Monday, January 30, 2023

T Stands for making butter

 Hi Everyone!

Today is Monday and I am getting this post ready to join Bleubeard and Elizabeth for the T-Party. For me T stands for completely wiped out.  We had to drive to Salem today. Ya know the 6 hour round trip drive and grocery shopping along the way. Normally we are just a bit tired from the day. However, I am having one of the worst lupus/sjogren's (SHOW grins) flare that I have had in 15 years. If you don't know what sjogren's is, it is an autoimmune that affects the saliva and tear glands. It can lead to other complications but right now lemon drops are my best friend along with eye drops. I have been getting quite a few emails asking about lupus and what regime I do to keep myself healthy. ( I belong to the lupus foundation and other lupus groups. No NOT on FB.) I do NOT take lupus medications. So, for anyone who is interested, I have decided to write up an explanation and post it on Wednesday. 

For now I want to show you how to make butter. Ohhhh so much flippen fun!
With the cost of everything going up especially butter, I worked out the cost and it is cheaper for me to make my own butter. This is not a new thing for me. I actually made butter when I was a kid with a wooden hand churner with my Nan. She told me then that the churner had belonged to her mother. I tried to find a photo on google of the one we used but couldn't find it. I remember that my siblings and I would take turns. Oh, and there was no stopping as we switched off. I remember the cream being so rich and thick. Not like what we get today.
Later in my life I made and sold bread and homemade butter. I made with a mixer. Much easier. LOL Today I use a Kitchen Aid. Fun work and very little time.

 Step 1 get heavy whipping cream. I bought this locally but got a better deal at costo today. Watch for sales and ask the dairy worker if they have out dated cream in the back. It is still good.


 

 Sept 2  Every thing needs to be really cold. I put my paddle and mixing blow in the freezer for about 15 minutes. The cream I keep in the coldest part of my fridg.



 Step 3 when everything is very cold pour the cream into the mixing bowl.
Mix on low, so the cream doesn't splash.  
 
 Step 4 as the cream thickens you can up the speed to medium and then to high. When you see the cream looking like this you can stop add some sugar and vanilla and you have a topping for dessert. 

 
 Step 5  once the whipped cream starts to curdle lower the speed to medium. This is when the fat is separating from the buttermilk. Get a large bowl of ice water and set it aside. 

 Step 6 Continue to mix at medium until the butter milk starts to splash. Turn down to low. Continue until the fat makes a solid piece.



 

 Step 7 Separate the butter from the buttermilk. I squeeze the butter to get as much of the milk released. Now put the butter into the ice water to wash any excess milk. When the water is cloudy discard it, add more cold water to the ice and wash again. You don't want any milk in the butter.

 

 Step 8 dry form the butter and dry it off with a clean kitchen town. Paper towel tends to stick to the butter. 

 

 Last step. Use wax paper to wrapped the butter to store it in the fridg or freezer.  Keep some out to use though. It is the best on homemade bread. I do date it before I freeze it.


 

 Some notes; Higher fat whipping cream produces a larger amount of butter. So heavy cream or thickened cream with 40% fat or above will be an ideal option. If you don't have a kitchen aid  you can do the same thing with a hand mixer or a food processor.  I do make my butter with no salt. But if you want salted butter add a bit just as the whipped cream is starting to curdle. About 1/4 t per pint of cream.  1 pint of cream makes about 1 cup of butter or 2 cubes.  Plus you get buttermilk to use in recipes or just drink it cold.
If you have any questions leave them in the comments. 
I hope you will try this and if you do let me know.
 
So I need to show a drink before I close this.
I think this will let me in.
The cream I bought today.
or if that doesn't work,
I am drinking lots of lemon aid.
Not my photo, but doesn't it look good?
 

 
Wishing all of you a very nice evening.
 
Nicole

24 comments:

Debra She Who Seeks said...

Fascinating how you make butter!

kathyinozarks said...

making butter-good memoires for me too-I used to make my own from fresh milk with lots of cream on top of the gallon glass bottle we would buy from a farmer--I ended up buying an electric paddle churn from sears I still have it.
hoping you feel better soon hugs Happy T

Giorgio said...

Hello Nicole, I am curious to reading your explaination which you will post on Wednesday.

roentare said...

Hope things do settle. I am very curious on your methodology to cope with lupus flare. The mainstream immunosuppressants just trade one problem for another. I have a nasty case of severe chronic gout and psoriatic arthropathy. Life is hard but I try to get by.

Amila said...

Thanks for sharing this butter recipe with easy to follow steps and photos. Hope you will keep healthy.
Happy T Day!

Rita said...

Sounds similar to the mucositis I think I have...but I have dry eyes, too. I'll find out when I finally get to the new doctor. Regardless, dealing with all of this really sucks, doesn't it? I hope we are both feeling better soon. *love and hugs*

David M. Gascoigne, said...

Lupus is a brutal condition. You have my deep sympathy in having to contend with it.

Anne (cornucopia) said...

I'm sorry to hear about your health problems. Making home made butter sounds like a great idea, with the costs of everything skyrocketing.

Bleubeard and Elizabeth said...

I tried making butter once, but it didn't turn out as well as yours. I didn't use ice water after the butter was separated from the liquid. Thanks for sharing your recipe with us for T this Tuesday, dear Nicole. Nice lemonade, too.

Iris Flavia said...

Great you can do without medication. Will pop in tomorrow to learn more.
Interesting, too, the butter making!

Step 4 has a face, LOL!

I once pimped bought butter with lemon and chili - oh, I hope I dated it and it´s still good!
Also I froze truffle-butter (from Lidl) I hope that is still good, too!

Thank you, loved this post, happy T-Day!

Tom said...

...I'm sorry to hear about your on going health challenges. Let's hope that better days are in the near future.

My name is Erika. said...

I've never made butter but this actually looks very easy and fun. Thanks for explaining it so well also Nicole.I hope your flare doesn't last long either. These autoimmune issues are such a pain, aren't they? I've had chronic hives for over 5 years now and I had a flare last week in Florida. It sucks. Happy T day. hugs-Erika

Gene Black said...

I made almost butter by accident one time when I overwhipped the cream for a dessert. I was using a hand mixer so I am sure a hand mixer will work. Ha ha. We used that as butter and it was delicious, but I didn't know the extra steps to make it really firm and able to be frozen.
I buy butter when I find a sale/deal on it and freeze it.

Mae Travels said...

I’m so sorry to hear that you have so many problems, with your lupus plus the paralyzed face, and I hope some remedies can soon be found, ones that meet your requirements about not taking dangerous drugs.

best…mae at maefood.blogspot.com

Christine said...

So sorry about this flareup. Maybe warmer weather will help you. Thanks for showing how butter is made.

Divers and Sundry said...

I remember making butter in scouts as a child and making it with my own kids when they were little. It makes for a fun project, and then you can eat it :) Happy T Tuesday!

baili said...

Lupus sounds scary th Google search dear Nicole but as you said you are not taking medicines for it which means that things are not as such bothering my friend. I am s about health issues though seems not single person on planet is without disease of some sort unfortunately.

May you keep finding strength and insight to deal with them.

My parents loved butter, father specially. I would observe fond and curiously to pull the rope tied to wooden stick more than a half of which would be in the milk pot made by clay and while pulling it with both hands one after other would make some rhythmic sound :)
Your looks Great 🙂🙂🙂👍

With advanced ways everything has become easy indeed. Hugs and love

CJ Kennedy said...

I remember as a kid, I was whipping cream for my mom to use for a recipe or maybe dessert. I forgot. Anyway, I was using a hand mixer and I overwhipped it and made butter. Ma wasn't very happy. 😺Happy T Day

https://linsartyblobs.blogspot.com said...

I've never made butter, didn't realise it was so easy. Thanks.

Empire of the Cat said...

I used to make butter too but now I don't eat it. We had a wooden churner on the farm. I still have the wooden butter pats for shaping the butter but not the churner. I understand about not taking medications, sometimes the side effects can be worse than the disease they are supposed to help. I'm assuming the current flare up is causing dryness, I hope you get some relief soon. Happy T Day! Elle/EOTC xx

Valerie-Jael said...

I hope you are soon feeling better, please look after yourself. I am still in the clinic. Me auntie used to make her own butter, soo good! Have a great week, take care, hugs, Valerie

Kate Yetter said...

Wow, you took me down memory lane. My mom was a teacher, and she did this with her class every year and with us at Thanksgiving. We had an old-fashioned butter churn that I now have. I have only made it once with my children, but they loved it. I will have to give it another go. I agree, the price of butter is outrageous. Sorry to hear about your flare up. No fun!
Happy tea Day,
Kate

Jeanie said...

I remember making butter from whipping cream when I was in school. Science, probably. I never liked it much, to be honest but maybe I never added salt! I hope you're feeling a bit better every day. I'll look forward to your post on lupus. I don't know too much about it.

pearshapedcrafting said...

I used to 'help' my Mum make butter when we were given milk from the farm next door. To be fair, she used to take some back to the farm. It always tasted so good. Glad you can find some relief with lemons. Belated Happy T Day, Chrisx