My instructions on making butter say to use soured milk and the butter will stay fresh longer. But I am not told how to sour the milk. Please help me. Thank you very much.

-- Heather Danielson (Sixmeadows@uov.net), March 11, 2001

Answers

Are you sure it says to use MILK? Butter is made from CREAM. I just let my cream sit in the refrigerator for 1-2 weeks, and it gets aged enough - or let it sit out of the refrigerator - but I've never tried that. You don't want it TOO sour...it may separate or something. I think letting it age for 1-2 weeks in the refrig. would be enough to make good butter.

-- Bonnie Staas (chilton@stateline-isp.com), March 11, 2001.

you have to let it set for 1 - 2 weeks??? no wonder mine seperates so fast. Ive always made it with fresh millk

-- Stan (sopal@net-port.com), March 11, 2001.

In order for milk or cream to sour naturally it, first of all, must NOT be pasteurized. If the milk or cream is pasteurized it will rot, not sour.

-- R. (thor610@yahoo.com), March 11, 2001.

I don't bother with letting it sour. I use cream that's 3-4 days old (fresh, not pasturized) and it makes fine butter. If you use cream that is a day or two old, it produces less butter, that's all. In another words, you get a smaller amount of butter out of new cream. It doesn't make it separate or spoil faster. I have experienced this, and I have read it from an old farm book. The reason you let it sit is to get a greater amount of butter from the cream. Mary

-- Mary Fraley (kmfraley@orwell.net), March 11, 2001.

I don't "sour" my milk either. I do heat-treat my milk (140 degrees), but never pasteurize it. I just keep it in the fridge til I have accumulated a quart or so of cream...takes about 3 days. Then pour it in my blender. Works great and tastes excellent!! Good luck.

-- Marcia (HrMr@webtv.net), March 11, 2001.

use a drop of lemon juice in the milk, that will sour it.

-- Judy (allsmile@ctnet.net), March 11, 2001.

I skim the raw milk, and collect the cream over several days to get enough. (I have that BIG stainless churn that Lehmans used to sell) When I'm ready to churn, I let the cream sit out overnight in a closed jar, and then churn the next morning. The deal with the butter staying fresh has more to do with how well you rinse out the buttermilk. Be sure to keep rinsing and working until the rinse water runs clear, and work out as much liquid as you can. Mine keeps indefinetly in the fridge, or I freeze it. If I am wanting to keep it counter safe, I cook all of the water out of it, and strain out the solids. (these are great mixed into bread dough) You can stop the cooking process as soon as the solids start to turn tan, or toast it darker for more flavor. In India, they call the finished product Ghee. You can pour it into half pint jars, and add various spices while it is still hot, for added flavor. Cardamom seed, cumin, hot pepper, dried garlic or onion, the possibilities are endless. Don't use anything moist, or it will mold. Let it sit for a month or so in a warm place to blend the flavor in. I keep mine on a shelf above the stove.

-- Connie (Connie@lunehaven.com), March 11, 2001.

Thank you, Everyone.

-- Heather Danielson (sixmeadows@uov.net), March 12, 2001.