# Butter



## MissPrissy (Sep 19, 2008)

You need fresh milk. Cow milk will settle a good creamline at the top. Goat milk has to be separated first. Regular milk from the grocery won't work. The cream has already been removed.

Skim the cream off the milk. The butter is better if the cream sits a couple of days in the refrigerator but this is not a requirement. Also almost soured cream yeilds more butter than fresh cream. But ignor all of this for now. LOL

Beat the cream in a covered blender to keep the splashing milk down. The cream will seperate into liquid (buttermilk) and yellow granules (butter). Pour off the liquid (save it!) . Pour a bit of ice cold water over the butter and blend for just a bit more (this washes the butter). Pour off the water and save the butter. Using a spatula press the butter forcing out any liquid caught in the lumps. At this point you can also salt it or leave it unsalted.  Store in a tightly covered clean dish in the refrigerator.

Then bake some biscuits and slather them with your fresh home made butter!

Cow milk should yeild some really beautiful cream, Ozark hen. As well as a fairly good amount from a nice fresh gallon.  You will enjoy it so much. It is unlike anything commercially produced for the grocery store shelves. Yummy! 

I can't remember the yeild of cream to butter but if you save a good bit of cream (1 gallon or more) you'll get over a pound of butter not to mention the great buttermilk for baking!

_*You can buy heavy whipping cream and beat it to whipped cream state then keep beating until it breaks and you can get a little butter from it._


----------



## mullers3acers (Oct 24, 2008)

I want to make fresh butter, but don't have the money for an antique butter churn do you have any simple cheap suggestions?


----------



## Farmer Kitty (Oct 24, 2008)

I know of people who have used a jar and just shook it. Takes a lot of shaking though.


----------



## MissPrissy (Oct 24, 2008)

You can shake it in a jar or use your  mixer like you are making whipped cream and when it reaches whipped cream don't stop. Let the cream break and you will start to see little flecks of butter. Keep going you will succeed.


----------



## mullers3acers (Oct 25, 2008)

I was thinking about using a salad spinner what is your thoughts on that?


----------



## Farmer Kitty (Oct 25, 2008)

I'm not sure a salad spinner would be heavy enough to work when the butter starts forming and gettin thick and heavy.


----------



## amysflock (Oct 26, 2008)

I read in one book ("the book," by some accounts) that a food processor with the plastic beater - not the metal whisk or blade - works well.


----------



## amyquilt (Oct 27, 2008)

Farmer Kitty said:
			
		

> I know of people who have used a jar and just shook it. Takes a lot of shaking though.


I've always used a glass jar.  It takes about 15 minutes of shaking for a pint of cream. (I use a quart jar, and you have to have "shaking room").  I enjoy shaking it, honestly. Pretty fun to watch the cream turn to butter literally in your hands.


----------



## Farmer Kitty (Nov 3, 2008)

I had 2/3 of a quart jar of cream.
Butter and Buttermilk





That's a pint jar of buttermilk.

I had some on bread with supper tonight and was it ever good!


----------



## laughingllama75 (Jun 23, 2009)

I use my food processor (kitchen aid, if that matters) 6 cup size with the dough blade (plastic). WORKS WELL!


----------



## okiron (Jun 23, 2009)

Lol I remember making butter at school by putting cream into baby food jars and shaking them.


----------



## reinbeau (Aug 29, 2009)

I'm smiling like a little kid.  I just shook my first pint or so of cream into butter, it took about 12 minutes.  It is delish!  I did add just a bit of salt - it only makes about a quarter cup of butter, but that's ok


----------



## ohiofarmgirl (Sep 3, 2009)

i'm shaking right now.... shake-a shake-a shake-a shake-a shake-a shake-a shake-a shake-a shake-a shake-a shake-a shake-a shake-a shake-a shake-a shake-a shake-a shake-a shake-a shake-a


----------



## freemotion (Sep 5, 2009)

I just put some goat cream in my stand mixer with the wire whisk blade and let it run while I made cheese nearby.  When the sound of the mixer changed, I checked, and there was some lovely white goat butter!  Time for popcorn! 

Yes, grass-fed cow's cream would be better, but I work with what I have!


----------



## seymore0626 (Sep 5, 2009)

I am the proud new owner of a jersey cow.  I've had her for three days now, and while there is still some adjusting going on (both of us), I do have beautiful fresh milk.  I am anxious to make butter, as well as cheese and yogurt, but I am wondering how many gallons of milk I'll need to make at least "some" butter.  It doesn't seem like I have alot of cream to skim off the top of my jars, maybe a 1/4 of an inch after a day. Seems like it will take me forever to get enough cream to make any butter.  What am I doing wrong/what do I need to be doing differently? Thanks in advance...


----------



## freemotion (Sep 5, 2009)

I don't know cows, but I do notice with my goat's milk that more cream comes to the top if it sits UNDISTURBED for at least 3 days in the fridge.  I use gallon jars, and the narrower the jar, the easier it is to skim the cream.  I save it in a container and use it when I have enough.


----------



## michickenwrangler (Jun 9, 2010)

I made butter a few days ago. It was delicious! Did the mason jar method and it worked. Didn't get a whole lot, but I wanted to leave some cream in the milk.

Used the leftover buttermilk for biscuits 

Cows are grass fed so it was even yellowish like store bought butter


----------



## glenolam (Jun 9, 2010)

You know - I never opened this thread (or any butter thread for that matter) because I thought butter would be difficult to make, but this sounds super easy!

Here's my questions:

1) If I am only getting small quantities of milk per day (1 cup per day FOR NOW), can I mix cups and save three-four days worth of milk, then let it sit in the fridge for about 2-3 days to let the cream separate?  Or will that be too long to keep the milk in the fridge?

2) How long do the butter and buttermilk last in the fridge?

3) Is the milk that's left over after skimming the cream off still good enough to use for making soap?  If not, what else can I do with the milk?


----------



## aggieterpkatie (Jun 9, 2010)

glenolam said:
			
		

> You know - I never opened this thread (or any butter thread for that matter) because I thought butter would be difficult to make, but this sounds super easy!
> 
> Here's my questions:
> 
> ...


Are we talking goat milk?  I let mine sit in the fridge for a few days, then skim the cream off the top.  I have a container in the freezer I use so I can save up enough cream to make a decent amount of butter at once.  I have enough saved up now, but haven't made butter yet.  

And you can use the milk (after skimming the cream) for anything that you'd use regular milk for!


----------



## glenolam (Jun 9, 2010)

Sorry - Yes, I meant goat's milk.

So you freeze the cream you skim off, and once you have enough frozen you make your butter?


----------



## michickenwrangler (Jun 9, 2010)

BTW, goat milk *should* be at 55 degrees for ease of separation.

Once you make it, it's better than anything at the store!


----------



## aggieterpkatie (Jun 10, 2010)

glenolam said:
			
		

> Sorry - Yes, I meant goat's milk.
> 
> So you freeze the cream you skim off, and once you have enough frozen you make your butter?


Yep, that's the plan! Only I haven't gotten around to it yet.    I have a good bit frozen, but lately I've stopped skimming cream because I just forget.


----------



## glenolam (Jun 10, 2010)

Sorry if I'm going to sound redundant, but once I skim the cream off, will the milk left over still be good enough for soap?

My thought is that the cream in the milk is a great addition in my soaps (which I LOVE making, btw!) and if the cream is now missing the milk won't be as thick...

Actually, I'll start another thread for this since it's off topic.....


----------

