2007-10-14 20:46:00
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This week we look at something really simple, making butter at home. It's so simple anyone can do it, the only thing you need is some cream and a food processor. Let us know how you make out, call the farm phone, 206-202-GOAT. In the show this week:
I looked on cafepress and the price for mugs seem to be $11 and calendars $15, plus shipping. That seems pretty expensive, anyone know a better place?
Jennifer on 2007-10-16 09:41:13
I was trying to find out information about raising goats and farm life. We hope to have a mini farm up and running in the next year. And I found your site! Wonderful! I have loaded all the ofthe archive onto my ipod and listen as I work. But I am sooooooooo excited about this Butter blog. I have not had a chance to listen to the podcast yet but did watch the video and can't wait to try it. I just wonder if you can make it with goats milk. I also have to buy a food processor. Maybe a mixer??
Anyway, I love your blog. You are answering so many questions I have regarding farm life.
Thank You!
andrew on 2007-10-18 09:21:03
That's a great point Susanne, than you. :) That's a lot of listening, holly cow! 88 shows in 3 weeks, that's crazy!
Sharolene,
The taste is very similar, I find ours is a bit "sharper" but it's hard to describe. The taste of fresh goats milk to fresh cows milk on similar pasture is hard to describe as well. They are different, but it's pretty subtle.
I'm not sure you'll find goat butter in the US very easily. There only a handful of grade A goat dairies and making butter is a big step beyond that which generates lots of skim milk there might not be a market for.
-Andrew
sharolene on 2007-10-15 13:49:22
Beats the heck out of hand churning doesn't it? And there is absolutely nothing like the taste of home churned butter. Nothing you can buy in a store holds a candle to it! Thanks so much for sharing your video with us.
andrew on 2007-10-16 18:37:08
Hey Jennifer!
The show will answer most of your question actually. A mixer can do the job, but I haven't found it as easy/quick/etc. It can work though, but I wouldn't do it on a regular basis.
The cream we used was goat cream. You have to use cream, normally over 25% for the fat to stick together and make butter. To get cream from goats milk you have run it through a cream separator (see sound seeing tour between episode 2 & 3) which isn't cheap. Goat milk is naturally homogonized so cream doesn't float to the top like cow milk.
-Andrew
sharolene on 2007-10-16 18:40:42
Andrew,
What is the difference in taste between goat butter and cow butter? I wonder if natural food stores would sell goat butter?
Denise on 2007-10-19 19:52:31
Hi Andrew, I don't know how you count a generation but I used to help my grandmother make butter on our farm in the 50's. She used one of those paddle churns on a big glass jar - it was a lot of work but apparently all you need is an inexhaustible supply of grandchildren fighting over who gets to turn the handle next. I seem to remember her doing the last washing of the butter with cold water and packing it fairly cold into the mould. She was able to push it out then slide the handle part off sideways leaving the ridged pattern of the mould "pusher" on the top side of the block of butter.
Enjoy your show even though I'm a city person now...but my youngest has followed in her mother's hippie footsteps and has done a 21st Century version of "back to the land". I turned her on to your show and she finds it inspiring and a great source of encouragement in their quest for a non-off-the-rack kind of life. Keep up the good work.
Melanie on 2007-10-18 22:22:34
Hi Misty and Andrew, it's Melanie from "The OC". I was excited to see this week's topic, since I have recently begun trying my hand, erm, food processor, at making butter. It really is easy and fun. I get the strangest looks from people when I tell them that I made butter ("Why?"), until they taste it! I've been making plain, lightly salted butter ith regular grocery store heavy cream, just to work out my technique. But soon, I'm going to try making cultured butter, and see how I like it.
Thanks for the great show!
Melanie on 2007-10-18 22:23:52
Goodness, I forgot to mention - the plain heavy cream I use does come out yellow without adding annatto.
Susanne on 2007-10-18 08:58:01
Hi Misty and Andrew!
I'd love the idea of geekfarmlife merchandising. An e-mail with a graphic will be on the way soon, I am just finishing my other work. Cafepress delivers worldwide, which is an important point (at least for your listeners here in Europe) - if you find an other onlineshop please make sure that international orders are accepted!
I am now uptodate with your shows (I listened to all your shows during the last three weeks!) and I am still impressed by the good work you do.
All the best from Austria, Susanne
andrew on 2007-10-16 09:28:15
Sure does! I'm glad you enjoyed the video!
-Andrew