Holy S4!+ I Just Made Butter
Okay, maybe I’m naive or something, but I had no idea that you could just make butter. I guess I’ve never really thought about it. When you picture someone making butter, you think about the old butter churns and someone who looks like Laura Ingalls Wilder. They have this vintage dress on while they’re churning the butter in the summer kitchen. You might also think of a very bad dance which is the only dance I can perhaps do - which is “churn the butter.”
Then I was reading Crunchy Chicken (a great blog that my wife has been reading for a long time). She had a post that read, Holy Cow, I just made butter. It immediately caught my attention. I read the post and how simple it is to make butter and had to do it. I held out until tonight. Of course, I wait to go to the store until there is a nice snow storm with 5-7″ of snow already on the ground and more blowing down. It has been in my little pea brain all week - eating away at me.
Here are the basics. Get yourself some cream or heavy whipping cream - I bought a quart of heavy whipping cream, but not the ultra pasteurized option. I cheated and used our KitchenAid mixer. Just throw on the whisk attachment and let-her-rip. If you’ve made whipped cream before, just do that…and keep going…and going…and going. It’s super easy and not too messy. Eventually the butter starts to form and the “buttermilk” separates. Just pour that off and go a little farther. Then pour off again (save it and use it for baking) - kneed the butter and rinse until it rinses clean. I put it in some wax paper and put it in the fridge. Okay - so first I made some buttered bread to test it out. So delicious!
This may not necessarily be a “green” tip, but I’m excited that I made something so simple as butter. It’s not something I thought was possible. I think I may try the “Ball” jar method where you just shake, shake, shake. Someone had a great idea where your kids just roll the jar back and forth…until its butter. Not bad. Then I can make some herb butter…and honey butter…the possibilities are endless.
Here are the directions I used. Thanks Crunchy Chicken!!
Woohoo! I tell ya, it’s freaking magical, isn’t it? I’m glad you got a chance to try it out. I went out and bought more heavy whipping cream from a local, organic dairy today. I’m turning into a butter making whore.
Okay, maybe I’m still a little too excited about it.
yes, it’s easy; i put marbles in a glass jar, pour heavy cream in and shake slowly or roll it on the carpet with my feet. great exercise and shiatsu massage. just make sure the jar lid fits well. and the movers and shakers know their strength.
i do not rinse the butter ball; i allow it to breathe for awhile in a cheesecloth set in a colander or strainer. then press it in a butter mold or other decorative glass or wooden bowl. turn it upside down and it drops with a patterned design.
farm milk has natural antibiotics and vitamins. a well cured butter is a boon to immunity. i plan to write recipes in greenadine weblog, thanks for the injection of enthusiasm.