I made my own butter last night and it was really pretty simple. So, here’s the recipe:
– Start with ~1 pint of fresh cream. Pour the cream into a quart jar and close the jar, securing well. SHAKE, SHAKE, SHAKE and keep shaking it until it thickens. The butter milk will then separate from the butter…you will be able to see it through the glass when this happens. Shake just a little more. Pour the butter milk into a container and save for future use. I actually poured it all through a strainer and let it drain for a little while. Then, put the butter in a container and, if you want, add a little salt (it will help the butter last longer) to taste. And, Voila, you’re done! Next time, I may add some honey to the final butter, mmmmm.
You know, I’ve never seen goat butter, have you?? I don’t see why it couldn’t be done with fresh goats milk either.
There’s a reason 🙂 Unlike cow milk, goat milk doesn’t separate out – that is, the cream doesn’t naturally rise. You need a cream separator (pricey) – but if you did have one, and collected enough separated cream, goat butter can indeed be made 🙂 I dream of a cream separator, but need to save up for a pasturizer first before we have lilttle ones! BTW, goats don’t have yellow pigment in their milk, so theur butter is always pure white. LOL I’m such a goat nerd 🙂
maria, this blog is awesome! i especially love your posts on hula-hooping (though this one about butter is pretty great too, and now i’m dying to experiment with this myself!).
We did this in second grade — sat around in a circle shaking baby jars and made butter. It may be the only day of second grade I clearly remember. Not sure what that says about public education, exactly.
First of all, I love your blog!! Secondly, can you post and tell us how your homemade dehydrator worked? I would love to hear what you thought before I actually tackle the project myself.
Wow, thanks everyone for the great comments!! Mary, I wish I could say that I have used the dehydrator, but it’s been so rainy lately. On the days that it isn’t raining it’s either overcast, or I haven’t had the time to use it. But, I promise, I will post info and picture as soon as I do!!
Mmmm, homemade butter! I was going to try making some myself last time we bought real milk, only the fam liked the milk so much with cream in it, they drank it all before I could nab enough to set aside, ha
By the way, what’s the difference between buttermilk and whey?
Good question! I didn’t know the difference so I googled it…
It looks like whey is actually what is left after milk is curdled and then strained, like when you are making cheese. Buttermilk is what is left when making butter (it’s called “traditional Buttermilk”)… if you add cultures to it, it is called “cultured buttermilk”