Author Topic: Butter Making - Kitchenaid vs Food Processor  (Read 14144 times)

Jessica_H

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Butter Making - Kitchenaid vs Food Processor
« on: January 01, 2011, 05:29:39 PM »
Hello,
I'm trying to find an actual step by step recipe for butter. I'm kind of gathering from reading here that I just mix my cream? And maybe it should sit out first?

I have cream I've skimmed off 1.5 gallons of raw milk and I do have a kitchen aid mixer...which I'm gathering can be used?

Thanks!!

smilingcalico

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Re: Butter Making - Kitchenaid vs Food Processor
« Reply #1 on: January 01, 2011, 08:49:57 PM »
We ended up using a hand mixer instead of our kitchen aid, which didn't seem to do as good a job. Took a long time to get to butter. I'm wondering how well we actually did cuz it was a lot of work for very little pay off. We continue to buy our butter.

MrsKK

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Re: Butter Making - Kitchenaid vs Food Processor
« Reply #2 on: January 01, 2011, 10:07:57 PM »
I tried my Kitchenaid, but after an hour and a half it was still just foamy cream.  I now use my food processor with the knife blade.  As my cow is very early in her lactation, the cream is turning in about 60 seconds.  Amazing.

I've been culturing about a gallon of cream with a cup of cultured buttermilk (started out with storebought, but now use buttermilk from previous butter batches) and leaving it sit out for 1-4 days.  I now get about 3 lbs of butter from a gallon of cream, in comparison with 2 lbs from sweet cream.

smilingcalico

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Re: Butter Making - Kitchenaid vs Food Processor
« Reply #3 on: January 02, 2011, 04:38:02 AM »
Thanks for the tip MrsKK. I don't have one at home, but can try the one at work. We didn't culture ours before, just used raw cream, do you think that would make a difference quantity wise (will culture help more solids to form)?
« Last Edit: January 02, 2011, 08:52:41 PM by smilingcalico »

MrsKK

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Re: Butter Making - Kitchenaid vs Food Processor
« Reply #4 on: January 02, 2011, 04:19:55 PM »
I'm not sure why, but the yield is definitely higher with the cultured cream vs sweet.

Before I discovered that the food processor worked well, I just used a gallon plastic jar that had a handle on it to shake up the cream.  It works, but it is a lot of work.

One interesting thing I have noticed:  Most people say that cultured butter is harder and not as spreadable at room temperature as sweet cream butter.  I believe they are using a purchased, powdered culture though.  I use cultured buttermilk and have found that my cultured butter is softer and more spreadable than my sweet cream butter ever was.  It also keeps much longer.

It is important to get all of the buttermilk washed out of the butter and also to make sure as much of the water is out as possible once the butter is fully washed (the wash water should be clear).  I knead the mass of butter in my hands, holding above a black bowl so that I can see if the water is clear or not.  By kneading it in my hands and giving it a shake now and again, it gets more of the water out, too.

KosherBaker

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Re: Butter Making - Kitchenaid vs Food Processor
« Reply #5 on: January 03, 2011, 06:23:12 AM »
I've been culturing about a gallon of cream with a cup of cultured buttermilk (started out with storebought, but now use buttermilk from previous butter batches) and leaving it sit out for 1-4 days.  I now get about 3 lbs of butter from a gallon of cream, in comparison with 2 lbs from sweet cream.
Hmmm I wander if this isn't due to some acid coagulation. Certainly 1 - 4 days is plenty of time for that to happen. Let's see what the experts have to say about this.

Jessica_H

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Re: Butter Making - Kitchenaid vs Food Processor
« Reply #6 on: January 05, 2011, 03:43:06 AM »
Sucess!

I can't believe it worked :)  I was quite doubtful.  I couldn't figure out how beating cream would turn it to butter.  I used the kitchen aid and it took about 30 minutes.  I let the cream sit out for about 3 hours before I turned the kitchen aid on. 



This is from about half a gallon of cream



Quote
I've been culturing about a gallon of cream with a cup of cultured buttermilk (started out with storebought, but now use buttermilk from previous butter batches)


I'd like to try this.  I have buttermilk from the butter I just made.  How do I culture it?

KosherBaker

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Re: Butter Making - Kitchenaid vs Food Processor
« Reply #7 on: January 05, 2011, 05:24:17 AM »
Sucess!
Congrats Jess. Great Job.
I'd like to try this.  I have buttermilk from the butter I just made.  How do I culture it?
See if this thread clears things up
Cultured Butter Thread

Jessica_H

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Re: Butter Making - Kitchenaid vs Food Processor
« Reply #8 on: January 05, 2011, 05:41:26 AM »
That was a great thread!  But I'm still not sure how to turn my buttermilk into a culture...

And then what's the rule of thumb for adding a buttermilk culture to butter?  I'm used to following a recipe...1 packet to 2 gallons (or something like that).

linuxboy

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Re: Butter Making - Kitchenaid vs Food Processor
« Reply #9 on: January 05, 2011, 06:00:05 AM »
Jessica, buttermilk IS a bulk starter. It has bacteria in it.

Jessica_H

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Re: Butter Making - Kitchenaid vs Food Processor
« Reply #10 on: January 05, 2011, 06:07:47 AM »
Quote
Jessica, buttermilk IS a bulk starter. It has bacteria in it.

Really???  Oh shoot...more reading for me tonight  :o

One day I'll figure this all out.  So then do I just add some buttermilk to my cream and that makes it "cultured cream"?  How much? 

mtncheesemaker

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Re: Butter Making - Kitchenaid vs Food Processor
« Reply #11 on: January 05, 2011, 03:34:31 PM »
I use about 1 Tbls/qt of cream. I leave it out, to culture, for 24 hours, then refrigerate it for a day or two before making the butter. If I bring it out to sit on the counter for an hour or so, I can make butter in my food processor in about 1-2 minutes.
I also use the buttermilk as a meso starter for some cheeses, like camembert, at the rate of 1/3cup per gallon of milk.

MrsKK

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Re: Butter Making - Kitchenaid vs Food Processor
« Reply #12 on: January 06, 2011, 09:41:15 AM »
I started out my first batch with store-bought cultured buttermilk.  For batches since that first one, I've been taking from my own buttermilk.  I also use that as a mesophilic culture for cheesemaking purposes.

I have tried allowing buttermilk from sweet cream butter making to culture/clabber naturally, but got off flavors, so I gave up on that.  It is still good for baking purposes, though.

tnsven

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Re: Butter Making - Kitchenaid vs Food Processor
« Reply #13 on: January 06, 2011, 03:31:07 PM »
Homemade buttermilk is only bulk starter if you started with cultured cream before churning. If you started with sweet (fresh) cream, your buttermilk is just skimmed milk.

I used to make butter in the food processor all the time but could only do 1 quart at a time. Here's a tutorial I did a few years ago:

http://solarfamilyfarm.com/?p=27

Since then, I've gone to churning 1+ gallon at a time in my Kitchen Aid using the whisk attachment & a splash guard. If you use the beater attachment it doesn't work very well. If my cream is too cold, it can take a long time to churn. If warm enough, it only takes 10 minutes or so. DO NOT walk away from the mixer......when that butter breaks, you'll have buttermilk all over the place!  I've also refined/simplified my washing & working processes.

In the wintertime, it is important to have your cream on the warmer side (68-72) or it takes a very long time to churn. If your house is cool, leaving the cream at room temp may be too cool.

Also, the yield on butter depends on the % fat in  your cream. If you are home and have no way to officially measure this, that is fine. The longer your cream sits on the milk, the thicker it will be come (i.e. the more fat). I will often skim only the thickest top cream (perhaps an inch or two) and save that for butter and use the part skim for cheesemaking. That super thick top cream is highest in fat and gives a much larger yield.  If you are milking today and skimming tomorrow, your cream will not have had a lot of time to rise and therefore will not be so thick (not have as high a fat content). You will not yield as much butter with this procedure.

Does this make sense to anyone or am I rambling too much. I've been super busy and have barely had time to scan the forum, let alone this post!!

Kristin

Buck47

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Re: Butter Making - Kitchenaid vs Food Processor
« Reply #14 on: January 06, 2011, 05:03:16 PM »
Thanks Kristin,

Enjoyed reading info from your link The photos help  alot.

I too use my Kitchen Aid with the whisk attachment and find it works well. About 15 min and I have butter. Your right about the splash guard. Been there done that (what a mess) ;D

Kudos to all who have contributed to this thread.

Regards: john