Butter pressing?

[DeejayDebi]

How wonderful to have received such a wonderful family treasure!


I knead butter in a ziplock bag and just change the ice water a few times.

[JustPeachy]

Great ideas! I have seen the paddles at Lehman's and am considering the smaller German one but haven't bit the bullet and ordered it yet. Currently, I just make my butter in a mason jar and pour off the buttermilk. I fill it a few times with ice water and shake it around some. Then I pour the butter into a wire mesh strainer and toss it around like pizza dough or flipping eggs or pancakes. Seems to work pretty good so far but always looking for a better way!

[TraditionalGoats]

I leave my cream on the counter to get to room temp, it seems to turn to butter easier that way.

If I am doing a cultured butter I will add the culture about 8-12 hours before I make the butter.

I use a Kitchen Aid mixer to do small batches (1 quart or so) and have a 2 gallon electric mixer that works well when I have enough cream, and a commercial butter mixer that I have never used.  Some day.

To get the whey out of the butter, I use a potato masher and mash the butter in a bowl, add salt, mash, pour off whey as it comes, mash more, pour off more whey, then pack it into either  a butter mold or a bowl. 

I also rinse with cold water or ice water as I am doing the mashing part.   

The Amish near me make the butter in butter balls, each is about 1/2 pound.  They just mush it together and squeeze the whey out.

I will use the whey to make soup or stock.  I use it in place of water.  Adds flavor it seems.  Other people I know will use it to boil pasta.  And of course the animals love to drink it!

Tracy

[Susie]

Good ideas here!
I always make in my stand mixer and squeeze by hand under cold water, in the mixing bowl.
I'm envious of those of you who have molds. Curious - wouldn't a silicone baking "pan" work well as a butter mold? I have not yet invested in one but have had my eye on the mini loaf style. In the meantime, we have a beautiful "lump" in the fridge.  ;D

[Butterviking]

Hi!
Do not wash your butter. You wash away a lot of flavour.

[Peter Montague]

Hi!
Do not wash your butter. You wash away a lot of flavour.

What do you recommend Butterviking?

[cheeseslovesu]

I agree with the Viking. I just use a paddle to drain out most of the buttermilk then press the butter into a dish and refrigerate. There are always traces of buttermilk in the butter and it is delicious.

[Frodage]

Has any one tried centrifuging? I seem to recall this was a grade two experiment. After the butter dropped, we each took a turn spinning it around.