Making butter!

[cutechick2010]

I am hoping someone on here will be able to solve this slightly silly conundrum for me. I have been getting whole raw Jersey milk from a friend, and of course I am trying to make butter with it as well. Well, making the butter is not a problem. But the problem I am having is, when I keep it in the fridge, it is hard as a rock and I can't spread it on anything! But when I try leaving it out for a little bit to soften, it goes sour really fast.
So I am wondering what everyone else using homemade butter is doing? Is there a preservative I can put in it? I don't salt it because I prefer unsalted butter, would salt make a difference?

 

[aggieterpkatie]

Isn't homemade butter the best?! Have you worked it really well to get all the water out before you refrigerate it? Can you try keeping just a bit out at a time so it doesn't go bad so quickly? Or have you seen those butter bells that keep the butter in fresh water on the counter so they last longer? That might help!

 

[freemotion]

I wonder if you are washing it enough to get all the buttermilk out....

 

[cutechick2010]

Well, I think I am getting all the buttermilk out of it. I kind of smoosh it around and rinse it several times until I am not seeing any more come out of it. Do you guys have a good method for rinsing it out? I am new at this, so any tips are appreciated.

 

[herfrds]

1 you are making butter out of raw milk, it will spoil quicker when left out.
2 butter is fat and it will harden when cold.

I work my butter under running cold water and I wear nitrile gloves a.k.a. rubber gloves. I keep mashing and working the butter until there is no more milk in the water. Then I pat it dry and roll it up in wax paper.

 

[animalfarm]

As previous posts said; wash the butter well. Salt is the only preservative, but the butter will still go off. One solution is to make butter sticks.

Cut up the cold butter lumps into small amounts (what you will use in 2 days). Keep a lump out where it stays warm but is used up quickly. Wrap the remaining pieces in wax paper and freeze in a zip lock freezer bag to be taken out when ever needed. I use a 1 cup measure for a mould and cut it into 4 pieces so when baking the butter is already measured as well.

Some butter stays softer if you whip it, and some people mix it 50/50 with water to make a spreadable butter.

 

[cutechick2010]

Thanks for the information, guys. Although I didn't get to make my butter last night. My seven year old son was getting his bedtime drink and picked up the wrong jar, and drank ALL my cream! So next time I will try again, LOL.