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Butter Making

Butter making, like cheese making, is a way to utilize a surplus of milk or cream and turn it into something even better. The process is simple and the results are delicious. It is also a great learning tool to show children how a common grocery item can be made at home.

Most commercially made butter is 80% milk fat and 20% water; this is the industry minimum combination that can be called butter. This means that extra water may be added to the butter in order to reach that minimum. Butter is sold by weight, and water is both heavy and cheap. Artisanal and imported butter may contain as much as 87% milk fat since there is no water added back. These types of butter perform better in baking applications, especially when making tender, flaky pie crusts and pastries.

One advantage to making your own butter is that you can control the amount of salt you add for salted butter. If you want to make cultured butter, you can customize to what degree depending on the purpose and your personal taste.

you supply the cream

You can make your own sweet or savory butters in less than thirty minutes. Includes old fashioned butter keeper which keeps butter fresh for one month without refrigeration! Recipes are included for both sweet and savory butters. You will receive enough ingredients for 6 pounds of cultured and compound butters. You supply store bought heavy cream.

Kit includes starter culture, butter churn jar, butter spatula, flaked salt, sea salt, butter keepers, leaf molds, herbs and recipes.

blue stripe on ceramic

Set of 4 mini butter keepers hold individual servings.

These ceramic devices are used to keep butter fresh without refrigeration for up to a month. They work by protecting the butter from the air with a water lock seal. Clean water is placed in the base while the butter is pressed into the bell or cup. The bell is then turned up-side-down into the base dish. If the temperature in your kitchen remains below 75 degrees F, there is no need to refrigerate the butter.

blue stripe on ceramic - holds one stick of butter

Also called a Butter Bell or French Butter Dish.

Before refrigeration, butter was kept in earthenware pots, sometimes submerged in water. The modern water-submerged butter crock is thought to have first appeared in France sometime in the Middle Ages. These ceramic devices are used to keep butter fresh without refrigeration for up to a month. They work by protecting the butter from the air with a water lock seal. Clean water is placed in the base while the butter is pressed into the bell or cup. The bell is then turned up-side-down into the base dish.If the temperature in your kitchen remains below 75°F, there is no need to refrigerate the butter. Some believe that this is a better way to store butter because it is protected from the air. And, because it remains at room temperature, it won't tear bread and is easy to measure. If you prefer the added protection of refrigeration you will still benefit from the freshness seal provided by the butter keeper as your butter will not take on any flavors from other items nearby.

malto dextrin, lactic acid starter culture, vegetable rennet

Store unused packets in the freezer for up to 2 years.

Each packet will culture 1 quart of pasteurized heavy cream, light cream or half and half, producing 18-24 oz. of crème fraiche.Crème Fraiche is a cultured cream made from cow milk and originated in the Normandy region of France. Traditional crème fraiche is made with heavy cream. It is creamy, with a slight tanginess and is slightly thinner than traditional sour cream. If made with heavy cream, crème fraiche may be used in cooking applications without separating.

To Make Crème Fraiche

To prepare a batch of Crème Fraiche, gently heat 1 quart of pasteurized cream in a non-reactive saucepan to 86°F. Remove from the heat and sprinkle the contents of one packet of Crème Fraiche starter over the cream surface. After a minute or two, stir in the culture until it is completely dissolved. Cover the cream and place in a location that will maintain a temperature of 72°F as closely as possible. Your closed oven with the light on should work very well. Let cream set for 12-24 hours.

When cream has reached desired consistency, it is ready to use. For a thicker consistency, spoon the soft curd from the pot into a colander that is lined with a double thickness of fine cheesecloth. Tie the four corners of cheesecloth together, forming a bag, and hang over a bowl or sink to drain for 6 to 12 hours or until the cream reaches your desired consistency.

NOTE: Pasteurized cream is recommended; however, if only ultra-pasteurized is available, it may take longer to culture to desired thickness.