Butter can be made at home successfully if you pay close attention to hygiene. Milk available from a house cow or goat can be separated or skimmed and the cream used to make fresh, creamy butter. The cream from about 10 L of milk testing about 4 per cent butterfat is required to make about 500 g of butter.
Equipment:
You will need a hand-churn or electric mixer and bowl; a thermometer; a sieve for straining the butter milk; two wooden pats or large spoons; and a 2 L container for pasteurizing cream.
Ripening the cream:
Let the cream ripen in a cool place (not in the refrigerator) until it tastes very slightly sour. This usually takes 12 to 24 hours. Stir periodically during ripening.
Fat test:
Cream that is too thin takes longer to churn, but if it is excessively thick, the fat lost during churning results in less butter being made. To get the right thickness you will have to experiment. More care in skimming the cream from the milk will give thicker cream.
Pasteurizing (heating and cooling):
Pasteurization improves the keeping quality of the butter. To pasteurize the cream, pour it into an open bowl over a saucepan of water. Do not cover the bowl. This allows feed flavours and other volatiles to escape.
Heat the cream to 63°C and keep it at this temperature for 20 to 30 minutes, stirring gently. Then coo! it quickly by standing the container in cold water. Pour into a clean container and store overnight in a refrigerator set at 10°C (the right temperature for churning). Lower temperatures will prolong churning, higher temperatures will produce soft, sticky butter.
Churning:
Cream churns best when it is at 10°C, but in the spring when fats are “soft”, it is best to churn cream a few degrees colder. Fill the churn or bowl one-third to one-half full of cream. Overfilling or underfilling increases churning time considerably. It usually takes 35 to 45 minutes for the buttermilk to separate from the butter granules if the cream is hand-churned.
It is often difficult to gauge the stage of churning when using a hand-operated churn, so stop frequently and inspect the cream once the buttermilk separates from the fat grains.
The correct size for the fat grains is about the size of grains of wheat. If the grains are too large it will be difficult to wash and drain them and to mix the salt in evenly. If the grains are too small, too much milk fat will be lost in the buttermilk.
If using an electric mixer, start mixing at half speed. It may take ten minutes for the buttermilk to begin to separate from the butter granules. Once this occurs switch to a much lower speed. Do not overmix. Too much mixing will increase grain size and blend buttermilk back into the butter granules.
When correct grain size has been reached, drain off all buttermilk through the sieve. Keep the buttermilk refrigerated (it is useful for making scones, pancakes, pikelets and bread).
Washing:
Washing the butter granules removes traces of buttermilk, improves the keeping quality of the butter, and hardens the grains, allowing the butter to be worked longer and more completely. The washing water should be 4°C to 6°C cooler than the churning temperature. Add enough water to replace the buttermilk drained off. Stir gently for five to ten minutes to prevent butter granules from sticking.
Do not use an electric mixer at this stage. If using a hand-churn, revolve it very slowly. Drain off the water through a sieve. It is best to use a second lot of water to wash away all traces of buttermilk. The water used to wash the butter granules must be pure and uncontaminated. Use water that has been boiled and then chilled in the refrigerator.
Salting:
Salt is added to improve the keeping quality and flavour of the butter. The amount of salt varies according to taste. Normally between 20 and 50 g are used for each kilogram of butter. Use table salt. Sprinkle it over the butter granules and let it partly dissolve before beginning to work it into the butter.
Working:
If you don’t have mechanical butter workers,use two small wooden puts or two large tablespoons. Work around the bowl systematically, pressing the lumps of butter into the sides of the bowl. Drain all excess water. Butter must be worked until all the salt is thoroughly incorporated. Well-made butter keeps longer. When cut, well-worked butter has a close, waxy appearance.
Defects:
• Rancid flavour—cream may not have been heated sufficiently.
• Sour flavour—bacteriological spoilage, butter insufficiently washed and worked, poor hygiene.
How To Make Yoghurt:
Yoghurt is a coagulated milk with a custard-like texture, having a pleasing nutty, acidic flavour. It has the same nutritional value as milk.
Milk from cows, goats and sheep, can be used to make yoghurt, or you can use skim milk or powdered milk.
Equipment and materials:
You will need a large saucepan or frypan; heat-resistant, wide-mouth glass jars with lids; a large vacuum flask; two small jars with lids for mother cultures; and one accurate thermometer. All utensils used in yoghurt manufacture must be scrupulously clean at all times.
Cultures:
Cultures are available from the Dairy Industry Marketing Authority laboratory at Sydney University or from commercial suppliers. Two types of culture are available. The powder form will keep for several months, whereas the liquid form will die unless transferred to fresh, sterilized milk each week.
If this is done, the culture will remain usable for many months. These cultures are known as mother cultures, Instructions are provided by the supplier for preparing mother cultures.
Natural commercial yoghurt bought in the shops can also be used as the starter culture but a fresh carton should be used each time.
Recipe for a litre of yoghurt:
- Add 2 tablespoons of skim milk powder to 1 L of milk.
- Heat this mixture to 87°C to 90°C. Hold at this temperature for 20 minutes.
- Cool the mixture to 43°C and add two tablespoons of culture or natural commercial yoghurt. If using two separate cultures use 1 tablespoon of each type per L.
- Keep the temperature of the mixture at 43°C (incubation temperature) until set or clotted. This usually takes five to six hours.
- Cool and store in refrigerator until used.
Common defects and remedies:
Sourness (too much acid)—reduce incubation time and place in refrigerator when desired acid level is reached.
- Not set properly—use more milk powder.
- :Whey separates out—can be caused by disturbing yoghurt during incubation.
- Undesirable flavours—may be caused by contaminated cultures, poor milk quality, insufficient attention to hygiene.
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