Devonviolet Acres

[Devonviolet]

@babsbag, I finally made some cultured butter today! It is really good!

We tried running Kefir through the cream separator, and didn't get too much for fat. A lot of the fat went through with the milk solids & whey. What we did get, made good butter though, and that had a bit of tanginess to it.

So, the other day, we made more cream, using milk. I put 2 Tbsp Kefir per quart of cream, and left it on the kitchen counter for 24 hours.

The cream had a slight tanginess, from the Kefir, and I was worried that would carry over to the butter. But, that came out with the buttermilk. I hate washing the butter, So I just squeezed out as much buttermilk as I could, and put it back on my KitchenAid mixer again, to get any excess out. But all it did was whip the butter. So, I put it back in the fridge.

Anyway, the butter is yummy! What you see in the bowl, above, is after I put some in a bowl, for our neighbors to try, and put some on crackers. YUM!!!!

ETA: since I'm not pasteurizing the milk anymore, it tends to go "off" sooner. So, I am trying putting about 1/4 cup of Kefir in each 1/2 gallon, of the fresh, filtered milk, every morning (before I put it in the fridge) to help balance the bad bacteria with good (probiotic) bacteria. So far, so good. I haven't been doing it very long, though. So, we shall see how it works in the long run.

 

[CntryBoy777]

You are becoming very adept at the variety of products produced there......and sure deserve a pat on the back for your efforts....since I can't reach that far, just ask DH to give ya one for me.....

 

[Devonviolet]

Awwww! Aren't you sweet!?!?

I wish you lived closer, so you could do some taste testing for me!

 

[CntryBoy777]

Well, I've never tasted goat's milk, so it would all be new to me...and I certainly don't have an "Educated Pallette", but would try it and let ya know just what the old taste buds thought about it.....

 

[HomeOnTheRange]

Could those be Mexican Sour Gherkins? Perhaps Lemon Cucumbers? Here is a bit on the Gherkins:

Cute, 1" long fruits look like miniature watermelons and taste like cucumbers with citrus and tangy overtones. Vines start growing slowly but can get up to 10' long. Can be eaten fresh or pickled. Fruits can be sold in half-pint or clamshell containers at markets that appreciate novelty. Also known as the Cucamelon and mouse melon. Not particularly high yielding. Trellising recommended. NOTE: We recommend harvesting these cucumbers promptly as they tend to get seedy if allowed to grow longer than 1"

I really like odd things like that!

 

[babsbag]

Yum...butter. I really need to get a cream separator just for me to use. I want to make butter too. Interesting that it goes off sooner unpasteurized, that is surprising to me. Raw milk advocates would say differently.

 

[Bruce]

They look like lemon cucumbers to me, I grew them once.

I don't know about pasteurized vs non, but I've noticed the pint of heavy cream I buy to put in my coffee on Sundays lasts about forever. WAY longer than milk or half and half will keep. Even get a tiny bit of butter in the carton after a while, I guess just from the liquid sloshing when I pour a bit out.

Sure glad your butter came out well @Devonviolet

 

[Baymule]

Aren't you having fun! You are trying all sorts of things with your milk from your beautiful girls! And even what don't turn out right still tastes good!

 

[Devonviolet]

Interesting that it goes off sooner unpasteurized, that is surprising to me. Raw milk advocates would say differently.

I did low temp (145°) pasteurization, and pasteurized milk used to last about 10 days before it started tasting off. My raw milk starts tasting off after 8 days. I try to do the cream separation after 5 days, but no longer than 6 days. If I save all the milk, and to 6 gallons, I get 6 cups of cream. YUM!

I don't know about pasteurized vs non, but I've noticed the pint of heavy cream I buy to put in my coffee on Sundays lasts about forever. WAY longer than milk or half and half will keep.

I suspect the cream you are buying is UltraPasteurized (UP). These days even "Organic" milk (sold in the grocery store) is UP, which pretty much negates any health benefit of organic milk.

UP does make it last a long time. However it does take away most nutritional benefit, that was in the milk when it came from the cow or goat.

Here is a link, from the Weston A. Price Foundation, about UP:

https://www.westonaprice.org/health-topics/modern-foods/ultra-pasteurized-milk/

 

[Devonviolet]

Aren't you having fun! You are trying all sorts of things with your milk from your beautiful girls! And even what don't turn out right still tastes good!

Oh YES! I really AM loving milking my girls and making yummy food with it!