Home Made Butter

No store bought butter beats home made butter!

Especially made with healthy grass based cream!

We are still milking just a few cows in the mornings - for the pigs, calves and our consumption.  Every few weeks, the boys will let the milk set for a day or two and then skim off the cream for us to make butter.  

 

I have discovered that blenders from yard sales or second hand shops work great for whipping cream.  Besides a blender, other necessary items are simply a spatula and strainer.  I allow the milk to sit out of the refrigerator for 10 -15 min. before whipping.

Fill the blender canister about half full (do NOT fill too full - the cream expands during the whipping).  

Turn on high and within a very short time (about less than a minute), you will have whipped cream.

 

Now the tricky part.... the cream needs to be fed down into the beaters and this is done VERY carefully....or you end up with this.... (revision 12/9/13 - at this point add approx. 1 c. of COLD water and the "feeding of the cream into beaters" is almost eliminated)

 

After another short time, the cream will separate into buttermilk and butter solids...

 

(from starting time til butter solids are formed it usually takes about 3 minutes)

Drain off the buttermilk - which may be saved for baking or drinking, however, it is not cultured like boughten buttermilk so it won't work to use in cheese recipes.  After we drain, we pour COLD water in canister and blend again.  This "washing" process speeds the removal of the buttermilk from the solids.  We "wash" the butter twice.  (Removing as much buttermilk from the butter solids as possible is important to prevent spoilage.)

 

Butter is then dumped into a strainer to await it's massage appointment.

 

After all the beatings the poor butter goes through up to this point, it now deserves to be massaged.  This is done by taking an amount and massaging it back and forth between fingers til the liquid is removed.

 

We then put the butter into a bowl and add salt to taste and sometimes herbs, like parsley, dill, and oregano.

1 cup amounts are measured out and shaped into balls and put into freezer.

The 3 musketeers usually help with this project and it can be interesting!  Usually some kicking and butter slinging takes place, mixed with a bit of complaining and then of course greasy hands, equipment, table, sink and floor.  On this day, we quickly started this project before the kitchen was actually cleaned up from breakfast!  Talk about a mess!  We had it!  And as soon as this mess was cleaned up, we had 3 laundry baskets of broccoli to do!  Crazy, but rewarding day!  And the boys had home-economics!  :)

 

Grammom and Grampop showed up to deliver some firewood right when we finished up with this butter making process.  The boys realized that they could be dismissed to help Grampop unload the truck and Oliver breathes a sigh of relief and said, "finally, something manly to do!"

So, if it is such a mess, why do we make our own butter?  I do ask myself that same question sometimes (actually many times, especially when I go to the grocery store and know how easy it would be to buy it), but when I taste that creamy yellow butter and know exactly where it came from, I know that we will do this again - in fact in about 2 weeks.

Until next time......

Coconut Milk Kefir

Kefir if fermented milk (cow, goat, coconut, almond, soy).  It is similar to yogurt, but little more tart and is much healthier for you than yogurt.  For more information on it, google it or go here.

I have successfully made cow milk kefir, and have been attempting to successfully make coconut milk kefir, as well.  Last week, I had made a batch using So Delicious Dairy Free Coconut Milk in a carton.  It tasted like kefir, but it kept separating and did not get thick.  Also, the down side of using that brand is all the "extra" ingredients.  This past weekend, I was able to get to store to purchase my favorite brand (below) and try another batch.  This time I used a little more culture, too, and it came out just the way I was hoping.

2 Cans of Thai Kitchen Coconut Milk - Unsweetened - heated to lukewarm. 

 I like this brand because the ingredients are simply coconut milk, water and guar gum.  No funny  stuff.  This brand is also available in "lite".  (Update: 8-8-13 - when using the lite, the kefir will separate.  Just use the full fat!  Who cares about fat - as long as the kefir don't separate!   heeeheee!  jk)

 

1/4 tsp. of Kefir Type C culture

 

1 Tbsp. unflavored gelatin dissolved in small amount of COLD water.

 

Once gelatin is dissolved, stir into warm milk along with the kefir culture.  Stir well and pour into a quart jar.  Put into oven with ONLY the oven light on.  Let incubate for 12 -18 hours.  

I held my breath, for in the past it would remain real runny and I like it thick, like yogurt.  It thickened up this time, maybe due to the increased amount of culture and full fat milk.  In fact, it is so thick that I can tip the jar and it would not run out. 

 

Pour a cup in a blender with some frozen strawberries, blueberries or fruit of choice and the outcome is soooooo yummy and healing at the same time!

Until next time.......

Home-Made Bread and Stevia

A friend of mine recently requested the home-made bread recipe that I used to make weekly before embracing more of a low wheat menu for the family.  It is so easy and versatile that I thought maybe others would enjoy it as well. 

  

 French Bread

5 C. warm water

1 1/2 T salt

1/4 C instant yeast

1/4 C sugar, or honey

1/4 C olive oil or lard

Combine all of the above and let set til yeast gets bubbly, then slowly add enough flour (approx. 14 C?) until a soft, smooth dough turns out.  It can then be molded into 4 bread pans, or onto cookie sheets in a french style way.  Make diagonal slits across loaves, brush with egg whites and sprinkle with sesame or poppy seeds.  If you are using wheat flour, you may want to allow some time for raising, but not necessary if using all white flour.  Bake at 400 at 20 min. or until done.

A more healthy alternative to white flour is using fresh ground whole wheat.  I have a K-Tec mill that I purchased at Mast's Bulk Foods near Myerstown.  I know Ruth would be happy to sell you one, too! :-)

I combine everything in my bosch mixer using bread hooks.

Well worth the time.....try different flours, sweetners, and oils and find the combo that you like best...

Stevia

Last year at our home-school co-op, the students from the money management class each had to be an entrepreneur, make their products and market it to the rest of the families.  One young fella started plants and made neat little signs to go with them.  He had a stevia plant and I excitedly purchased it.  I brought it home and planted it in one of my tubs and it did wonderfully!  I had taken pictures of the beginning stages, but can't find them anywhere on this computer. :-(  Anyway, the plant grew all summer, got so big that I had put a tomato cage around it to hold it up. I cut the stems, brought them in, hung them up to dry... 

stripped all the dried leaves off and ground them in a coffee grinder

Still debating on making the powder into a liquid.  In the meantime, I use a small amount in tea.  Definately not as sweet as the liquid where a drop sweetens a cup of tea.  This was a fun experiment - one that I will repeat in the future.

Until next time.........

 

Blunder in the Blender

There is one duty about being a wife that I have never enjoyed and still don't.  Dave sympathizes and helps when able, but it really is my wifey duty and when I do it, I can rest in peace for the rest of the day. :-)   That duty is packing lunch.  Dave must be the easiest person to pack for but, I still don't care for the job.  He loves cold leftovers!  And for the last few months, he prefers a light lunch - milkshake, fruit, nuts......    Well, this past Friday, I made his usual milkshake.  There was some that didn't fit in the thermos so he poured it in a cup and took a sip.  He immediately responded with "what did you put in this?" all the while pulling tiny bits of "something" from his mouth.  I said, "frozen bananas, strawberries, blueberries, yogurt and milk."  "Well, it tastes like lunch meat!"  I took a sip and it certainly did taste like lunch meat!  Gross!  Here what I thought were bananas, were really hotdogs!   Now, just wait!  Don't go thinking I am loony!  I did have my glasses on and yes, I was awake and yes, I really do love my husband!   We buy bananas by the case, peel them, break them in half and freeze them on trays.  After they are frozen, we put them in ziplok bags and whenever a milkshake is desired, we reach into the freezer and take out a few and put them in blender with other ingredients.  After a time in the freezer they can turn a light brown and get a little frosty.  I knew that we were almost out of bananas that morning, but ahhh haaa!  I found a bag with just 2 halves left and I just tilted the bag and dumped them right into the blender!   Waalaa!  A delicious nutritious milkshake, or so I thought.  Well, every now and then, Ben brings home some goodies from the butcher shop and some of the goodies were hotdogs and guess what?  we put them in ziplok bags in the freezer. 

Here is a test for you......is this a bag of bananas or hotdogs?

Well, they are......sƃopʇoɥ

Anyway, we had a really good laugh that morning, and that afternoon, and the next day!  I told him that my blunder was worse than his blunder and maybe we could call it even up.  You see, one day I was looking high and low for my liquid stevia.  Finally, one of the boys found it in the freezer.  Who put the stevia in the freezer?  You guessed it!  My man!  I reminded him that it only belongs in the fridge (and actually he got it out of there).  Well, about 2 days later - no stevia.  Couldn't find it again!  In the freezer!  After another reminder...thought it was all good.  Well, the next day he went to put it away again and was all ready to put it in the ....... where?  THE FREEZER!  The boys were giving him a hard time and he is now thinking about pressing harassment charges. ;-) 

Saturday night Dave wanted to have a cookout on the campfire.  He politely informed me that since I put the hotdogs in his milkshake, all I can have is grilled bananas.  ummmm....would that really be a terrible punishment?  Certainly didn't sound as bad as hotdogs in milkshakes.  Maybe I should give it a try.

Actually, they were delicious!  I had sprinkled some honey and cinnamon on top before grilling.  So, which would you choose?  A grilled banana in a bun or a hotdog with strawberries and blueberries?

Until next time...............

Tid Bits

Just some tid bits of what has been happenin'.....

Quality time with grand-daughters.......

Ben had butchered a beef for a friend and that beef had lots and lots of fat on it.  We asked if we could keep it and boil it down to make tallow.  Tallow can be used to make soap and it can be used like lard in recipes.  We haven't used it yet for either, so I cannot tell you whether I recommend it or not.  This is the process .....

The hunks of fat are run through a meat grinder and put into a big butcher kettle with small amount of water to prevent sticking...

It is cooked til completely melted and all water evaporated.

Once you start to hear a "crackling" noise, it is time to get out of the kettle and fast! or it will burn.  We used a kettle with a handle as a dipper and poured it through a strainer into a tin container.  These little fat hunks are called "cracklings" after they are pressed in a lard press.  We decided to not take the time to do that and threw them away.  Not the most nutritious food, but the old-timers would have eaten them anyway....

The tallow solidifies after cooled. We then removed it from the tins to clean the sediment off the bottom and remove any water that may have collected in the bottom of tin.  This is the finished tallow ready to use.  Needs to be stored in the cool.   The same process is used to make lard, which is fat from hogs instead of beef.

We have been working in the fields planting grass for the cows.  Being out in the open fields working the soil is one of my all time favorite things to do on the farm.  It is a time when I can get out of the house, enjoy the sunshine and think clearly without interruptions.  The men folk had done the planting and allowed me to roll these fields while they started chores. 

We have been enjoying the warm temperatures and watching the blossoms burst forth from the trees and bushes.  Winter is past and Spring is here!  Joy!  Joy!  Joy!                                                                  

Until next time...............                                                                                                                              

You're Invited To Breakfast!

Finally got the scrapple and sausage finished.  Now, anyone want to come for breakfast?  : )  My menu prices are reasonable and we would enjoy your company. 

Scrapple being made....all the bones have been picked, broth and meat are in kettle....we add cornmeal, salt, pepper, sage and this time we used oat flour, instead of buckwheat because Dave cannot have any wheat.  Turned out good...



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Taste testing is VERY important, you know! : )

With the sausage, first we run it through the grinder with a large hole plate, then we add seasonings (salt, pepper, sage), and run it through the grinder again using a smaller holed plate.  Some we packaged bulk, most we put in casings....

Taste testing is VERY important for sausage, also!  : )  It makes all the work more fun if we stop for a tasting break.

Yes, we did this in the milkhouse.  Please don't tell the milk inspector!  He would be extremely upset with us!  For don't you know?  Some of that raw meat just might sneak into that tank of milk and spoil the whole load.  Boy, did we have to keep our eye on those sausages!  Heehee!! 

Scrapple with apple butter smeared on top, sausage fried with onions and ketchup squirted zig zagged down the full length, sunny side up eggs with home made bread toasted with a slab of butter melting on top, cold creamy fresh chocolate milk - all for the price of. . . . .ummmmm.....let's see ......$8.95.  Is that reasonable?  Call to make your reservations!

Until next time. . . . . . .

These Big Piggies Went to the Butcher. . .

to be made into sausage, bacon, steaks and scrapple.  They were our composters all summer and fall and enjoyed lazy days in the fresh air.  Their diets were extremely healthy - milk, food scrapes (no meat), mango beets and turnip tops.  Every time we raise pigs, I am reminded on how much it is an insult if someone indicates that you are anything like a pig (you know, comments like - "stop chewing like a pig").  And their eyes. . . they seem to look right through you!  We also know they would eat you alive if you happened to fall into their pen.  But, we continue to raise them for the meat.  Nothing like sausage or scrapple for breakfast!  To kill the pigs, Ben takes his pistol and shots them in the forehead (I know, it really is not a kind thing to do, is it? but it is a more humane way then some of the slaughter houses do it).  It will stun them and then their throats are slit so they bleed out.

Loaded up to take back to butcher shop....

We did not realize how much the cows would take an interest in what was going on.  Quite a pesty audience they were!

 skun out and ready to be gutted

Look like an appealing job?

Sawing in half

They were so lean that we will not be able to make lard :(

Soon to be bacon.....

We make our own without nitrates and nitrites, only salt.  Before we fry it, we have to cook it slightly first to remove some of the salt.  Down side of not using preservatives.

Roast ready for freezer....

pig heart....the medical world uses the valves from these hearts to replace faulty ones in human hearts

Finally, on the table....

To be continued after Saturday when we are making the scrapple and sausage....

Until next time. . . . . .