 on: April 16, 2008, 06:05:30 pm »
Thanks, Rosey

I'll give it another bash (literally) at the weekend!

Townie

  • Joined Oct 2007
  • Fife
    • http://www.townie.wordpress.com
Re: Making butter (or not)
« Reply #12 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 :)

Rosemary

  • Joined Oct 2007
  • Barry, Angus, Scotland
    • The Accidental Smallholder
Re: Making butter (or not)
« Reply #13 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!

Rosey

  • Joined Jan 2008
  • Lincolnshire UK
    • UKNaturepics.com
Re: Making butter (or not)
« Reply #14 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.

 

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