“B” is for….
BUTTER!
I made it myself!
With cream, in a jar that I keep on a shelf.
The cream comes from cows
Oh so gentle and mellow
Their milk’s always white, but the butter is yellow!
No matter how many times I see it, the transformation from white cream to bright yellow butter is always amazing. It is incredible that simply agitating the cream for a while causes that thick, white liquid to separate out into a yellow solid and a thin, clearish liquid! You can experience this wonder of God’s design in your own kitchen, without any special equipment! All you need is cream and a jar. I used about 2.5 cups of cream, and a gallon jar. Pour the cream into the jar, put on the lid and shake! (This is fun for kids to take turns shaking, and see who will have the jar when the cream “breaks” into butter and buttermilk!).
If you have a stand mixer, you can use that if you prefer. It will take a while, so be prepared to let the machine run 10-15 minutes. Make sure to use the splash guard, if you have one (and to stand by and watch closely if you don’t!) because the butter breaks suddenly, and the resulting buttermilk is Very sloshy!
After you have butter, you need to squeeze out all the leftover buttermilk, and wash the butter. If you leave a lot of milk in the butter, it will go rancid quickly. Form the butter into a ball, and submerge in cool water. You can work it around with your hands or a paddle or spoon to squeeze all the milk out. Keep changing the rinse water until it runs clear–then you know all the milk is out! Now is the time to salt your butter and knead the salt in. You could also add honey or herbs at this point, for fancy butter!
Enjoy!
The milk used in this butter is from 100% grass-fed cows; they never eat anything else. It is also fresh, unpasteurized, so that it retains all its vital nutrients. That is why the butter turns such a nice shade of yellow. If you try this with store bought, pasteurized cream, the butter will usually turn out white (and not nearly as tasty!). I am blessed to have access to fresh-from-the-farm milk, which makes it possible for me to enjoy dairy! (I cannot drink pasteurized milk without ill effects.)
For more information about fresh milk, http://www.realmilk.org is a great resource!
Cute poem 🙂