Help using electric butter churn

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Hope ya'll can help with this one. My Mother was the butter making queen of my family, just before she past away last year she gave me her butter churn, and told me that she would show me how she made her butter and cheese's but before she could show me she past away. So now I have my mothers butter churn. It is a Gem Dandy 5 gal Electric butter churn. Can anyone tell me step by step what to do. Over the years I watched my mother make better but it was one of those things that we take for granted that they are always going to be there to do that. So once you start telling me alot of it may come back to me lets hope. Anything would be helpful. Thank you and God Bless all.

-- tracy emily (emilyfarms@tsixroads.com), November 04, 2000

Answers

Tracy, you can make butter out of goat or cow milk. First you must remove the cream from the milk. If you are using goat milk you will have to have a cream separator as the goat cream does not naturally separate like cow milk does.I like sweet cream butter, but if you want aged butter, just let the cream set 12-24 hrs. It will have a slight acid flavor.

Bring the cream up to 60 degrees/cow or 55 degrees/goat. This is fairly easily done using water in the sink. Then fill the churn about 1/3 full, do not overfill!! Add your butter coloring if desired. In the old days they used dandelion flowers for the yellow color!

Put on the lid and slowly begin to churn, keeping a steady even pace. (I've never used an electric churn, so I hope it has a slow speed.)

In about 20 minutes the cream will begin to form into little globs the size of rice. When this happens, stop churning and drain butter into a colander lined with cheesecloth. Rinse the butter well with cold water. (IF you like buttermilk, then place a pan under the colander to catch the buttermilk. This can be used to make great pancakes or chilled to drink. It is not like store bought.)

Now you must use a wooden paddle or the back of a spoon and work the butter on a hard surface to remove remaining water. This is a small amount, usually just a couple of drops. But will cause butter to spoil if not removed. Keep working it till you can't get any more out. Then add salt (1/4 - 1/2 tsp. per lb.) Use non iodized salt. Work the salt in well and then form into your favorite shape. Some people have a mold that they press the butter into.

When finished, wrap the butter in waxed paper and place in refrigerator. Freeze any that you will not use in a few days.

ENJOY !! :>)

-- Starla (olystar@hotmail.com), November 05, 2000.


Tracy, the other reply was accurate for churning the old fashioned way with a dasher. Fortunately using an electric churn is much easier. I got one 2 years ago and I love it. You can put cream of any temperature in the churn. Your churn should have a line on it that says fill line. If it doesn't, fill it 2/3 full. Plug it in and in about 15 mins you should have a big chunk of butter. I think the electric gets more butter out of the cream than the hand churns. Oh and before it turns to butter it will turn into whipped cream...don't worry just let it work a bit longer. Pour off your buttermilk and then put cool water into the electric churn up to the fill level and turn it on again and it will rinse your butter for you. You may need to do this a time or two. When the water is clear work your butter in the convenional way. I have found it easiest to use a fiberglass cutting board (I use this for butter ONLY!) and put your blob of butter on the smooth side and spread it out and then bunch it up with your hand....keep doing this till the water is worked out (this part is a lot of fun..sort of like play- doh)....helps to hold the board at a slant with one hand so the water will drain well and work it with the other. Add salt and you have butter. Good luck.

-- Amanda S (aseley@townsqr.com), November 06, 2000.

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